Sunday, Jul 19
Scripture
Matthew 18:2-5 • The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven 2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
Scripture
2 Kings 18:5-8 • Hezekiah was a good king 5 Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. 6 He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. 7 And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.
Scripture
2 Chronicles 32:25 • Hezekiah’s pride 25 But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.
Dialogue
Writing Moment on the Survey When have you experienced notable personal growth? Give each of these moments an “I Grew" score 0 – I have not experienced this moment 1 – I experienced it, but grew very little (if at all) 7 – I experienced it and grew immensely because of it
Dialogue
What stands out as you look at your answers? When did you grow a lot or not very much? Choose one experience you scored high and one you scored low. What was different about those two experiences?
Dialogue
What is it about some difficult seasons that helps us grow?
Dialogue
What are some of the things that can prevent us from experiencing personal growth? When these obstacles show up, how do they keep us from growing?
Scripture
Matthew 18:1-5 • The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven 1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
Dialogue
What is the value of becoming childlike and welcoming those who are childlike? **Or was it a form of hazing, like shaving a new member’s head, to test loyalty
Scripture
2 Kings 18:5 • Hezekiah was a great king 5 Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.
Scripture
2 Kings 18:14-15 • Paying off Assyria 14 So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace.
Scripture
2 Kings 18:21 • Egypt is not trustworthy 21 Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him.
Scripture
2 Kings 18:22 • Hezekiah offended your God 22 But if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem?”
Scripture
2 Kings 18:32b-35 • Other gods didn't help “Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ 33 Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? 35 Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”
Scripture
2 Kings 19:17-19 • You can help us because you are God! 17 “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. 18 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 19 Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”
Scripture
2 Kings 19:35 • God’s victory over the Assyrians 35 That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp.
Scripture
2 Kings 20:4-6 • Hezekiah healed 4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”
Scripture
2 Kings 20:12-13 • Hezekiah shows the Babylonians everything 12 At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness. 13 Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine olive oil—his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
Scripture
2 Kings 20:15-17 • What did you do? 15 The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?” “They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.” 16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: 17 The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord.”
Scripture
2 Kings 20:19 • It’s okay, it won’t affect me 19 “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?”
Dialogue
How can seasons of success create a false sense of security and blind us to our ongoing need for growth and dependence on God?
Dialogue
A moment of quiet reflection Which posture most threatens your growth right now: pride, fear, defensiveness, self-protection, or something else? What is one way that posture makes it harder to depend on God? What attitudes (conditions of the heart) do I need to be cautious of? How do they hinder my growth? How do they hinder my dependance on God?
Dialogue
How does awareness adjust my trajectory towards Christ?
Take it deeper
Question 1
Read Philippians 4:6-7.
Question 2
When have you faced a threat or crisis that felt too big for you to handle on your own?
Question 3
What is usually your first response when bad news arrives—control, panic, denial, or prayer?
Question 4
What does it look like to bring your fears honestly before God instead of carrying them alone?
Question 5
Hezekiah was miraculously saved, then showed off his treasures to Babylon and ruined it. How does God's rescue lead to pride later on?
Question 6
How are you challenged, focused, encouraged, and/or confused by this text?
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