Life Group Resources: New Eyes - Seeing as Easter People

Small Group Guide: "The New Life, The Way of Jesus"
Sermon on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12)

Opening Prayer
Begin your time together with prayer, asking God to open your hearts and minds to see the world through the lens of Christ's teachings.

Ice Breaker (5-10 minutes)
Share a time when you got glasses or contacts for the first time, or when you experienced something that dramatically changed your perspective on life. What did you see differently afterward?

Key Takeaways

• The Beatitudes are a new lens: Jesus isn't just giving advice; He's offering us a corrective lens to see reality as God intends it.
• Worldly vision vs. God's vision: The world measures worth by success, power, and wealth. God's kingdom values humility, mercy, and faithfulness.
• Heaven on earth is now: The kingdom of God isn't just a future destination—it's a present reality we're called to embody.
• Blessed means more than happy: To be blessed is to be rooted in God, aligned with His will, and sustained by His presence regardless of circumstances.
• We carry the baton: Jesus passed the responsibility to embody God's kingdom to His disciples, and now to us.

Scripture Reflection (10-15 minutes)
Read Matthew 5:1-12 aloud together.
Reflection Questions:

• Which Beatitude stands out to you most today? Why?
• Which Beatitude challenges you the most?
• Are there any Beatitudes that surprise you or seem counter-cultural?

Discussion Questions (30-40 minutes)
Understanding Our Lens

• The pastor mentioned we all have a lens through which we see the world. What messages did you receive early in life about what makes someone valuable or successful? How have those messages shaped how you see yourself and others?
• Jesus says "Blessed are the poor in spirit." What does it mean to be "poor in spirit"? How is this different from being hopeless or lacking confidence? Can you think of a time when emptying yourself of ego helped you experience God more fully?
• Seeing Differently

• The sermon states: "Mourning is not weakness. It is the courage to feel what is real." How does our culture typically handle grief and pain? What would it look like for our church community to create space for authentic mourning?
• "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." How do you distinguish between meekness (strength under control) and weakness? Who is someone you know that embodies this kind of gentle strength?

Living the Vision

• The pastor said, "Heaven on earth occurs when people like you and me take the words of Jesus to heart and live into them." What would your daily life look like if you truly lived as if the kingdom of heaven was breaking through right now?
• Jesus is redefining who is truly blessed—not the successful, wealthy, or powerful, but the humble, mournful, and faithful. How does this challenge the way you evaluate your own life or the lives of others?

• Personal Assessment

• "How is your vision?" In what areas of your life do you sense your vision might be distorted by false narratives, out of focus, or blurred? What would it look like to let Jesus correct your vision in those areas?
• Which of the eight Beatitudes feels most relevant to your current season of life? How might God be inviting you to live into that blessing more fully?

Practical Applications (15-20 minutes)
This Week's Challenge
Choose one of the following practices to try this week:
Option 1: Vision Check

• Each day this week, before checking your phone or social media, read the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12).
• Ask yourself: "How is Jesus inviting me to see differently today?"
• Journal about one thing you notice.

Option 2: Embody One Beatitude

• Choose one Beatitude that speaks to you.
• Identify one concrete way you can live it out this week.
• Examples:
  • Poor in spirit: Practice asking for help instead of self-reliance
  • Those who mourn: Sit with someone in their grief without trying to fix it
  • The meek: Choose gentleness in a situation where you'd normally be forceful
  • Hunger for righteousness: Take action on one injustice you've been aware of
  • The merciful: Extend grace to someone who has hurt you
  • Pure in heart: Examine your motives in one area of life
  • Peacemakers: Initiate reconciliation in a broken relationship
  • The persecuted: Stand up for what's right even when it's costly

Option 3: Contrast Exercise

• Create two columns: "World's Lens" and "Jesus' Lens"
• Throughout the week, notice messages you encounter (ads, social media, conversations)
• Write down what the world says is blessed vs. what Jesus says is blessed
• Share your observations with the group next time

Option 4: Group Service

• As a group, identify one way to embody the Beatitudes together
• Serve "the least of these" in your community
• Afterward, reflect on how you saw Jesus' vision of the kingdom in that experience

Accountability Partners (5 minutes)
Pair up with someone in the group. Share:

• Which Beatitude you're focusing on this week
• One specific way you'll practice seeing through Christ's lens
• Exchange contact information to check in mid-week

Closing Reflection
Read this quote from the sermon together:
"The gospel of Christ is the lens that we need to correct how we see, understand, and evaluate the world around us... Once you see it, you cannot unsee it."
Closing Question: What is one thing you're taking away from today's discussion that you don't want to forget?

Closing Prayer
Invite group members to pray for one another, specifically asking God to:

• Correct our vision to see as Jesus sees
• Give us courage to live counter-culturally according to the Beatitudes
• Help us embody heaven on earth in our daily lives
• Open our eyes to where God is already at work

For Next Week

• Read Matthew 5:13-16 (You are the salt of the earth/light of the world)
• Come prepared to share how your "vision check" went this week
• Bring examples of where you noticed God's kingdom breaking through

Additional Resources

• Book Recommendation: Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner's Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven by Amy-Jill Levine
• Reflection Tool: Write out the Beatitudes and post them somewhere you'll see them daily
• Discussion Starter: What does "resurrection as a way of seeing" mean to you?