City Group Guides: The Kingdom Week 4: “Anger”
1. Setting the Kingdom Vision (10 min)
Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount by showing that the Kingdom of Heaven is not just about avoiding sin but restoring relationship. The command not to murder was always about more than keeping your hands clean—it was about keeping your heart free from contempt.
In the Kingdom, anger and insult matter because people matter. God’s righteousness looks like peace—between us and Him, and between us and others. To reconcile is to live out the heart of the Gospel: mercy triumphing over judgment.
When Jesus says, “If you remember your brother or sister has something against you, go and be reconciled,” He’s showing us that peacemaking is not optional; it’s an essential act of worship.
Discussion:
Why do you think Jesus connects anger with judgment?
What happens to our spiritual life when unresolved conflict lingers?
Why might reconciliation come before worship?
(Leader note: keep tone gentle; this is not about reliving old hurts, but opening space for healing.)
2. Guide Overview: The Kingdom of Right Relationships (2 min)
Jesus paints a picture of a Kingdom community where reconciliation is normal and urgent.
The world often says, “I’ll forgive when they apologize.”
Jesus says, “Go first.”
The altar image is striking: before you offer your worship to God, go make things right with your brother or sister. The Kingdom thrives where forgiveness flows. Our love for God and our love for people are inseparable.
Tonight, we’ll reflect on where God may be calling us to repair relationships and how prayer can begin that healing process.
3. Kingdom Practice: The Prayer of Reconciliation (30 min)
Step 1: Read the Passage (5 min)
Read Matthew 5:21–24 aloud slowly.
Invite everyone to notice one phrase or image that stands out.
Pause for a brief silence.
Step 2: Reflect (5 min)
In quiet prayer, ask the Spirit:
“Is there anyone I’m holding anger toward?”
“Is there someone who may have something against me?”
“What step toward peace are You inviting me to take?”
Keep two to three minutes of silence to listen and let names, memories, or nudges rise.
Step 3: Share (10–15 min)
Invite the group to share gently what surfaced—without naming details that aren’t appropriate.
Encourage honesty, not pressure.
After each share, pray a short blessing:
“Father, thank You for [name]. Give them courage and grace to take steps toward peace this week.”
(Leader note: if conflict exists within the group, pause to pray privately with those individuals after the session rather than addressing it in front of others.)
Step 4: Respond (5 min)
As a group, pray for a spirit of reconciliation in your community, city, and world.
Ask God to make your gathering a place where grudges dissolve and grace flows easily.
4. Reflection: Worship Through Reconciliation (5 min)
Read verses 23–24 again:
“If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you… first go and be reconciled.”
Jesus connects worship and reconciliation because both honor the same truth: God values people more than offerings.
Discuss briefly:
How might making peace with others actually become an act of worship?
What could our community look like if reconciliation became a regular practice, not a rare event?
Remind everyone: the Kingdom doesn’t begin in the sanctuary; it begins wherever peace is made.
5. Exercise for the Week Ahead (3 min)
Practice: One Step Toward Peace.
Each day, ask:
“Lord, is there one step I can take toward reconciliation?”
It might be praying for someone who’s hurt you, sending a kind message, or simply choosing to let go of resentment.
You don’t have to fix everything—just take one obedient step toward peace.
As you do, remember that every act of reconciliation is a small victory of the Kingdom over the darkness of division.
Closing Prayer:
“Father, You are the God of peace. Where there is anger, plant mercy. Where there is hurt, bring healing. Teach us to go first, to forgive freely, and to love deeply. Let our worship and our relationships tell the same story—that Your Kingdom is near. Amen.”