Fruit of the Kingdom

Fellowship – Snacks or a Meal (10 minutes with snacks; longer, obviously, if there is a meal).

Gathering Time (5-10 minutes). In pairs or groups of three, have participants answer the following: “Rules and laws are often hard to follow when no one is watching. Which rules or laws do you see people breaking most often? (traffic, parking, others?)

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes). Read Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 and Matthew 21:33-46.

• Read the Exodus 20 verses in your group. Which of these commandments are easiest to follow? Which are hardest? What makes them easy or difficult for us?
• The Ten Commandments are often grouped into categories: rules about our relationship with God and rules about our relationship with others. How do you see these two categories intertwined? How do they work together to shape our faith?
• Read Exodus 20:3 aloud. How do we keep this commandment today? What are some of the other ‘gods’ that we give our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness to in place of the one true God?
• In the Matthew passage, it is hard to read that the tenants are violent and kill those whom the landowner calls his own, be they his servants or his son. Who was the intended audience of that day? What would this parable have meant to those who heard it in Jesus’ time? What does it mean for us today?
• Read Psalm 118:22 aloud. Compare that verse with Matthew 21:42. What do you notice as you compare the two? Why did the religious leaders reject Jesus as the cornerstone? How does our community often forget that Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith?

Prayer (10 minutes). Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.

Sending Forth (2 minutes). End with the following prayer, a similar prayer, or the Lord’s Prayer:

Almighty God, the author and perfecter of our faith, give us the grace and wisdom to follow your commandments and make Jesus the cornerstone of our faith. May we receive Jesus and those who serve you in your vineyard. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Rev. Robin C. Wilson is an elder in The United Methodist Church. A pastor, author, and teacher, she currently serves as the director of The Alabama West Florida Healthy Clergy and Congregations Initiative.