Breaking the Law

In one paragraph

Brian opened Matthew 12:1-14 and asked the congregation to sit with two linked scenes, Jesus' disciples picking grain on the Sabbath and Jesus healing a man's withered hand in the synagogue, under the title "Breaking the Law." Together the scenes pressed a single point: time spent with Jesus produces freedom, and that freedom will always look like lawbreaking to a religious wineskin that has no...

Read together

1. John 4:24 worship in spirit and in truth, God is spirit
2. Matthew 18:20 wherever two or more are gathered he is there
3. Matthew 12:1-14 main passage read aloud, disciples in grain field and healing of withered hand on Sabbath
4. Revelation 12:10-11 the accuser of the brethren cast down, overcome by the blood of the Lamb
5. Matthew 12:43-45 parable of the swept house, demon returns with seven others, used to frame Jonathan Cahn's Return of the Gods premise
6. Mark 12:41-44 widow's two mites contrasted with Pharisees giving gold, Jesus tells disciples she gave more than all of them combined

What was said

• Pick one book from the list Brian shared, whether Michael Heiser, David Pawson, Art Katz, Joel Richardson, or Jonathan Cahn, and order or download it this week.
• Download the FAI app and find the Maranatha Global Bible Study end times series to start working through it.
• If you are new to Tribe or new to Jackson, introduce yourself to Connor or Ella this week about the young adult ministry.
• Sign up for the Meet the Tribe dinner on January 22 if you are considering calling Tribe home.
• Pray specifically this week for the safe return of the remaining hostages, including the infant who had not yet been released.

Talk about it

1. Katie talked about worshiping in spirit and truth by letting your spirit connect with God's spirit and standing on the truth of his word regardless of how you feel. What does that actually look like for you on a Sunday morning when you walk in carrying something heavy?
2. Brian asked everyone to picture the scene in the grain fields and several people shared very different things they noticed, from the disciples being poor and hungry to the heartlessness of the Pharisees. What detail stood out to you, and why do you think that particular thing caught your attention?
3. Brian said the real mark of someone who has spent time with Jesus is not how much they know about him but a transformed life that demonstrates freedom. Where have you seen that in someone else, and where are you still waiting to see it in yourself?
4. The person who read Revelation 12 connected the Pharisees accusing the disciples to Satan accusing believers through religion. Have you ever experienced that kind of accusation, something that felt religious on the surface but was actually pulling you back into guilt or shame rather than freedom?
5. Brian shared a list of books, films, and podcasts that have stretched his own wineskin over the last couple of years. Is there something you have read, watched, or listened to that challenged the way you thought about God or Scripture, and how did you work through it?