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Service Resources

Matthew 7:7-12

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

MAIN IDEA

Your Heavenly Father is both good and good to you. 
Do you trust him?

GOING DEEPER
Questions from this weeks message.

 1.  What insight, principle or observation from this week’s message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling?  Please explain.  

2.  Have you ever had a prayer answered the way you asked for? How did it affect your faith?  

3.  Have you ever prayed for something and your prayer was not answered, or not in the way you asked? How did it affect your faith?  

4. Read Matthew 7:7-8. Alvin mentioned that Ask, Seek and Knock are present verbs. This is more posture or lifestyle than it is something we did or do. Why might this posture be important in our faith? What does this posture say about us and God?  

5.  Read Matthew 7:9-11. According to these verses, what is the difference between us and God?  

6. As a parent have you ever said “no” to your child because that was what was best for them? How might this affect our response to God and life when God says no to us?  

7. Why is it hard for us to accept that we are still children and God knows better than us?  

8. God is good, and he is good to us. Do you believe this? What makes it hard and what makes it easy for you to believe this. Trust is the practical outworking of the belief that God is good. On a scale of 1-10, how high is your trust in God? What would it take and look like to grow that?  

9. Read Matthew 7:12. Since God is good, we are told to be like him and also be good to others. Who is someone to whom it is particularly hard to live out the golden rule (this verse) to right now? What will you do this week to live that out and be like your Father in Heaven?

SUMMARY POINTS

 Prayer is a polarizing aspect of faith. 

 If you knew that God heard your prayers and would act on your behalf as a result of them, would it change anything for you? 

 Your Heavenly Father is both good and good to you. 

 Is there something important about ask, seek and knock? Is God so stingy that if we don’t persistently beg, he won’t give? What if he doesn’t? 

 Asking, seeking and knocking are not just something we did, or do, but rather a posture we take. 

 Is God good? 

 What do we do with “unanswered” prayer? 

Your Heavenly Father is both good and good to you. 
Do you trust him?