Sermon Notes

Matthew 9:14–17 NIV
¹⁴ Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”
¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
¹⁶ No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. ¹⁷ Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

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Jesus’s Kingdom demands a new, moldable perspective.

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Romans 12:1–2 NIV
¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

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Series Resources

Go deeper with additional resources from our teaching team.

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Discussion Igniters

(1)  Read Matthew 9:14–17.
What do you think Jesus meant by not fasting while the bridegroom is with them?
What does this tell us about fasting?
What does this tell us about Jesus? 

(2)  Do you tend to stick with what you know?
Or are you always seeking out new truth and learning others’ perspectives? 

(3)  Read Romans 12:1–2 and Proverbs 1:2–7.
What does the Bible tell us about how we should learn and grow? 

(4)  How can we develop a willingness to grow and accept God’s truth, even when it might collide with what we have known previously or are comfortable with? 

(5)  How can we help each other in our pursuit of truth?