Community Group Sermon Questions
Pure in Heart– Matthew 5:8 – Blue Bible Page # 958
Connecting with each other QUESTIONS (Belonging):
1. As part of a 2006 research project AOL released the search history of 650,000 users. They replaced user
names with numbers, but people still figured out real identities. AOL pulled the data back, but the damage
was done. People were exposed. Tim Challies wrote, “It was possible to reconstruct a person's life, at least in
part, from what they searched for over a period of time. What is remarkable about these searches is the way
people transition seamlessly from the normal and mundane to the outrageous and perverse. One user went
from searching for preteen pornography to searching for games appropriate for a church youth group.
Others, spurned by lovers, sought out ways of exacting revenge, while others grappled with cheating on their
spouses. Our searches are a penetrating window into our hearts.” (The Next Story p. 176-178)
What do you think about this story? Do you think seeing someone’s searches would reveal a lot about their
life? How would you feel if the world could see your internet searches?
Connecting with the Bible QUESTIONS (Discipleship):

Read Psalm 24, especially verses 3-4
The Psalm is about God’s glory and presence filling the Temple in Jerusalem and about who is worthy to go to the
Temple and worship.
1. What does it mean to have clean hands and a pure heart? Why is that the sign of purity?

Read Matthew 5:8
2. What does it mean to be pure?
3. Why is the heart considered to be the center of our being?
4. What does it look like to have single-minded devotion to God (see James 4:8)?
5. How does purity of heart compare with a life of integrity?
6. Read Exodus 33:12-23. What does it mean to see God’s face? How can you survive?
7. Read Isaiah 6:1-8. What does it mean to see God’s face? Why is the cleansing important?
8. Read Revelation 22:3-5. What does it mean to see God’s face? How is this the culmination of God’s promise?
9. What did Jesus mean when He promised that we will really see God?
Connecting with our world QUESTIONS (Care)

Application
1. How do you measure purity? What is your standard? How does it compare with God’s?
2. Pastor Jim opened the message on purity by telling a story about a family who stained the prized sofa that no
one was supposed to touch. He said that we have all stained the sofa, meaning sin has stained all of our lives.
How much do you think the average person acknowledges this truth? How much do you?
3. What motivates us to try and hide the sin stain? Are we satisfied with the outcome?
4. Pastor Jim broke down Jesus’ call for us to be pure in heart this way:
GOD’S DEMAND
GOD’S DIAGNOSIS
GOD’S CURE
GOD’S PROMISE
Be Pure
You can’t
Jesus purifies your heart.
You will see Him.
How do you react to this? Do you like this arrangement? Does this scare you or give you hope? Explain.
5. Read Psalm 51, especially 51:10. David confessed to ADULTERY, CONSPIRACY and MURDER here. What are
the areas in your life that rob you of a pure heart? How might this be the first step in a path to purity for you?

Impacting our world
1. How are you dealing with impure thoughts, words and actions? In what ways can our group help support you
as you take steps toward purity?
Closing Prayer:
Key Prayer Concerns Facing Our Church
1. That the Holy Spirit’s power would be unleashed in our worship services, in our Community Groups and
in every facet of our ministry together. I believe we will see people convicted of sin and called to
repentance. I believe we will see a spiritual hunger and thirst to know God and for His righteousness to
be demonstrated in our lives.
2. That God would give us as a church a love for people far from God in ways we have never possessed
before along with a “whatever it takes” attitude to serve them. People will then step out of comfort
zones to serve and they will sacrifice their agendas and preferences for the needs of others. They will
also practice hospitality to the stranger in all-encompassing ways until those strangers become friends.
3. That God would give us opportunities to invest in the lives of family, friends and even total strangers
for the sake of the Gospel. We will have a deep desire to be used by God to demonstrate and proclaim
Jesus. We will engage in conversations that honor God and point people to Him. We will see God use us
to invite people into spiritual conversations and even church events that might lead them to Christ.
4. That God would stretch our faith and provide for us in spiritual power to protect and bless current and
future leaders so they can lead us to take radical risks to stretch ourselves for the mission our Church
has to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We need God’s power to protect all of us, but especially our
leaders, from spiritual attack and to give us the wisdom and discernment to lead well with absolute
obedience to God.
5. That we will receive God’s favor to provide needed resources to carry out the mission He has called us
to. That means praying specifically for the sale of the Burke building, but also for needed resources to
carry on and expand the future ministry God has for us.