This small group discussion guide draws directly from Charles Scheffe's sermon “7 Days: Cleanse the Temple” so you can keep engaging with the message all week. Read, reflect, and share it with your small group or friends.
Small Group Discussion Guide
"Monday: The King Cleans House"
Series: Seven Days — Week 2
A Note to Facilitators: This guide is designed to help your group engage honestly and personally with Sunday's message. You don't need to be a biblical expert to lead this conversation well — your most important job is to create a safe, open space where people feel free to share authentically. Feel free to skip questions that don't fit your group, and never feel pressured to cover everything. Good conversation matters more than covering all the material. Estimated total time: 75–90 minutes.
OVERVIEW
On Monday of Holy Week, Jesus walked into the Jerusalem temple and overturned the tables of merchants and money changers — not in a moment of lost temper, but as a deliberate, royal act of restoration. He was clearing out what had replaced genuine worship: performance, profit, and a system that blocked access to God for the very people who needed it most. Through Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 3:16, we discover that we are now God's temple — and Jesus is still in the business of clearing out whatever blocks our access to him, not to shame us, but to restore us.
ICEBREAKER
(5–10 minutes)
Before diving into the message, start here:
"When company is coming over, what's the one spot in your home you always rush to clean — and is there a spot you hope nobody ever looks?"
Give everyone a chance to answer briefly. Keep it light and fun — this question connects directly to the sermon's opening and helps people settle in before going deeper.
SCRIPTURE READING
(5 minutes)
Have someone in the group read each passage aloud. You may want to ask two different people to read, one passage each.
Matthew 21:12–16 (ESV)
"And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, 'It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer," but you make it a den of robbers.' And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' they were indignant, and they said to him, 'Do you hear what these are saying?' And Jesus said to them, 'Yes; have you never read, "Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise"?'"
1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV)
"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?"
Leader Context Note: The temple in Jerusalem had multiple sections. The outermost area — the Court of the Gentiles — was the one space specifically designed for non-Jewish people and outsiders to come and seek God. This is exactly where the merchants and money changers had set up shop. Jesus wasn't just disrupting commerce; he was restoring access to the very people who had been pushed to the margins.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(30–45 minutes)
Work through these questions at whatever pace fits your group. Questions are organized to move from observation to interpretation to personal application. You don't need to cover every question — choose the ones that feel most alive for your group.
SECTION 1: Setting the Scene
What happened and why it matters
1. What was one thing from Sunday's message that stood out to you, surprised you, or stuck with you through the week?
[Leader Tip] This is a great opening question because it invites everyone in without requiring a "right" answer. If your group is quiet, share your own answer first to model vulnerability and get the conversation going.
2. The sermon described what it might have felt like to walk into the temple that day — expecting a holy sanctuary and instead encountering the noise and chaos of a marketplace. What emotions do you think a worshipper arriving from a long journey might have felt in that moment?
Follow-up if needed: Have you ever arrived somewhere expecting an encounter with God and instead felt like something was in the way? What was that like?
3. The sermon pointed out that Mark's Gospel tells us Jesus visited the temple the night before and "looked around at everything" before returning the next morning to act (Mark 11:11). What does that detail tell us about Jesus's character and the nature of what he did?
[Leader Tip] This question helps the group move past the idea that Jesus "lost his temper." The goal is to see this as a purposeful, kingly act — planned, not impulsive. If helpful, mention that Old Testament kings like Hezekiah and Josiah also led temple reforms as part of their royal responsibility.
SECTION 2: The Accusation and the Invitation
Two things Jesus said at once
4. Jesus quoted two Old Testament prophets in this moment — Jeremiah and Isaiah. Jeremiah exposed what worship had become ("a den of robbers"), and Isaiah revealed what worship was meant to be ("a house of prayer for all people"). In your own words, what's the difference between those two visions of worship?
Here are the two passages Jesus was quoting. Take a moment to read them:
Jeremiah 7:9–11 (ESV) "Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!'— only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord."
Isaiah 56:6–7 (ESV) "And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant — these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples."
5. The sermon introduced this phrase: "proximity does not equal purity." What does that mean in practice? What are some ways people — including us — might use religious activity or church attendance as a place to hide rather than a place to encounter God honestly?
[Leader Tip] This question can feel convicting, so create space for honesty by normalizing the struggle. You might say something like, "I think most of us have done this at some point — I know I have." The goal isn't guilt; it's honest self-reflection that leads to freedom.
Follow-up if needed: What's the difference between someone who attends church to hide and someone who attends church to grow?
6. The sermon described prayer as "the purest expression of dependence" and said it's the one spiritual practice you can't really fake your way through. Do you agree with that? What makes genuine prayer different from other spiritual activities that can become routine or mechanical?
7. Isaiah 56 specifically mentions foreigners and outsiders — people on the margins of religious life — as the ones God promises to bring to his holy mountain and make joyful in his house of prayer. The merchants had taken over the one space in the temple designed for those exact people. What does that detail reveal about God's heart? And what might it say to us about how we think about our church community?
[Leader Tip] This question opens the door to talking about who feels welcomed or excluded in church settings — a potentially rich but sensitive conversation. Keep the focus on what God's heart looks like, and let the group draw their own conclusions about application.
SECTION 3: The Temple Is Now Us
Making it personal
8. After Jesus cleared the temple, Matthew tells us the first people who came to him were the blind and the lame — the very people who had been restricted from full temple participation under the old system. The sermon said, "Cleansing makes space for restoration." What does that sequence — clearing first, then healing — tell us about how Jesus works in our lives?
9. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:16 that we are now God's temple and that his Spirit lives in us. Given everything Jesus did in the temple that Monday, what does it mean for you personally that you are the dwelling place of God's Spirit?
Follow-up if needed: Does that feel like good news, uncomfortable news, or both? Why?
10. The sermon described four things a "house of prayer" is meant to be:
- A place of encounter, not transaction
- A place of repentance, not performance
- A place of dependence, not self-sufficiency
- A place to draw near, not hide
Which of those four resonates most with where you are right now — either as something you're experiencing or something you feel like you're missing?
[Leader Tip] This is a great question to go around the circle and let everyone respond briefly. It's specific enough to give people something to hold onto, but open enough that everyone can find themselves somewhere in the list. Don't rush this one.
PERSONAL APPLICATION
(10–15 minutes)
These questions are more reflective and personal. You may want to give people a moment of quiet before answering, or invite people to share only what they're comfortable sharing.
1. The sermon asked: "If Jesus walked into every corner of your heart — his temple — what would he overturn?" The pastor mentioned a few common "tables": performance, hidden sin, distraction, and pride. Without needing to share specifics, what category feels most honest for you right now?
2. The sermon used the image of a clogged drain — trying everything to fix it yourself, only to discover the problem was somewhere you couldn't access on your own. Is there an area of your spiritual life right now where you've been trying to fix something in your own strength? What might it look like to give Jesus access to that?
3. The pastor suggested starting tomorrow morning with one honest sentence of prayer:
"Jesus, show me what you want to remove."
What makes that kind of prayer feel easy or difficult for you? What would need to be true about your trust in God for that prayer to feel safe?
4. The sermon said we often can't see our own blind spots — that's what makes them blind spots. The pastor encouraged everyone to find two or three people this week and ask: "Where do you think I might have a blind spot? Where might I be protecting something I shouldn't be?"
Who in your life could you ask that question? What makes that kind of vulnerability feel risky — and what makes it worth it?
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE
Choose one or more of the following to put into practice before your group meets again:
- 🙏 Pray one honest sentence each morning this week: "Jesus, show me what you want to remove." Then sit quietly for a few minutes and listen.
- 🚪 Identify one space in your heart or life you've been keeping off-limits to God. Name it — even just to yourself — and ask Jesus to have access to it.
- 👥 Ask the blind spot question to one trusted person in your life: "Where do you think I might be protecting something I shouldn't be?"
- 📖 Read Isaiah 56:1–8 and sit with what it says about who God wants to welcome into relationship with him.
- 🤝 If you're not in a small group, take a step toward joining one this week. Community isn't just a church program — it's how we help each other see more clearly.
PRAYER FOCUS
(5–10 minutes)
Close your time together in prayer. Here are some suggested ways to approach it:
Option 1 — Open Group Prayer Invite anyone who wants to pray aloud to do so. Encourage short, honest prayers rather than long or polished ones.
Option 2 — Guided Prayer Have the leader pray through each of the following areas, pausing briefly after each one for people to pray silently:
- Honesty — Ask God to reveal what's blocking genuine access and relationship with him.
- Courage — Ask for the humility to stop hiding and the courage to let Jesus in.
- Trust — Ask God to help us believe that when he overturns something, it's to heal us, not shame us.
- Community — Ask God to make your group a safe place for honest encounter — a little house of prayer.
Option 3 — Sentence Prayers Go around the circle and invite each person to finish this sentence out loud (or silently if they prefer):
"Jesus, I want to give you access to _______________."
OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE
For groups with extra time or who want to explore further
Deep Dive 1 — The History of Temple Reform
Read 2 Chronicles 29:1–11 (Hezekiah's temple reform) or 2 Kings 22:1–13 (Josiah's reform). These were the great kings of Israel who led their people back to genuine worship. The sermon noted that Jesus was doing exactly what a rightful king was supposed to do. How does seeing Jesus in that royal tradition change the way you read the temple cleansing story? What does it say about his identity?
Deep Dive 2 — What Prayer Actually Is
The sermon made a strong claim: prayer is "the purest expression of dependence" and the one spiritual practice you can't really fake. Read Matthew 6:5–13, where Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray.
- What does Jesus warn against in prayer (verses 5–8)?
- What does the Lord's Prayer assume about our relationship with God?
- How does Jesus's teaching here connect to what he did in the temple?
Deep Dive 3 — The Living Temple
Read 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 and then 1 Corinthians 6:19–20. Paul uses the temple image in two slightly different contexts.
- What do these passages say about how seriously God takes the condition of his dwelling place?
- If you are God's temple, what kinds of things might "defile" or "block" that space today — not just morally, but relationally and spiritually?
- What does it mean that the Spirit dwells in us — not just visits?
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE FOR FURTHER READING
| Passage | Theme |
|---|---|
| Mark 11:11–19 | Mark's fuller account of the temple cleansing |
| Isaiah 56:1–8 | God's vision for an inclusive house of prayer |
| Jeremiah 7:1–15 | The full context of the "den of robbers" accusation |
| 2 Chronicles 29:1–11 | Hezekiah's royal temple reform |
| Matthew 6:5–13 | Jesus teaching on genuine prayer |
| 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 | You are the temple of the Holy Spirit |
| Psalm 139:23–24 | "Search me, O God" — a prayer of honest access |
QUICK-REFERENCE GUIDE FOR FACILITATORS
| Section | Time |
|---|---|
| Welcome & Icebreaker | 5–10 min |
| Scripture Reading | 5 min |
| Discussion Questions (choose 5–7) | 30–45 min |
| Personal Application (choose 2–3) | 10–15 min |
| Prayer Focus | 5–10 min |
| Total | 55–85 min |
If your group gets quiet: Go back to a question from the "Setting the Scene" section — observational questions are easier to answer and often unlock deeper sharing once people get comfortable.
If your group goes deep fast: Trust it. Skip the earlier questions and stay in the personal application section. Depth is the goal, not coverage.
If a sensitive topic comes up: You don't need to resolve it. Acknowledge it, thank the person for sharing, and keep the group moving forward. Follow up with that person individually after the meeting if needed.
If someone is new to faith: The icebreaker, question 1, and the "This Week's Challenge" options are all accessible entry points. Make sure new believers know there are no wrong answers and that honest questions are always welcome.
Guide prepared for the Church at Estraa — "Seven Days" Series, Week 2 "My house shall be called a house of prayer." — Matthew 21:13