Small Group Discussion Guide

Matthew 7:13–29 | "Recognize the True Teacher"

Concluding the Sermon on the Mount Series

A Note to Facilitators Welcome, and thank you for leading your group this week! This guide is designed to work for any experience level — whether you're a seasoned elder or leading a small group for the first time. You don't need to have all the answers. Your job is to create space for honest conversation and let God's Word do the work. Feel free to skip questions that don't fit your group, and never feel pressure to get through everything. A rich conversation on two or three questions is far more valuable than rushing through all of them. Estimated total time: 75–90 minutes.

SERMON OVERVIEW

In the concluding passage of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:13–29), Jesus issues a final, urgent call: do something with what you've heard. Using four vivid contrasts — two roads, two kinds of fruit, two kinds of relationships, and two foundations — Jesus makes clear that following him is not passive or merely intellectual. It demands a response. The sermon challenges us to examine our own hearts honestly: Are we walking the narrow road? Bearing genuine fruit? Truly known by Jesus? And are we building our lives on the only foundation that will hold when the storms come?

ICEBREAKER

(5–10 minutes)

Before we dive into the sermon, let's start with something a little lighter.

Question: Think of a time you took what seemed like the harder or less popular path — maybe a job decision, a relationship boundary, a lifestyle choice — and it turned out to be the right one. What made you choose that harder road?

[Leader Tip: This question is intentionally non-spiritual to help everyone feel comfortable jumping in. Don't let it run too long — 5–7 minutes is plenty. Use it to warm up the room before moving into scripture.]

SCRIPTURE READING

(5 minutes)

Have someone in the group read the passage aloud. Consider asking two people to alternate paragraphs to keep the group engaged.

Matthew 7:13–29 (ESV)

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes."

A Brief Word of Context: This passage closes out the entire Sermon on the Mount, which spans Matthew 5–7. Throughout this sermon, Jesus has been painting a picture of what life in God's kingdom actually looks like — and it consistently runs against our natural instincts. Now, at the very end, Jesus doesn't wrap things up neatly. He issues a challenge: What are you going to do with what you've heard?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

(30–45 minutes)

These questions are organized around the four themes from the sermon. You don't need to cover all of them — choose the ones that feel most relevant to your group. Questions marked with ★ are especially good if you're short on time.

Theme 1: The False Road — Two Gates, Two Destinations

(Questions 1–2)

1. ★ The sermon described the wide road as the road of "comfort and ease" — a road that doesn't challenge your desires or demand that you deny yourself anything. In what areas of life do you think that road is most tempting for Christians today — not just non-believers, but people who genuinely consider themselves followers of Jesus?

[Leader Tip: This question can surface some honest tension. Affirm vulnerability. If the group is quiet, you might offer a personal example — social media habits, financial decisions, how we treat people we disagree with. The goal isn't guilt; it's honest self-reflection.]

2. Jesus says the narrow road is hard, and those who find it are few. That's not exactly a comforting sales pitch! What do you think makes the narrow road genuinely difficult — not just inconvenient, but hard in a deeper sense?

Follow-up if discussion stalls: The sermon mentioned that the narrow road "demands that you are content swimming against the stream." What does swimming against the stream look like in your daily life or community?

Theme 2: The False Fruit — Recognizing What's Real

(Questions 3–4)

3. ★ Jesus says we'll recognize false teachers and false believers "by their fruits." The sermon pointed out that it's easy to spot someone who openly rejects Christ — but much harder when someone looks like a sheep on the outside. What kinds of "fruit" do you think are most reliable indicators of genuine faith, and why?

[Leader Tip: Encourage the group to think about this both outwardly (how someone treats others, how they handle money, how they speak about people who aren't in the room) and inwardly (their posture toward God, their willingness to be corrected, their response to suffering). Avoid letting this become a session about judging specific people — keep it principle-focused.]

4. The sermon included a challenging personal question: "How often do I ask God to show me my sin?" Pastor Cam referenced Craig Groeschel's book Dangerous Prayers, noting that asking God to reveal our sin is a prayer God will always answer — which can make it feel scary. Why do you think we often resist this kind of honest self-examination? What would it look like to invite it more regularly?

Related Scripture for reference: Psalm 139:23–24 — "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Theme 3: The False Relationship — "I Never Knew You"

(Questions 5–6)

5. ★ Verses 21–23 are some of the most sobering words in all of Scripture. People who prophesied, cast out demons, and did mighty works in Jesus's name are told, "I never knew you." The sermon made the distinction that these weren't people who had faith and lost it — they were people who substituted activity for relationship. What's the difference between working for Christ and truly living with Christ? How would you describe that difference in practical, everyday terms?

[Leader Tip: This is a theologically rich question that can go deep. If your group includes newer believers, you might frame it this way: "Think about a close friendship or marriage — what's the difference between doing things for someone and actually being close to them?" The relational analogy makes the concept accessible without watering it down.]

6. The sermon asked: "Is my default state trying to earn my salvation?" Most of us would say no — but the sermon suggested we might not always recognize it in ourselves. What are some subtle ways that "earning" thinking can creep into a Christian's daily life, even when they know theologically that salvation is by grace?

Related Scripture for reference: Ephesians 2:8–9 — "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Theme 4: The False Foundation — What Holds When the Storms Come

(Questions 7–8)

7. ★ The sermon made a powerful observation: the rain falls on both houses. The storms come regardless of your foundation. Can you think of a time — in your own life or someone you've walked alongside — when hardship revealed what someone's foundation was actually built on? What did you observe?

[Leader Tip: This question invites personal storytelling, which builds community. Give people time to think before anyone speaks. It's okay to sit in a moment of quiet. If someone shares something painful, resist the urge to immediately "fix" it — acknowledge it with grace before moving on.]

8. The sermon said: "You do not lay your own foundation. God is the one who gives you your foundation." This is a beautiful and freeing idea — but it can also raise questions. If we can't build our own foundation, what is our role? How do you understand the relationship between God's work in us and our own effort and faithfulness?

Follow-up if discussion stalls: The sermon said, "We do because we've been given salvation, not the other way around." How does that reframe the way you think about spiritual disciplines, service, or obedience?

Theme 5: The Crowd's Astonishment — Then What?

(Question 9)

9. ★ The sermon opened and closed with this observation: the crowd was astonished at Jesus's teaching — but astonishment isn't the same as transformation. What's the difference between being moved by a sermon or a spiritual experience and actually being changed by it? What helps you move from the first to the second?

PERSONAL APPLICATION

(10–15 minutes)

Invite group members to reflect quietly for 1–2 minutes before sharing. Remind them that these questions are personal — no one is required to share, but honest reflection is encouraged.

Reflect on these questions individually, then share what you're comfortable sharing with the group:

A. Of the four false things Jesus warned about — the false road, false fruit, false relationship, and false foundation — which one felt most personally challenging or convicting to you this week, and why?

B. The sermon described the narrow road as one that "continually demands that you seek to satisfy the will of the Father rather than your own will." Where in your life right now does that feel most difficult? Where does it feel most natural?

C. Pastor Cam closed with a question from Luke 6:46: "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I say?" If you're honest with yourself, is there an area of your life where you know what Jesus says — but you haven't yet done it? What's one small step you could take this week?

✅ THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

Choose one (or more) of the following:

• Pray a "dangerous prayer" this week. Ask God to reveal one area of sin, self-deception, or misplaced foundation in your life. Write down what comes to mind and bring it to God in confession and surrender.

• Audit your fruit. Pick one relationship — at home, at work, or in your community — and honestly assess: what kind of fruit am I bearing in this relationship? Is it consistent with someone walking the narrow road?

• Read or re-read the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5–7 is only three chapters. Read it in one sitting this week and notice what still challenges you. What have you heard many times but not yet acted on?

• Have a conversation. Is there someone in your life on the wide road — someone you care about — whom you've been hesitant to have an honest conversation with about faith? Pray this week for an opportunity and the courage to take it.

PRAYER FOCUS

(5–10 minutes)

Close your time together in prayer. You can pray as a group, in pairs, or have one person pray on behalf of the group. Use the following prompts to guide your prayer:

Suggested Prayer Topics:

1. Gratitude — Thank God that because of Jesus's death and resurrection, the words "I never knew you" are not our story. Thank him for the gift of salvation that cannot be earned or lost.

2. Honest Examination — Ask God to give your group the courage to honestly examine your own hearts — your roads, your fruit, your relationships with him, and the foundations you're building on.

3. Strength for the Narrow Road — Pray for one another by name for the specific areas where following Jesus feels hard right now. Ask the Holy Spirit to provide the strength, clarity, and courage to keep walking.

4. Those on the Wide Road — Pray for people in your lives who don't yet know Jesus — family members, friends, coworkers. Ask God for opportunities to love them well and point them toward the narrow gate.

5. The Church — Pray for Graceland Church as a whole — for wisdom in leadership, for the congregation meeting coming up, for the youth mission trip this summer, and that your church would be a community known for saying "Lord, Lord" and doing what he says.

[Leader Tip: If your group is comfortable with it, consider asking each person to share one name of someone they'd like the group to pray for — someone on the "wide road" — and then pray for those people by name together. This builds both community and outward focus.]

OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE

(For groups wanting to go further — use as homework or an extended session)

Deep Dive 1: The Whole Sermon on the Mount The sermon noted that Jesus "appeals to our desires" at both the beginning and the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Read Matthew 5:3–12 (the Beatitudes) alongside Matthew 7:13–29. What desires does Jesus appeal to in each section? How do the Beatitudes at the beginning and the two roads/two foundations at the end form a kind of "bookend" around the whole sermon? What does this tell you about how Jesus understands human motivation?

Deep Dive 2: False Prophets in the New Testament The warning about false prophets wasn't unique to this sermon. Read 2 Timothy 4:3–4, 2 Peter 2:1–3, and 1 John 4:1–3. What common themes do you notice across these passages? What specific tests or markers do these writers give for identifying false teaching? How do these passages inform how we engage with the vast amount of Christian content available to us today — online, in books, in podcasts and YouTube channels?

2 Timothy 4:3–4 — "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."

1 John 4:1 — "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."

Deep Dive 3: What Does "Doing the Will of the Father" Actually Look Like? Jesus says in verse 21 that it's "the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" who enters the kingdom — and yet the sermon was careful to distinguish this from earning salvation. Read John 6:28–29, James 2:14–18, and Ephesians 2:8–10 together. How do these three passages work together to paint a picture of the relationship between faith, works, and salvation? How would you explain this to someone who is either (a) relying on their good works to get to heaven, or (b) using grace as an excuse not to grow or change?

John 6:28–29 — "Then they said to him, 'What must we do, to be doing the works of God?' Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.'"

James 2:17 — "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

Ephesians 2:10 — "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

QUICK REFERENCE: GUIDE AT A GLANCE

KEY SCRIPTURES FROM THIS SERMON

This guide was prepared for small group use at Graceland Church based on the sermon "Recognize the True Teacher" from Matthew 7:13–29. For questions about this guide or small group ministry, contact your church office.