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Clean House, Pure hearts

September 20 | Discipleship Guide

Be Real Together:

Take a few minutes to catch up, tell stories, and laugh together.
If you’re launching a new Group, trust and friendship take time to build. Take turns each week having someone share a bit of their story.

Read Together:  Matthew 21:12–17 CSB

Jesus enters the temple and finds a place meant for worship and prayer being used for exploitation and exclusion. His anger is not simply about buying and selling—it is about God’s house being defiled and people being kept from worshiping Him. After clearing the temple, Jesus welcomes those who had been pushed to the margins, healing the blind and lame and receiving the praise of children. The passage points us toward a deeper reality: because the Holy Spirit now dwells in His people, we are God’s temple, and Jesus calls us to worship Him with pure hearts and childlike dependence.

The One Question:
If you only have time for one question, ask this one.

Which question from the end of the message do you most need to sit with right now: “Is your worship undefiled?” or “Is your faith childlike?” Why?

Grow Together:
Use these questions to go deeper with your Group or for personal reflection.

  1. What stands out to you most in this passage?
  2. What does Jesus do when He enters the temple? What do you notice about who He confronts and who He welcomes?
  3. Jesus says the temple is meant to be a “house of prayer.” What had gotten in the way of worship and communion with God?
  4. What do you think Jesus' response to the temple reveals about what He cares about?
  5. The sermon emphasized that we are now the temple of God's presence because the Holy Spirit lives in us. What might it look like practically to “guard the purity of your worship”?
  6. The people worshiping Jesus in this passage were children and those who had been healed—people characterized by dependence and humility. What do you think it means to have childlike faith?
  7. The sermon challenged us to ask whether our hearts have become hard or cynical toward God, His church, or His people. Where might God be inviting you to turn, humble yourself, or become more dependent on Him? Where do you see dependence and humility modeled well by someone in your life?

Pray Together:

  • A Pure Heart: Ask God to show you anything that has begun to compete with your worship or love for Him.
  • Love for His Church: Ask God to give you genuine love for His people and a desire to build others up rather than becoming consumed by criticism.
  • Childlike Faith: Ask Jesus to help you become more humble, dependent, and authentic in your relationship with Him.
  • A Soft Heart: Ask God to protect you from becoming hardened by sin, cynicism, pride, or self-reliance.

Next Steps:

  • Take a heart inventory. Spend 10 minutes this week asking God, “Is there anything in my heart that is getting in the way of wholehearted worship?” Write down what comes to mind and bring it honestly to Him.
  • Choose encouragement over criticism. If you notice yourself becoming frustrated with the church or another believer, pause and ask: How can I build this person or the church up instead?
  • Practice dependence. Identify one area where you tend to rely on yourself. Begin each day this week by consciously surrendering that area to Jesus.
  • Turn toward Jesus. If you recognize a place where your heart has become cynical, prideful, or hardened, don't ignore it. Confess it to God and take one concrete step toward Him.