NOTES: 1] vv.1-4 are optional. Jesus' warning against the misuse of  wealth continues.

WARMING UP: Are we more comfortable with straight-talking people, or with those who 'tread softly'?

TREASURES OLD & NEW: Identify God at work in anything that's happened since last week's group?

EXPLORING GOSPEL:

1-4        How do we feel when we trip over some 'stumbling block' in life? Who gets the first serve of blame? Are we much in the blame game? Are there things - or people - we feel as millstones round our neck? How do we get to the stage of thinking like that? Whom do we understand Jesus to be including among the 'little ones' here? Why might this expression (that he uses  quite often) appeal so much to him? Why should God be so concerned for 'little people'? How much does the way we answer that depend on whether we see ourselves as 'little' or 'big'?

Have we, as the church, lost the ability to 'rebuke' those who 'cross the line' of appropriate attitudes, behaviour, etc.? Who draws that line, & how? How strong is our ability to forgive when someone repents? What about our own ability to rebuke / accept rebuke, forgive / accept forgiveness? Seven times? Seventy seven ?(MT 18:22)

5-6       What is 'faith'? How can it be 'like a grain of mustard seed'? Is faith something we tend to take for granted, rather than feel working away inside us? Is it something we do consciously seek to increase by praying, 'Increase our faith'? Do we seek God's help enough in that quest? Is that a quest we really do pursue? Or is there no real quest? If we do pray, 'Increase our faith', what are really asking for? Do we then do something about what we've asked? Do we ever plant' our grain of 'mustard seed'? What if we sometimes find ourselves daunted by the size of the 'mulberry tree' we want to move? Does God ever do anything for us that we won't do for ourselves? How do we know where to plant our .mustard seed'? What if our 'mulberry tree' doesn't really need moving?

7-10    Is Jesus here warning us not to look for kudos for just doing what we're meant to be doing anyway, or is there more to it than that? Is he suggesting God doesn't need to appreciate what we do? Does he mean it's God's right to take our obedience  for granted?

           How does Jesus' use of the 'unworthy' or 'worthless' slave terminology here (appropriate for society, then) sit with us? Are we to take it personally? If not, why not? What about those who do, literally, slave their guts out for God, or, at least, the church? How can we tell whether we're doing the former or the latter? Can we do the one without the other?

          How far have we worked out the nature of our relationship with God? Does our working that out flow on to our relationship with fellow Christians & others?  How do we reach the right balance between praying & serving? Or is there no such balance? What if we need to pray more to discern how we are to serve? Or, serve more so that we know what to pray?