Icebreaker
If you had to describe your faith to a stranger using only one image — like 'salt' or 'light' or something else entirely — what would you pick, and why?
Read Together
Matthew 5:13-16 (ESV)
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Discussion
1
What part of Kent's message has stuck with you this week? Why that part?
2
Jesus says 'you ARE the salt of the earth' — present tense, declarative, not aspirational. How does it change things when identity comes before effort?
3
Read Matthew 5:13-16 together. Salt has two main jobs: it preserves and it flavors. Which of those feels most relevant to your current season — slowing decay around you, or adding flavor to it?
4
The light metaphor includes a warning about hiding under a basket. Where in your life — work, family, online — does your light tend to dim? What's underneath that?
5
Jesus says people will see your good works and 'give glory to your Father.' Note the redirection — not to *you*. What's the difference between Christian witness that points back to Jesus and Christian witness that performs for an audience?
Pray
Pray that the Father would make this group *salty* — preserving truth and adding flavor in the corners we each occupy this week — and that our light would point unmistakably back to him, not to us.
Leader Notes
Kent's preaching often emphasizes the indicative-before-imperative pattern (you ARE before you should). Make sure question 2 lands before moving on. People who carry shame about not being a 'good enough Christian' need to hear identity first. Question 4 ('where does your light dim') is where the group will get specific — be ready to keep that confidential to the room.