# Welcome Home: Making Space for Jesus
##Small Group Guide
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## Opening Prayer & Icebreaker
**Icebreaker Question:** Share about a time when an unexpected guest showed up at your door. How did you respond?
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## Key Scripture
**Revelation 3:20** - "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."
**Luke 22:7-16** - Jesus prepares for the Last Supper in a prepared guest room
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## Sermon Summary
This message challenges us to examine who and what we're welcoming into the "home" of our minds and hearts. Jesus stands at the door knocking, but not every knock deserves an answer. We must learn to recognize His voice specifically and create intentional space for Him—not just on Sundays, but especially on Thursdays (the ordinary days of our lives).
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## Discussion Questions
### Understanding the Message
1. **The Knock vs. The Voice:** Pastor Marcus said, "The knock gets our attention, but the voice reveals the intention." What's the difference between responding to every "knock" versus listening for Jesus' voice specifically?
2. **Two Extremes:** The sermon identified two problems—some people don't answer any knocks, while others answer every knock. Which tendency do you struggle with more? Why?
3. **The Guest Room:** What's the significance of there being "no guest room" at Jesus' birth but a prepared guest room at the Last Supper? What does this teach us about preparation?
### Personal Reflection
4. **Thursday Christianity:** The sermon emphasized that God often shows up at unexpected times, not just on Sundays. When was the last time you sensed God "knocking" during an ordinary moment of your week? Did you recognize His voice?
5. **Occupied Space:** Jesus said when we remove impure spirits but leave the space empty, they return with seven more (Matthew 12:43-45). What "empty spaces" in your life might need to be intentionally filled with Jesus rather than just cleaned out?
6. **Competing Thoughts:** What are the most common "knocks" that compete for space in your mind and heart? (Social media, worry, comparison, work stress, etc.)
### Going Deeper
7. **Making Space:** The sermon described how the dining room table was dedicated to Jesus before groups began meeting. What would it look like to practically "dedicate" spaces in your life (your mind, your home, your schedule) to Jesus?
8. **The Lost iPhone Map:** When Pastor Marcus couldn't see the map but saw the blue dot showing his location, it illustrated that God knows where we are even when we don't. How does this truth comfort you in seasons of uncertainty?
9. **Eagerly Desired:** Jesus said, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you" (Luke 22:15). How does knowing that Jesus eagerly desires to be with you—despite what you've done or thought—change your perspective on opening the door to Him?
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## Key Takeaways
✓ **Not every knock deserves an answer—learn to recognize Jesus' voice specifically**
✓ **Jesus shows up in unexpected moments; are we listening on "Thursday"?**
✓ **It's not enough to remove bad habits; we must fill that space with Jesus**
✓ **Where Jesus' light enters, darkness cannot stay**
✓ **Jesus eagerly desires to be with us, not to condemn but to commune**
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## Practical Applications
### This Week's Challenge: **The Voice Recognition Exercise**
**Daily Practice:**
- Set 2-3 random alarms on your phone throughout your day (morning, afternoon, evening)
- When the alarm goes off, pause and ask: "Lord, are you knocking? What do you want to say to me right now?"
- Journal or note what you sense Him saying
**Specific Actions:**
1. **Identify Your Knocks** (10 minutes this week)
- List the top 5 "knocks" competing for space in your mind
- Beside each one, write whether it aligns with Jesus' voice or contradicts it
2. **Create a Guest Room** (Choose one)
- Dedicate a physical space in your home for prayer/Bible reading
- Block out time on your calendar specifically for Jesus (not church activities, but communion with Him)
- Choose one habit to replace with a Jesus-centered practice
3. **The Thursday Test**
- Pick one ordinary day this week and intentionally look for where Jesus is "knocking"
- At work, in conversations, in problems—ask: "Jesus, what are you saying here?"
4. **Group Accountability**
- Share with one other group member: What specific space do you need to make for Jesus this week?
- Text each other mid-week to check in
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## Closing Reflection Questions
- What is one thing God spoke to you through this message?
- What is one thing you will do differently this week because of what you heard?
- How can we pray for you as you make space for Jesus?
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## Closing Prayer Focus
Pray together that:
- God would help each person recognize His voice among competing knocks
- Empty spaces in hearts and minds would be filled with Jesus' presence
- The group would encounter Jesus not just on Sundays but throughout the week
- Each person would prepare a "guest room" for the King of Kings
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## Additional Resources
**Scripture for Further Study:**
- John 10:27 - "My sheep listen to my voice"
- James 4:8 - "Come near to God and he will come near to you"
- Psalm 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God"
- Romans 12:2 - "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind"
**Reflection Question for Next Week:**
What changed in your life when you started making intentional space for Jesus?
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*Remember: Jesus isn't knocking to tell you how bad you've been. He's knocking because He eagerly desires to be with you. Welcome Him home.*