Kingdom Alignment Part 6 with Discussion Guide

BySteve

Kingdom Alignment Part 6 Discussion Guide

Summary

In this sermon, the pastor explores the spiritual discipline of fasting as part of an ongoing series on Kingdom Alignment in Matthew chapter six. He opens by challenging the common assumption that fasting is simply about skipping meals, reframing it instead as a practice that reveals what truly rules our hearts. Just as a warning light on a car’s dashboard points to a deeper problem under the hood, physical hunger during a fast surfaces the deeper cravings we carry, whether for comfort, control, approval, or distraction.

The pastor emphasizes that fasting is not about impressing God or performing spirituality publicly. Drawing from Matthew 6:16-18 and Isaiah, he warns against performative fasting that lacks heart alignment. Instead, the goal of fasting is to create intentional space and time with the Father, clearing the clutter of lesser things so we can hunger for what matters most. True freedom, he argues, is not the ability to do whatever we want, but becoming the kind of person who is no longer mastered by anything except Christ.

Intro Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come before You with open hands and open hearts. As we gather today to discuss Your Word, we ask that Your Holy Spirit would move among us, revealing the things in our lives that compete for the place only You deserve. Help us to set aside distraction, pride, and pretense, and draw us into honest conversation with one another and with You. May what we discuss today not stay in this room, but take root in our hearts and shape how we live this week. In Jesus name, amen.

Ice Breaker

What is one food or snack you absolutely cannot imagine going without, and why does it hold such a special place for you?

Key Verses

  • Matthew 6:16-18
  • John 6:35
  • 1 Corinthians 6:12
  • Psalm 42:1-2
  • Isaiah 58:3-4

Questions

  • The pastor said that fasting reveals what we truly hunger for. What do you think your daily habits and routines reveal about what your heart is actually craving?
  • Jesus says ‘when you fast,’ not ‘if you fast,’ suggesting fasting was expected as a normal part of life with God. Does that assumption surprise you? Why or why not?
  • The sermon compared hunger during a fast to a warning light on a car dashboard. What are some ‘warning lights’ in your own life that might be pointing to a deeper spiritual need?
  • The pastor warned against performative fasting, where the outward act is done for show rather than for genuine connection with God. In what other areas of your spiritual life might you be tempted toward performance over authenticity?
  • Fasting is described as a way to ‘clear the table of your heart’ so you can make space for God. What are some of the lesser things that tend to clutter your heart and crowd out time with the Father?
  • The pastor suggested that fasting does not have to be from food alone. It could be a fast from your phone, social media, news, or constant noise. What kind of fast do you think would be most challenging and most meaningful for you personally?
  • Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:12 that he will not be mastered by anything. What are one or two things in your life that you sense might have more control over you than you would like to admit?
  • The sermon closed with the idea that true freedom is not found in getting everything you want, but in wanting the One who gives us life. How does that definition of freedom challenge or encourage you in your current season of life?

Life Application

This week, choose one thing to fast from, whether it is a meal, your phone, social media, the news, or constant background noise. Before you begin, ask God to reveal what your heart truly hungers for. Each time you feel the pull toward that thing you are fasting from, use that moment as a prompt to pause, pray, and turn your attention toward God. At the end of the week, reflect on what surfaced during that time and what it revealed about what has been quietly taking first place in your heart.

Key Takeaways

  • Fasting is not primarily about skipping meals. It is a spiritual discipline designed to reveal what truly rules our hearts and to create intentional space for time with God.
  • Jesus assumes fasting will be a regular part of a believer’s life, and He warns against making it a public performance. The heart behind the fast matters far more than the outward act.
  • Physical hunger during a fast acts like a warning light, surfacing deeper cravings for comfort, control, approval, or distraction that we might otherwise ignore.
  • True freedom is not the ability to do whatever we want. Biblically, freedom means becoming the kind of person who is no longer mastered by anything except Christ.
  • Fasting can take many forms beyond abstaining from food. The goal in every case is the same: to clear away lesser things and pursue deeper communion with the Father.

Ending Prayer

Lord, thank You for the time we have shared together today around Your Word. As we leave this conversation, we ask that You would keep the things we discussed alive in our hearts throughout the week. Where we have allowed lesser things to take first place, give us the courage and the desire to let go. Teach us to hunger for You above all else, and remind us that true freedom is found not in satisfying every craving, but in being satisfied by You. May our fasting, in whatever form it takes, be an act of love toward You and not a performance for anyone else. We trust You to meet us in those quiet, hungry moments and to fill us with what only You can give. In Jesus name, amen.

Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.

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