Sermon Outline: Duty & Delight (Matthew 6:16-18) Fasting to Purge Idols (1 Samuel 7:2-6) Fasting to Plead (2 Samuel 12:1-23) Fasting to Prepare (Matthew 4:1-4) Jesus tells us to do all our good works for a reward. This isn’t selfish, as long as we are pursuing the right reward: please our Father in heaven. Christian discipline is not just duty – it’s actually more about delight. We can fast to purge idols. In 1 Samuel, the people of God return to God after rebelling against Him, and they fast to purge away their spiritual idols. We can fast to plead with God. In 2 Samuel, David pleads with God for the life of his son. We can fast to prepare. In Matthew, Jesus prepares Himself for the cross. He walks out the story of Israel, and does what they could not. Sample Questions for GCs: Read Matthew 6:16-18. It is selfish to do good for the praise of others. It’s also selfish to do good purely out of a sense of duty. Pleasing God is the only reward that won’t twist us into selfish people. Encourage one another by sharing about an area in your life where you long to please God. Read 1 Samuel 7:4. Worshiping idols often looks like an attempt to worship God + something else. But we are called to worship only the Lord. What good things are you tempted to turn into god things? Have you ever fasted to plead with God for something or someone? How does David’s story of pleading for his son inspire or instruct you? Read Matthew 4:4. Fasting teaches us to long for God’s presence more than worldly comfort. Do you view worldly comfort as only a blessing, or do you see the spiritual danger in it too?