Kingdom Stories: Parables in Luke – The Barren Fig Tree

This week on the podcast, Haley sits down with Aaron LeDuc and Shane Rasch to dive back into our new sermon series, Kingdom Stories: Parables in Luke. This week, we discuss the message, preached by Aaron, The Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:1-9).

1. At the beginning of your sermon you asked “what comes to mind when you hear the word repent? What if repentance isn’t a punishment but a mercy”. How has your understanding of repentance changed over time? Why do you think repentance often sounds heavy instead of freeing?
2. How do we walk that line between thinking every hard thing we experience in life is punishment from God and, on the other hand, just living with a ‘grace covers all’ mentality?
3. Thinking as parents—sometimes we just want our kids to say they’re sorry even when their hearts aren’t there. Spiritually, is there still value in confessing when our heart feels reluctant? Do you think confession actually is the first step toward true repentance?
4. As we’ve been going through a second sermon series this year on the Pathways of God’s Grace/Spiritual Disciplines–what would you both say has been some of the key components to abiding for you?
5. What can we do as brothers and sisters in Christ to help each other see and celebrate fruit in our lives?
6. Resources:
   • Romans 6:23 Bridge Anaology
   • “The Grace of Repentance” by Sinclair Ferguson
   • “Return to Me” by Mark Boda