When did you experience the love of God this week?  When did you doubt the love of God this week? 

 


What emotions or instincts rise in you when you think about politics right now? Why do you think that is? Where do you feel most pulled to “pick a side”? When have you felt tension between your faith and your political views?

 

 

In Mark 12:13–17, what is the trap being set for Jesus, and how does His response reframe the issue? Why is this question politically and religiously explosive? What does “render to Caesar… and to God…” reveal about allegiance?  What is Jesus exposing in His challengers?

 

 

How does Jesus challenge both “sides” and redirect the conversation to something deeper? Why does Jesus refuse to align with either group? What does this teach us about the relationship between God’s Kingdom and earthly power? In what ways is Jesus still a threat to every form of self-justification today?

 

 

Where are you most tempted to root your identity or security in something other than Christ? When do your beliefs become defensive or self-protective? What issue or conversation triggers the strongest reaction in you right now? Why? What might that reveal about your allegiance?

 

 

What would it look like this week to participate in the world without giving your allegiance to it?  Where do you need to surrender control (finances, outcomes, cultural direction)? How can you engage someone you disagree with in a way that seeks understanding rather than winning? What is one practical step you need to make to trust Jesus (not politics) King right now?

 

 

Pray for surrendered control where you feel anxious or reactive. Confess misplaced allegiances or identity rooted in ideology. Ask for discernment, humility, and love in cultural engagement. Thank Jesus that His Kingdom is cosmic, eternal, and unshakable.