Step 9: Make Amends
Selected Scripture
Connect:
Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.
Prayer:
Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.
Review:
We are in a series looking at the 12 steps from AA through a Biblical lens as we look at the pathway of freedom in Christ and following Him whole heartedly. A phrase we are going to hear over and over is, “If you want to change your life, take it one step at a time (in other words, foundations matter!). This week we looked at the 9th step of turning intent into action…
The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…
o What did you learn about God?
o What did you learn about people?
o What did you learn about yourself?
o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?
Reflection:
Personal Experience:
Ask someone to share a story where they made amends with someone. Tell the story and compare how they felt about the decision before and after taking that action.
Group Discussion: (Remember to look at the context of the passages you read!)
Read Acts 26:20, 1 John 3:18 and James 2:17. Discuss:
Why is action such a critical part of the discipleship journey— why can’t it just be about God and me?
Love and faith both require action, but it is so easy to deceive ourselves with the idea that “feeling” that we have faith/love is enough (e.g., “I feel like I love them”/ “I feel like I have faith”). Why is it so easy to be content with our feelings and never act?
Read the following passages and have someone take notes on your discussion about repentance: (Jer 17:9-10, Ez 18:32, Jonah 3:6-10, Ps 51:6-7, Ps 139:23,24, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Luke 19:8, Luke 15:7, Is 66:2, 1 John 1:9, 2 Cor 7:10, Rev 3:19)
WHY should we repent?
WHAT does real repentance look like?
Scott talked about the (abused) phrase “The closer we get to Jesus, the easier it is to change.” Discuss: Why does the Christian life work like that? (John 15:5, Col 2:6-7, Col 3:10, Rom 8:1-17, Gal 5:22-23)
Scott talked about the R.O.A.S.T. in making amends! Which will you find the easiest.. and which the most difficult?
Remember what’s at stake
Own your piece
Acknowledge the hurt
Seek unity
Thank them for making you better.
Application:
Freedom requires our participation in what God is doing in our lives, and this may be one of the most difficult pieces! Commit to making your list this week and starting to take action on it…
Prayer:
Spend some time in prayer that God will put specific people on our hearts with whom reconciliation is needed. Commit to doing this simply as an act of obedience to the Lord, to honor Him.
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