Selected Scriptures
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:
Jesus tells us, “Do not judge,” yet He also calls us to “judge rightly.” How can both be true? In this two-week series, we will explore the vital difference between judgmental condemnation and biblical discernment. We begin with God’s self-revelation as the foundation of truth. Because God has made Himself known, truth is not something we invent but something we receive. That truth becomes the basis for our trust in God and in one another. From there, we will consider God’s call to His people to live the truth, speak the truth, and do so with humility, courage, and grace. While judging the hearts of people belongs to God alone, discerning truth and error is a responsibility entrusted to us. Judging people is God’s job. Discerning truth is ours.
This week we looked at the right and responsibility we have to share the Gospel, truth moving with grace…
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 & Discussion:
Discuss: Talk about the time someone shared the gospel with you— were you nervous, did it seem awkward, or were you genuinely interested? What made the Gospel real to you to cause you to want to accept Jesus as your Savior?
Reflective Discussion (Remember to look at the context of the verses as you are reading! Look for key terms and help the group unpack and define them):
The writer of Judges uses a consistent phrase in the book to describe the state of Israel during this chapter of their history. DISCUSS: What are some of the effects in a culture (theirs and ours) when “everyone does what seems right in their own eyes?” What can go wrong, and why?
We are called to be witnesses, to speak of what we have seen, heard, experienced of Jesus. DISCUSS: Share about a time when you witnessed to someone about your faith in Jesus; how were you and the Holy Spirit working together (God doing what only God can do, you being faithful to share). (Acts 1:8, John 16:7-11, Romans 10:14-17, 1 Cor 3:5-7)
God has called us to share out His invitation to “Be reconciled”, and this invitation is not always welcomed immediately. DISCUSS: How does the role of an ambassador shape the way that we engage those around us— both by the way we live and in the things we say? (2 Cor 5:18-21, Eph 6:19-20, Col 4:5-6, Rom 12:17-18)
The roles we talked about in the message this Sunday were Witness, Ambassador and Watchman. DISCUSS: Which role appeals the most to you and why?
Application:
Whatever the role where we most naturally find affinity, the call to “be ready” is true to each. Pray that the Lord would open a door to share the hope you have in Jesus, and commit now to walk through when He opens that door :)
Prayer:
Spend some time thanking God for the beauty of His invitation to be reconciled to Him— what an amazing message we have to share!
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