Leaders Guide Week of 2-10-08

Small Group Leaders Guide
February 10, 2008

Getting Rid of Relationship Ruiners

Getting Started:

1. When you go to a fast food place, what kind of drink do you order and what size?
2. What is the name of the medium size cup at Starbucks?
3. If you had to choose, do you like Pepsi or Coke better?

Going Deeper:

4. Read Luke 6:37. What is the difference between judging and condemning?

• To judge is to form an opinion or conclusion about something.
• To condemn is to express complete disapproval of, typically in public or to find someone guilty of a criminal act or wrong.

5. In Luke 6:37, is Jesus teaching that we are not to form opinions? Other passages in Scripture give warnings, such as that of being unequally yoked, bad company corrupts good character, stay away from a foolish man, etc. How do you take heed of such warnings without making judgments? Is this what Jesus is asking us to do?

• Jesus is the judge. John 5:26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
  
• Any act of judgment that puts you in the place of God is sin.
• God judges hearts. We can only judge actions. When our judgment of actions causes us to judge the heart, we are in violation of this teaching of Jesus.

6. Read “The Lord’s Prayer” from Matthew 6:9-15. What connection is there between the forgiveness we offer to others and the forgiveness God offers to us?

7. In Luke 6:38, Jesus makes reference to the “measure” you use. If you could picture the judgment and forgiveness that you offer to others in two different cups, what would you notice about the size of each cup? What would you notice about who received which cup? According to this passage, those same cups will be used to measure what you give, back to you. Are you encouraged or discouraged by this?

8. In Luke 6:40, it says that everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. Who are your teachers? Would you be satisfied to be like your teacher? Is it appropriate to try to imitate anyone besides Jesus?

• Paul thought it was. He even sent someone who imitated him to the Corinthian church. 1Corinthians 4:15 Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son, whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
• 1Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as i follow the example of Christ.
  
• Philippians 3:17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.
• The author of the book of Hebrews thought it was. Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

9. In Luke 6:41, Jesus asks a question. In your life, have you ever done the thing Jesus is asking about? Has anyone ever been kind enough to point out your plank while you were helping him/her with his speck of sawdust? How did it make you feel?

10. In Luke 6:41-42, what do the speck of sawdust and the plank represent?


Putting it into practice:

1) Do you need to change the size of your cups? Pray about this in your groups.
2) This passage is about judging others. How does this passage speak to you regarding the ways in which you judge yourself?

Quote Of The Week

Once we learn the hard way is often the best way, & the long way is often the right way, then we will find that our lives are established upon the teaching of Jesus & no storms will ever shake them. (Barclay)