Leader Guide Week of 9-14-08 / Reconciliation

Small Group Leaders Guide
September 14, 2008

Series: One Week To Live
Message: Reconcile Quickly

Getting Started:
1. How hard is it for you to say you’re sorry? How hard is it for you to receive an apology and forgive that person?
2. Looking back on your life, share an apology that someone gave to you that really meant a lot.

Going Deeper:
3. Read Romans 5:9-11. Define “reconcile.” Who is being reconciled to whom in this passage? What is Paul’s response to the reconciliation he describes in this passage?

• Reconcile: (verb) restore friendly relations between, cause to coexist in harmony.
• If you play a third party role in helping others to reconcile, the definition would read: to make someone accept a disagreeable or unwelcome thing. Think about this in relation to how Christ has reconciled us to God while we are still sinners and certainly don’t “deserve” it.
• If you’re the “disagreeable or unwelcome” thing, would your response to reconciliation be like Paul’s?

4. According to Romans 5:10, we were reconciled to God when we were His enemies. Obviously God went first. How hard is it for you to go first when the other person is the one in the wrong? Is it appropriate to go first when you did nothing wrong?

5. Read 2Corinthians 5:18-20. What is the “ministry of reconciliation?” How does a person minister in this way?

• It’s clear from the passage that Paul is referring to sharing the gospel. He says we are ambassadors that have been sent to speak on Christ’s behalf and that encouraging people to be reconciled to God is a part of our message.

6. Compare Matthew 5:23-24 to Matthew 15:3-9. What is the main point of each passage? What similarities do you see? Why, in Matthew 5, does it say “first” go and be reconciled to your brother? Is Scripture teaching that the actions of reconciliation and sacrifice toward people should take priority over reconciliation and sacrifice toward God?

• Reconciliation and sacrifice toward people IS and RESULTS FROM reconciliation and sacrifice toward God.

7. Read 1Samuel 12:2-3. How important is it to “make it right” in the process of reconciling with someone?

• Here are some ideas:
• When there’s nothing else you can do.
• When you have “made it right.”
• Luke 19:8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

8. Read Romans 12:18. What stands out to you most from that verse? Let’s say you’ve tried to make things right, but the relationship is still broken. How do you know when you have gone far enough? How can you tell when you’ve done your part and at that point it no longer “depends on you?”

• Here are some ideas:
• When there’s nothing else you can do.
• When you have “made it right.”
• When your attempt was complete, sincere, humble.

9. Read Acts 7:26-27. Sometimes, reconciling is something you do between yourself and another person. Sometimes, you may be a third party helping others to reconcile. Have you ever tried to reconcile two people? Tell about what happened.

10. Read Colossians 3:13. This passage indicates that Christians will have grievances with each other. What does it mean to bear with one another? Are there times we may not like someone but just need to put up with them? This passage also talks about forgiveness. Can you forgive someone even if they don’t ask for it?

11. Colossians 3:13 tells us to “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” In what ways did the Lord forgive you? What qualities/actions did God show when forgiving you? what would “Jesus-like” forgiveness look like in a Christian’s life? Share how you think that person would respond when hurt.


Putting it into practice:
12. Who do you need to reconcile with? What will you do this week to make it possible? Pray about this in your groups.

Quote Of The Week
He who can no longer listen to his brother will soon no longer be listening to God, either.
--Dietrich Bonhoeffer