Before the Session
- Have the Bible Background Video ready to view.
- Review today’s scripture text and the session activities to help better facilitate the discussion.
- Encourage your group to listen to the Faithelement podcast ahead of the next session (Share the link via email or social media).
Context
Play Neo’s First Jump (If you are familiar with the Matrix movies, feel free to elaborate on how Neo become the “one.”) and ask questions like:
- What is one of the hardest things you have ever accomplished?
- How many attempts did it take before you were skilled at that task?
- Why were some of the crew so concerned that Neo fell?
- In what ways might it have affected their feelings about Neo being chosen?
- To what degree was Neo doubting himself after falling?
Content
Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17, then watch the Bible Background Video.
Ask questions like these:
- In what ways does the writer feel that God gave Paul strength?
- Who do you think that the writer felt that Paul could feel chosen, given on all the mistakes he had made?
- Why do you think the writer paints Paul as feeling to be “the worst sinner?”
- Why do you think that the writer of this passage was so focused on the mercy that Paul was shown?
- In what ways does this passage speak to the way God views us?
- What does this passage suggest about God’s plans for us and why?
Closure
Play the Benjamin Watson video and ask:
- If you had gone through the injury time that Benjamin went through, how would you feel?
- When have you felt like you let God and others down?
- Why do we, or others, expect us to be perfect in our faith?
- In what ways has God’s grace shown itself to truly bigger than your failures?
- Where might your story of accomplishments and failure communicate God’s love to others in the coming days?
Close in prayer.
Writer: Jon Self