Before the Session
Facilitator: In advance of 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 (From the Current Session Page)
Start by saying:
Since Valentine’s Day often brings chocolate, for fun, I’d like for someone in the group take this “quiz.” After choosing a volunteer, share this quiz (Note: You might want to do this with more than one person) and ask:
- Why do you think the quiz showed the results it did?
- What does recognizing certain preferences have to do with identifying how we relate to others?
- In what ways might our preferences define how we relate to God and to others?
- How often do surprising choices occur in your relationships with your family, church, or people outside the church?
- What relationship advice have you received that proved helpful or possibly much less than helpful?
Content (From the Mind Session Page)
Read Matthew 5:21-37, then watch the Bible Background Video.
Then ask questions like these:
- To what degree are religious people in our society generally legalistic, as were people in Jesus’ day?.
- Why might some people think that Jesus is just adding more restrictions for us to keep?
- What do you think was the spirit of Jesus’ “command” in v. 21-26?
- What is the ideal of relationship that God desires for us?
- Given what happens at the altar, and the state do we need to be in when we come there, what does this say about how our human relationships influence our relationship with God?
- If we were to take Jesus’ command about reconciliation seriously in our time, what would it look like?
- What do you think was the spirit of this command about adultery in verses 27-30 in terms of the ideal of relationship that God desires for us ?
- What was he saying about our sinful thoughts and actions in verses 29-30?
- What do you think was the spirit of Jesus’ thoughts about divorce, in verses 31-32, in terms of the relationship that God desires for us?
- What do you think was the spirit of Jesus’ comments on swearing, in terms of the ideal of relationship that God desires for us?
Closure (from the Media Session page)
Play the “Room Key” video and ask:
- How important is integrity to our ability be good Christians and why?
- In modern times, how do we show that as followers of Jesus we keep our promises and show integrity?
- To what degree does the fact that we sometimes laugh at acts of dishonesty betray that we are trivializing them versus recognizing our own inclination to participate in such acts?
- What do you think it means to live as if we mean what we say and say what we mean?
- Why do you think that this is so difficult for people to do?
- In what ways might we take the teaching in the Sermon on the Mount into our relationships with others?
Close in prayer