Scene where Chunk arrives at the house and when Chunk calls the Sherriff.
So what was Chunk’s problem?
Why do you think he lied? Do you think he believed his own lies?
What problem did this lead to? (Chunk was right about the bullet holes, the potential dangers, and obviously the situation when he called the sherriff.)
Have you ever caught someone in a lie? What happened? Do you still trust them?
Have you ever been caught in a lie? What happened? Why did you tell the lie in the first place?
Why do people lie?
What damage did your lie cause? Why does even the smallest lie do so much damage to trust and credibility? Do you think the consequences fit the crime? Why or why not?
Is it always wrong to lie? Why or why not?
If it’s OK to lie sometimes, how can you discern when?
If lying promoted something good (like smuggling Bibles) would it be acceptable?
Are there any situations where it is acceptable to lie?
Read:
Exodus 20:16- 16 No lies about your neighbor.
Leviticus 19:11- 11 "Don't steal. "Don't lie. "Don't deceive anyone.
Proverbs 6:16-19 16-19 Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: eyes that are arrogant, a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, a mouth that lies under oath, a troublemaker in the family.
What are your thoughts on these verses? Make sense? What do they mean to you?
Would it be hard to be honest for an entire day? If yes, what would it take?
What value is placed on honesty and truthfulness in our society?
Read aloud Colossians 3:9-11 . 9-11Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
ASK:
Why is God so concerned with honesty?
Does this passage allow for “white lies”? Why or why not?
What situations tempt you to lie?
How would it change your life to always speak the truth?
How does this apply to you and your life, friends, and situations?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Goonies Bible Study on Confession
Goonies Bible Study on Confession. Scenes with Chunk, the Fratellis, and the blender.
So what was Chunk’s problem? Why do you think he told all that he did?
Ever had stuff you’ve wanted/needed to get off of your chest? How did you feel afterward? What makes it so difficult to confess something?
How does confession allow us to enjoy a deeper relationship with God? relationships with other people?
Have you ever confessed to anyone? Parent or friend? What happened and what was the result? Was it something about them or something else that you did? Were you going to get caught anyway?
What do you know about Confession, mainly in the Catholic church. Have they ever seen it on tv, or know of any friends who do it?
Here are some key points on Confession for Catholics.
It is one of the Catholic Church’s 7 sacraments, which were all instituted by Jesus, with Confession happening after the Resurrection when Christ appeared to the apostles. Many Catholics believe it should be done at least monthly. They believe it is necessary to confess as a way of showing an inward sign of grace to reconcile or be ok with God, and an outward sign of grace is to be forgiven, oftentimes through a priest. The belief is if we keep sinning and don’t ask for forgiveness and try to change, it will lead to a downward cycle.
Lastly, 3 things are required:
1. You must be contrite—or, in other words, sorry for your sins.
2. You must confess those sins fully, in kind and in number.
3. You must be willing to do penance and make amends for your sins.
What do you think about this? Does it make sense? Anything you do or don’t agree with? Why?
We cut sheets of colored construction paper in half for each youth to write on and had a drawing of an outline of a large cross on paper taped to the wall.
We then wrote notes of apology to God. They were to think of something they have done wrong recently that might have disappointed God. Then think of one word that represents that sin, and write that word on the inside of the card.
After they wrote, we had groups divide up and read Acts 3:1-19 together and then discuss the following questions.
How does the sin you wrote down compare to the sins Peter was describing?
Do you think your sins are any less “sinful” than the ones described in this passage? Explain.
The Bible says Jesus died on the cross for our sins. That means not only that Jesus died to pay for the sins of the people who crucified him, but also that he died for the sins we commit today—the very sin you wrote on your paper.
What does it mean to repent?
How can you repent of the sin you wrote down?
In this passage, Peter said the crippled man was healed because of his faith in Jesus. It’s through faith in Jesus that we receive forgiveness for our sins. Jesus already paid the price for the sin you wrote down. I’d like each of you to say a silent prayer, confessing and asking for forgiveness for the sin you wrote on your paper.
We then took a few moments for silent prayer.
Then we had them think of one word that describes how they feel knowing that Christ’s death made their forgiveness possible. They wrote that one word on the outside of the card, then taped it to the inside of the cross.
Then they were told to look at the papers on our cross—our sins are covered with words of joy and thanksgiving. That’s what God wants for us. God knows that, just like the crippled man in Acts, we need repentance and faith to be made whole. And it’s the cross that makes that possible. We’re the ones who benefit from repentance. God doesn’t need our apologies to forgive us. If he hadn’t wanted to forgive us, he wouldn’t have watched his Son suffer on the cross. God wants our apologies because he knows that only through our repentance and faith can we be made whole.
Closed with a prayer.
So what was Chunk’s problem? Why do you think he told all that he did?
Ever had stuff you’ve wanted/needed to get off of your chest? How did you feel afterward? What makes it so difficult to confess something?
How does confession allow us to enjoy a deeper relationship with God? relationships with other people?
Have you ever confessed to anyone? Parent or friend? What happened and what was the result? Was it something about them or something else that you did? Were you going to get caught anyway?
What do you know about Confession, mainly in the Catholic church. Have they ever seen it on tv, or know of any friends who do it?
Here are some key points on Confession for Catholics.
It is one of the Catholic Church’s 7 sacraments, which were all instituted by Jesus, with Confession happening after the Resurrection when Christ appeared to the apostles. Many Catholics believe it should be done at least monthly. They believe it is necessary to confess as a way of showing an inward sign of grace to reconcile or be ok with God, and an outward sign of grace is to be forgiven, oftentimes through a priest. The belief is if we keep sinning and don’t ask for forgiveness and try to change, it will lead to a downward cycle.
Lastly, 3 things are required:
1. You must be contrite—or, in other words, sorry for your sins.
2. You must confess those sins fully, in kind and in number.
3. You must be willing to do penance and make amends for your sins.
What do you think about this? Does it make sense? Anything you do or don’t agree with? Why?
We cut sheets of colored construction paper in half for each youth to write on and had a drawing of an outline of a large cross on paper taped to the wall.
We then wrote notes of apology to God. They were to think of something they have done wrong recently that might have disappointed God. Then think of one word that represents that sin, and write that word on the inside of the card.
After they wrote, we had groups divide up and read Acts 3:1-19 together and then discuss the following questions.
How does the sin you wrote down compare to the sins Peter was describing?
Do you think your sins are any less “sinful” than the ones described in this passage? Explain.
The Bible says Jesus died on the cross for our sins. That means not only that Jesus died to pay for the sins of the people who crucified him, but also that he died for the sins we commit today—the very sin you wrote on your paper.
What does it mean to repent?
How can you repent of the sin you wrote down?
In this passage, Peter said the crippled man was healed because of his faith in Jesus. It’s through faith in Jesus that we receive forgiveness for our sins. Jesus already paid the price for the sin you wrote down. I’d like each of you to say a silent prayer, confessing and asking for forgiveness for the sin you wrote on your paper.
We then took a few moments for silent prayer.
Then we had them think of one word that describes how they feel knowing that Christ’s death made their forgiveness possible. They wrote that one word on the outside of the card, then taped it to the inside of the cross.
Then they were told to look at the papers on our cross—our sins are covered with words of joy and thanksgiving. That’s what God wants for us. God knows that, just like the crippled man in Acts, we need repentance and faith to be made whole. And it’s the cross that makes that possible. We’re the ones who benefit from repentance. God doesn’t need our apologies to forgive us. If he hadn’t wanted to forgive us, he wouldn’t have watched his Son suffer on the cross. God wants our apologies because he knows that only through our repentance and faith can we be made whole.
Closed with a prayer.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Goonies Bible Study on Accepting Others
We watched scenes with Sloth and mainly his interaction with Chunk.
We had volunteers eat Peanut Butter Sandwiches, with each sandwich containing something other than jelly. They ate the bit of sandwich, removed their blindfolds and wrote down what they thought was on the sandwich, and whether or not they liked it. The put their blindfolds on and did it again. The sandwiches consisted of PB and banana, chocolate syrup, bacon, miracle whip, cinnamon applesauce, orange marmalade, and honey. They were to keep quiet during this.
When it was over, we found out who was right on figuring out what was on the sandwich, and who liked, disliked, or were indifferent about what was included with the peanut butter. The opinions varied.
How would you feel if I used this game as a test, accepting people who like sandwiches I like, and rejecting those who don’t?
If I were to have told you ahead of time what was on the sandwiches, would you have tried any of them?
Did other people making comments and noises make a difference in your opinion if you heard them before eating?
How were the sandwiches in this game similar to the standards we use to accept or reject others?
What are some of the standards we use to judge other people?
How have you seen people change themselves to try to be accepted by others?
Do they feel that they just have to, or is it expected by a group that they must change?
How have you seen rejection affect people?
How many of you have ever been rejected because you didn’t ‘fit in’? What were the circumstances?
YOUth Council discussed that this group isn’t overly ‘welcoming’. Do y’all agree? Why or why not? How have we been welcoming? How can we be?
Read Matthew 7:1-5 and John 13:34.
Matthew 7:1-5- 1-5 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.
John 13:34-35 34-35"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other."
Christ didn’t call us to just love those like us…
Why does God want us to accept people we don’t like?
Think back about some of your friends. Any of them that you look back and realized on your first times around them you had nothing in common, and maybe didn’t care for them?
Or have a friend that you realize others don’t accept? How do you handle that?
What was Chunk’s first reaction to Sloth? How did he get past that?
Did Chunk’s acceptance of Sloth, help for the others to accept Sloth?
Have you ever been in a situation like that, where you or someone else has accepted an ‘outsider’ and other friends then accept them? Ever done that where they don’t? What’s the difference?
Do you have friends that aren’t friends with other friends of yours? Why is that?
What about people on the fringes? If you were to encounter someone like Sloth, how would you honestly react to him and treat him? Why?
How does this apply to you and your life/situations/people you encounter?
We had volunteers eat Peanut Butter Sandwiches, with each sandwich containing something other than jelly. They ate the bit of sandwich, removed their blindfolds and wrote down what they thought was on the sandwich, and whether or not they liked it. The put their blindfolds on and did it again. The sandwiches consisted of PB and banana, chocolate syrup, bacon, miracle whip, cinnamon applesauce, orange marmalade, and honey. They were to keep quiet during this.
When it was over, we found out who was right on figuring out what was on the sandwich, and who liked, disliked, or were indifferent about what was included with the peanut butter. The opinions varied.
How would you feel if I used this game as a test, accepting people who like sandwiches I like, and rejecting those who don’t?
If I were to have told you ahead of time what was on the sandwiches, would you have tried any of them?
Did other people making comments and noises make a difference in your opinion if you heard them before eating?
How were the sandwiches in this game similar to the standards we use to accept or reject others?
What are some of the standards we use to judge other people?
How have you seen people change themselves to try to be accepted by others?
Do they feel that they just have to, or is it expected by a group that they must change?
How have you seen rejection affect people?
How many of you have ever been rejected because you didn’t ‘fit in’? What were the circumstances?
YOUth Council discussed that this group isn’t overly ‘welcoming’. Do y’all agree? Why or why not? How have we been welcoming? How can we be?
Read Matthew 7:1-5 and John 13:34.
Matthew 7:1-5- 1-5 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.
John 13:34-35 34-35"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other."
Christ didn’t call us to just love those like us…
Why does God want us to accept people we don’t like?
Think back about some of your friends. Any of them that you look back and realized on your first times around them you had nothing in common, and maybe didn’t care for them?
Or have a friend that you realize others don’t accept? How do you handle that?
What was Chunk’s first reaction to Sloth? How did he get past that?
Did Chunk’s acceptance of Sloth, help for the others to accept Sloth?
Have you ever been in a situation like that, where you or someone else has accepted an ‘outsider’ and other friends then accept them? Ever done that where they don’t? What’s the difference?
Do you have friends that aren’t friends with other friends of yours? Why is that?
What about people on the fringes? If you were to encounter someone like Sloth, how would you honestly react to him and treat him? Why?
How does this apply to you and your life/situations/people you encounter?
Monty Python Bible Study on Failure
We watched the scene of the 'Trojan Rabbit'
We passed out playing cards randomly to the group, instructing each person to keep their two cards a secret. Bring two students up to the front of the room and tell them to reveal one of their cards. The student who reveals the highest card value will remain in the game. The other one is out. We did this until each student remaining has shown both of their cards. Then give out two more cards to the winners and keep playing until you get down to one person who is declared the winner.
How did it feel when you were knocked out of the game?
What were the reasons you were knocked out? How much of it was your own fault?
If you were to play the game again, what would you do differently?
Are there any similarities between this game and the way circumstances sometimes play out in real life?
After viewing the clips, ask the group these questions:
What was the purpose of the giant rabbit? What other famous story does this skit play off of?
What is the French reaction to the giant rabbit?
What was the response of King Arthur’s men when Sir Bedevere revealed the rest of his plan?
How did Sir Bedevere feel at the end?
What were the consequences of failing?
Read Romans 8:28- That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
According to this passage, what is God working toward? For whom is He working?
Matthew 26:69-75 69All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, "You were with Jesus the Galilean." 70In front of everybody there, he denied it. "I don't know what you're talking about." 71As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene." 72Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: "I swear, I never laid eyes on the man." 73Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. "You've got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away." 74-75Then he got really nervous and swore. "I don't know the man!" Just then a rooster crowed. Peter remembered what Jesus had said: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and cried and cried and cried.
How did Peter fail here? What happened to Peter after this? Did he fail, or succeed? (Christ had told him that he would build his church on Peter…Peter ministered to and converted many people in Italy and the Mediterranean.)
Psalm 103:8-12 God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he's rich in love. He doesn't endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins.
What did you hear from these verses?
Does everything you do work out for good?
How do you think God works for good in the midst of difficult circumstances or our failures?
Why are we sometimes tempted to blame others or God for our failures?
What does the 3rd verse say about God?
How does the idea of God working for good affect your perspective on those moments when you’ve messed up?
Have you ever failed (not on tests), or your plans didn’t work out the way you had hoped? What happened? How did you deal with it? Did you linger on it? Did you learn anything? If so, what?
Have you ever been in a situation where you let someone else down? How did you feel? What did you do to make it right?
The movie clip showed a plan that ended in failure. What good could still come about from that experience?
Do you ever look back on times when you’ve messed up or failed at something, and at the time it seemed huge, but in looking back, it isn’t that big of a deal?
Why is it easier to see God working for good when we look back over our lives than in the moments immediately following our failure or unfortunate circumstances?
Does blaming God for unfortunate events ever help the situation get better?
Even though we may see our failures magnified, because of Christ’s death for us, God sees them as very small. In fact, he removes them from us completely. He does this because he loves us too much to let us be bogged down and overwhelmed by our sins and failures. What a great God!
We passed out playing cards randomly to the group, instructing each person to keep their two cards a secret. Bring two students up to the front of the room and tell them to reveal one of their cards. The student who reveals the highest card value will remain in the game. The other one is out. We did this until each student remaining has shown both of their cards. Then give out two more cards to the winners and keep playing until you get down to one person who is declared the winner.
How did it feel when you were knocked out of the game?
What were the reasons you were knocked out? How much of it was your own fault?
If you were to play the game again, what would you do differently?
Are there any similarities between this game and the way circumstances sometimes play out in real life?
After viewing the clips, ask the group these questions:
What was the purpose of the giant rabbit? What other famous story does this skit play off of?
What is the French reaction to the giant rabbit?
What was the response of King Arthur’s men when Sir Bedevere revealed the rest of his plan?
How did Sir Bedevere feel at the end?
What were the consequences of failing?
Read Romans 8:28- That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
According to this passage, what is God working toward? For whom is He working?
Matthew 26:69-75 69All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, "You were with Jesus the Galilean." 70In front of everybody there, he denied it. "I don't know what you're talking about." 71As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene." 72Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: "I swear, I never laid eyes on the man." 73Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. "You've got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away." 74-75Then he got really nervous and swore. "I don't know the man!" Just then a rooster crowed. Peter remembered what Jesus had said: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and cried and cried and cried.
How did Peter fail here? What happened to Peter after this? Did he fail, or succeed? (Christ had told him that he would build his church on Peter…Peter ministered to and converted many people in Italy and the Mediterranean.)
Psalm 103:8-12 God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he's rich in love. He doesn't endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins.
What did you hear from these verses?
Does everything you do work out for good?
How do you think God works for good in the midst of difficult circumstances or our failures?
Why are we sometimes tempted to blame others or God for our failures?
What does the 3rd verse say about God?
How does the idea of God working for good affect your perspective on those moments when you’ve messed up?
Have you ever failed (not on tests), or your plans didn’t work out the way you had hoped? What happened? How did you deal with it? Did you linger on it? Did you learn anything? If so, what?
Have you ever been in a situation where you let someone else down? How did you feel? What did you do to make it right?
The movie clip showed a plan that ended in failure. What good could still come about from that experience?
Do you ever look back on times when you’ve messed up or failed at something, and at the time it seemed huge, but in looking back, it isn’t that big of a deal?
Why is it easier to see God working for good when we look back over our lives than in the moments immediately following our failure or unfortunate circumstances?
Does blaming God for unfortunate events ever help the situation get better?
Even though we may see our failures magnified, because of Christ’s death for us, God sees them as very small. In fact, he removes them from us completely. He does this because he loves us too much to let us be bogged down and overwhelmed by our sins and failures. What a great God!
Monty Python Bible Study on Words
The group wrote words on a sheet of paper in 2 columns. 1 being words that are hurtful, and one being words that are helpful.
We then discussed the differences between the lists and what it is that can make words hurtful or helpful––things like tone, body language, and sarcasm.
We watched the scenes where King Arthur and the knights encountered the French at the castle.
Which words, phrases, or images were the most powerful to you? Why?
Why do you think the French soldier continually insulted King Arthur and his men?
What kind of insults did the French soldier use? What exactly was he making fun of?
How did King Arthur and his men respond?
Why do you think they attacked the castle?
Why do you think the French attacked King Arthur and his men with animals?
Read Proverbs 13:3 3 Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything. The Message
James 3:2-10 If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life.
3-5A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!
5-6It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
7-10This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!
10-12My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?
What are these verses saying?
How does a person guard his or her words?
How does what you say affect your life and the lives of others?
What type of ruin could your words bring?
The French soldier was insulting from the start. What would you do if you encountered a person who started throwing insults at you, especially if that person didn’t know you?
Do you see the principle in the verses at work in the clip from the movie? How?
What do you think King Arthur and his men should have done?
What do harmful and hurtful words often lead to? What about words that are helpful?
Why do we say hurtful things?
What is one of the worst things ever said to you? What was your reaction and what happened?
What is one of the worst things you’ve ever said? What happened?
How can we guard against the words that we say?
How does this all apply to you and your life?
Closed in prayer
We then discussed the differences between the lists and what it is that can make words hurtful or helpful––things like tone, body language, and sarcasm.
We watched the scenes where King Arthur and the knights encountered the French at the castle.
Which words, phrases, or images were the most powerful to you? Why?
Why do you think the French soldier continually insulted King Arthur and his men?
What kind of insults did the French soldier use? What exactly was he making fun of?
How did King Arthur and his men respond?
Why do you think they attacked the castle?
Why do you think the French attacked King Arthur and his men with animals?
Read Proverbs 13:3 3 Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything. The Message
James 3:2-10 If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life.
3-5A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!
5-6It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
7-10This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!
10-12My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?
What are these verses saying?
How does a person guard his or her words?
How does what you say affect your life and the lives of others?
What type of ruin could your words bring?
The French soldier was insulting from the start. What would you do if you encountered a person who started throwing insults at you, especially if that person didn’t know you?
Do you see the principle in the verses at work in the clip from the movie? How?
What do you think King Arthur and his men should have done?
What do harmful and hurtful words often lead to? What about words that are helpful?
Why do we say hurtful things?
What is one of the worst things ever said to you? What was your reaction and what happened?
What is one of the worst things you’ve ever said? What happened?
How can we guard against the words that we say?
How does this all apply to you and your life?
Closed in prayer
Monty Python Bible Study on our Image of God.
We watched the scene where 'God' appears to King Arthur and the knights.
Each person had to write words that describe their vision and characteristics of God and/or draw how they view God and shared them. Then ask the following questions:
How does the movie’s portrayal of God compare to your own?
What stuck out to you about King Arthur’s response to God suddenly showing up? How would you have responded?
How do you picture God? Has that picture of God changed?
What kind of God did you see in this movie’s portrayal?
How does this portrayal of God compare with the God of the Scriptures?
Do you think God ever gets tired of people saying, “I’m sorry” or “Forgive me”?
Isaiah 40:12-18 7Who has scooped up the ocean in his two hands, or measured the sky between his thumb and little finger, Who has put all the earth's dirt in one of his baskets, weighed each mountain and hill? Who could ever have told God what to do or taught him his business? What expert would he have gone to for advice, what school would he attend to learn justice? What god do you suppose might have taught him what he knows, showed him how things work?
Why, the nations are but a drop in a bucket, a mere smudge on a window. Watch him sweep up the islands like so much dust off the floor! There aren't enough trees in Lebanon nor enough animals in those vast forests to furnish adequate fuel and offerings for his worship. All the nations add up to simply nothing before him— less than nothing is more like it. A minus. So who even comes close to being like God? To whom or what can you compare him?
Isaiah 40:28-31 Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.
Note: Isaiah asks a number of questions within this passage that should be considered rhetorical. The obvious answer is that no one can fully comprehend who God is. Only God understands God. Isaiah demonstrates how we often attempt to identify God’s characteristics through creation. While this is one of the ways He has chosen to reveal himself to us, we must realize that our knowledge and understanding of God will always be limited. Isaiah’s main emphasis is to never underestimate who God is and what He is capable of doing. Isaiah couples this emphasis on the almighty power of God with His desire to care for each one of us personally.
Ask:
How is God portrayed in these scriptures?
What images stuck in your mind about God’s power as you read the passages? What did it symbolize for you?
How does the God of Isaiah compare with the image of God from the movie? Give both similarities and differences.
Throughout Scripture, the overall idea is that God is love. Everything God does is in and through His love. Consider both the Isaiah passage and the movie clip through the perspective of a loving God.
Does God appear to be loving in the movie? How?
Does God appear to be loving in the Isaiah passage? How?
If you were to remake the clip based on the image of God in the passage in Isaiah, what would you change?
Why does almighty God care about human kind? How might knowing the various "traits" of God help you form a stronger connection with God?
Can a human being achieve anything without God’s help? Why or why not? How can a person even know that God is or is not involved in every action?
Why is complete understanding of God beyond human comprehension? Why do people want to try and understand God anyway?
Does this apply to your life? If so, how?
Silently close in prayer asking God for greater understanding of God’s will and also the ability to respectfully honor the awesomeness of God.
Each person had to write words that describe their vision and characteristics of God and/or draw how they view God and shared them. Then ask the following questions:
How does the movie’s portrayal of God compare to your own?
What stuck out to you about King Arthur’s response to God suddenly showing up? How would you have responded?
How do you picture God? Has that picture of God changed?
What kind of God did you see in this movie’s portrayal?
How does this portrayal of God compare with the God of the Scriptures?
Do you think God ever gets tired of people saying, “I’m sorry” or “Forgive me”?
Isaiah 40:12-18 7Who has scooped up the ocean in his two hands, or measured the sky between his thumb and little finger, Who has put all the earth's dirt in one of his baskets, weighed each mountain and hill? Who could ever have told God what to do or taught him his business? What expert would he have gone to for advice, what school would he attend to learn justice? What god do you suppose might have taught him what he knows, showed him how things work?
Why, the nations are but a drop in a bucket, a mere smudge on a window. Watch him sweep up the islands like so much dust off the floor! There aren't enough trees in Lebanon nor enough animals in those vast forests to furnish adequate fuel and offerings for his worship. All the nations add up to simply nothing before him— less than nothing is more like it. A minus. So who even comes close to being like God? To whom or what can you compare him?
Isaiah 40:28-31 Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.
Note: Isaiah asks a number of questions within this passage that should be considered rhetorical. The obvious answer is that no one can fully comprehend who God is. Only God understands God. Isaiah demonstrates how we often attempt to identify God’s characteristics through creation. While this is one of the ways He has chosen to reveal himself to us, we must realize that our knowledge and understanding of God will always be limited. Isaiah’s main emphasis is to never underestimate who God is and what He is capable of doing. Isaiah couples this emphasis on the almighty power of God with His desire to care for each one of us personally.
Ask:
How is God portrayed in these scriptures?
What images stuck in your mind about God’s power as you read the passages? What did it symbolize for you?
How does the God of Isaiah compare with the image of God from the movie? Give both similarities and differences.
Throughout Scripture, the overall idea is that God is love. Everything God does is in and through His love. Consider both the Isaiah passage and the movie clip through the perspective of a loving God.
Does God appear to be loving in the movie? How?
Does God appear to be loving in the Isaiah passage? How?
If you were to remake the clip based on the image of God in the passage in Isaiah, what would you change?
Why does almighty God care about human kind? How might knowing the various "traits" of God help you form a stronger connection with God?
Can a human being achieve anything without God’s help? Why or why not? How can a person even know that God is or is not involved in every action?
Why is complete understanding of God beyond human comprehension? Why do people want to try and understand God anyway?
Does this apply to your life? If so, how?
Silently close in prayer asking God for greater understanding of God’s will and also the ability to respectfully honor the awesomeness of God.
Monty Python Bible Study on Judging. Planks vs. specks.
I showed a variety of pictures of teenagers of various looks. They were instructed to look at the pictures and take a few seconds to write down first impressions of the person…who they are, how they act, etc. Also, write down if you would interact with this person, and if so, how would you treat them?
We watched the scene where King Arthur encounters the peasants in the field.
King Arthur passes by some people working in the field. Arthur begins to make some assumptions that aren’t entirely true. The entire scene deals with judging people based on their appearance or their work. The people that Arthur encounters even question the assumptions Arthur has about himself and his position as King of the Britains.
Questions:
Why did you act the way you did to people because of their ‘traits’? Why are our actions kind of preconceived in different ways because of different people’s characteristics or our impressions of them?
What did King Arthur see that made him assume the things he did about Dennis and the others?
Why didn’t King Arthur take the time to get to know Dennis?
Was King Arthur the only one making assumptions?
What assumptions did Dennis make about King Arthur?
Who seemed to be closer to the truth in their assumptions?
Based on this encounter, what kind of king does Arthur seem to be? How does he feel about peasants?
Read:
Matthew 7:1–6 1Don't condemn others, and God won't condemn you. 2God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them. You can see the speck in your friend's eye, but you don't notice the log in your own eye. 4How can you say, "My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye," when you don't see the log in your own eye? 5You're nothing but show-offs! First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend's eye. Don't give to dogs what belongs to God. They will only turn and attack you. Don't throw pearls down in front of pigs. They will trample all over them.
In this passage, Jesus elaborates on a law that is familiar to the Jewish community: it is not acceptable to judge another person. This is important for a variety of reasons. Those who judge can never know a situation in its entirety. Because they don’t know all the details, they are incapable of being objective enough to pass judgment. Finally, Jesus shows that no person has the right to judge another. We should only be the judge of our own lives.
Why do people place so much emphasis on first impressions? Have you ever had an experience where your first impression was wrong?
Have you ever been given a label or judged falsely? How did you feel? What did you do?
Why shouldn’t we judge others? According to the passage in Matthew, what will happen to the person who judges someone else?
What do you think Jesus means when he uses the metaphor of the plank in someone’s eye? Or a speck in someone else’s eye?
What does judging others have to do with acting like dogs or pigs?
In both the movie clip and the Matthew passage, we see the negative effects of being judgmental, yet we are still tempted to judge others so quickly. Why?
Why are we so caught up in outward appearances?
How would the conversation have been different if King Arthur responded in the way prescribed by Matthew 7:1–6?
What are some ways we can engage others without judging them?
How should people respond when they discover they have misjudged someone?
Does this apply to your life at all? If so, how so?
This is something that we have talked about from time to time but is still and always a problem with all of us in some form or fashion. Not judging others is one of the things that we need to be constantly reminded of, in the hopes that our judgments and notions of people and groups will lessen more and more. We need to take the time to know others or at least try to understand those that have traits different than ours. Let God judge us and others, we just need to try to live the most Christ-like lives that we can every day.
Close in Prayer.
We watched the scene where King Arthur encounters the peasants in the field.
King Arthur passes by some people working in the field. Arthur begins to make some assumptions that aren’t entirely true. The entire scene deals with judging people based on their appearance or their work. The people that Arthur encounters even question the assumptions Arthur has about himself and his position as King of the Britains.
Questions:
Why did you act the way you did to people because of their ‘traits’? Why are our actions kind of preconceived in different ways because of different people’s characteristics or our impressions of them?
What did King Arthur see that made him assume the things he did about Dennis and the others?
Why didn’t King Arthur take the time to get to know Dennis?
Was King Arthur the only one making assumptions?
What assumptions did Dennis make about King Arthur?
Who seemed to be closer to the truth in their assumptions?
Based on this encounter, what kind of king does Arthur seem to be? How does he feel about peasants?
Read:
Matthew 7:1–6 1Don't condemn others, and God won't condemn you. 2God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them. You can see the speck in your friend's eye, but you don't notice the log in your own eye. 4How can you say, "My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye," when you don't see the log in your own eye? 5You're nothing but show-offs! First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend's eye. Don't give to dogs what belongs to God. They will only turn and attack you. Don't throw pearls down in front of pigs. They will trample all over them.
In this passage, Jesus elaborates on a law that is familiar to the Jewish community: it is not acceptable to judge another person. This is important for a variety of reasons. Those who judge can never know a situation in its entirety. Because they don’t know all the details, they are incapable of being objective enough to pass judgment. Finally, Jesus shows that no person has the right to judge another. We should only be the judge of our own lives.
Why do people place so much emphasis on first impressions? Have you ever had an experience where your first impression was wrong?
Have you ever been given a label or judged falsely? How did you feel? What did you do?
Why shouldn’t we judge others? According to the passage in Matthew, what will happen to the person who judges someone else?
What do you think Jesus means when he uses the metaphor of the plank in someone’s eye? Or a speck in someone else’s eye?
What does judging others have to do with acting like dogs or pigs?
In both the movie clip and the Matthew passage, we see the negative effects of being judgmental, yet we are still tempted to judge others so quickly. Why?
Why are we so caught up in outward appearances?
How would the conversation have been different if King Arthur responded in the way prescribed by Matthew 7:1–6?
What are some ways we can engage others without judging them?
How should people respond when they discover they have misjudged someone?
Does this apply to your life at all? If so, how so?
This is something that we have talked about from time to time but is still and always a problem with all of us in some form or fashion. Not judging others is one of the things that we need to be constantly reminded of, in the hopes that our judgments and notions of people and groups will lessen more and more. We need to take the time to know others or at least try to understand those that have traits different than ours. Let God judge us and others, we just need to try to live the most Christ-like lives that we can every day.
Close in Prayer.
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