We first watched the locker room scene close to the end of the movie where Coach Gaines explains to his team what he means by “perfect.” He doesn’t believe it necessarily means winning. He says it means having the ability to look friends and family in the eye with the knowledge that you did everything possible, with a sense of love and joy. He believes having that clear conscience makes you perfect.
We then discussed the following questions:
• Do you agree with Coach Gaines’ definition of perfection? Why or why not?
• Where have you seen people in our society obsessed with perfection? (school, sports, business...)What kinds of things get labeled “perfect” (fashion related stuff, models, athletic accomplishments...)?
• Do you feel any pressure to be perfect? If so, in what area? How does this pressure affect you?
Read aloud Matthew 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[h] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
• Is Jesus’ command to be perfect like him impossible? Why or why not?
• What does he mean by being “perfect”? What advice does he give for becoming perfect?
• Are you trying to live out his advice in your own life? Why or why not? In what ways would it change your life if you tried to live out his advice?
• Why should we strive for perfection regardless of how hard it is? In what one area of your life, will you commit to strive for perfection?
• What's your definition of "grace"? (forgiveness, God's love, A gift from god that we receive when we should receive punishment.)
• Besides forgiveness, in what other ways does God show his grace? How have you seen grace given in someone else's life?
• In what ways have you experienced God's grace personally? Are you aware of God's grace every day? If not, what would help you increase your awareness?
We then did an object lesson dividing groups up and one group having to read some scripture through the bottom of drinking glasses.
Each group read Luke 7:36-50 . Those in Group #1 read with a drinking glass with the top of the glass down on the page—their job was to write what they imagined Simon was thinking as he watched the woman anoint Jesus. Those in Group #2 wrote what they imagined Jesus was thinking while the woman anointed him. And those in Group #3 wrote what the woman was thinking as she anointed Jesus.
Luke 7:36-50 (from the Message)- 36-39One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee's house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him."
40Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Oh? Tell me." 41-42"Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?" 43-47Simon answered, "I suppose the one who was forgiven the most."
"That's right," said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, "Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn't quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn't it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal."
48Then he spoke to her: "I forgive your sins." 49That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: "Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!" 50He ignored them and said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
The groups then shared what they thought and were then asked:
What’s the difference between the three accounts of the same incident?
Why do Simon and Jesus react differently?
(Maybe touch on why we may think it weird for what the woman did to Christ’s feet, it WAS CHRIST, so who is to say how we would act or have acted in such an encounter.)
Those in Group #1 were asked:
What was it like to read the passage through the glass?
How is that like the way Simon saw the woman in the story (unclear, kind of skewed/not focused)?
Simon was a Pharisee who thought he had to obey the law to please God. When he looked at the woman, he saw a sinner. It was as if he saw things distorted like through the drinking glass and that shifted his perspective toward condemnation. Jesus saw the woman for who she was, received her worship, and freely gave her forgiveness. The woman knew that she needed Jesus’ grace, and didn’t push it away.
We then talked about the following:
For some of us, it’s very difficult to receive grace—why is that?
What are the “glasses” we need to get rid of before we can receive the grace that God gives us in Jesus?
Like last week we had verses on grace and forgiveness for everyone to read out loud to get a firm grasp on how we are forgiven, and how we can be perfected through Christ.
Psalm 103:1-3- 1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
Matthew 5:23-24- 23So if you are about to place your gift on the altar and remember that someone is angry with you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. Make peace with that person, then come back and offer your gift to God.
Matthew 18:23-35- 23-25"The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. He couldn't pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market.
"The poor wretch threw himself at the king's feet and begged, 'Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt. "The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, 'Pay up. Now!'
"The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, 'Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' But he wouldn't do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king.
"The king summoned the man and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. Shouldn't you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?' The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. And that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn't forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy."
Colossians 1:13-14- 13God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, who forgives our sins and sets us free.
1 John 1:9- But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.
Romans 7:15-25- 14-16I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself—after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.
But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.
Romans 8:1-2- 1If you belong to Christ Jesus, you won't be punished. 2The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you [a] free from sin and death.
Ephesians 2:4-6- It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.
Closing: The grace and forgiveness of Christ compared to the activity of throwing the q-tips the week before, would have closed the distance between the throwers and the 'mark...aka God.' Therefore, it would be much easier to hit their mark. Also, the last week we talked about sin, and now this week we have talked about perfection, and what that means to Christ, and how we can become perfect because of the grace that God has given us, a grace that was there before any of us were born and before we ever sinned. Before any of that, we were already forgiven. In accepting this gift of grace, there is work that we must do to live like people who have been forgiven and that are striving for perfection in Christ and not the world.
We will achieve perfection when we get to Heaven because of Christ. As Coach Gaines said about perfection: it means having the ability to look friends and family in the eye with the knowledge that you did everything possible, with a sense of love and joy. He believes having that clear conscience makes you perfect. That can also apply to us having the ability to look Christ in the eye with the knowledge that we did everything possible, with a sense of love and joy and that we have a clear conscience. Accepting grace allows that to happen.
We closed by having them QUIETLY go into the designated ‘prayer room’. We asked them to take the prayer time as a time of confession, a time of asking forgiveness, a time to be filled with Love from God to be shared with others, a time to do what it takes to strive for perfection.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Friday Night Lights Bible Study on Sin 9-28-08
Before the lesson, everyone received q-tips in which they had a mark/target of a small Styrofoam cup that was about half the distance of the basketball court away from them. The objective was to throw the q-tip into the cup. None made it. We did it again with the group much closer, but still no one hit the mark. The distance between them and the 'mark...aka God' was sin.
We opened with the scene at 1:02 where Mike and Coach Gaines are in the car together after the game and Mike talks about feeling cursed, no matter how good or bad he is. Coach Gaines talks about how people dig their own holes in life.
So what are your thoughts on that scene between Mike and Coach Gaines? Do any of you feel that way? That you are surrounded by the things that Mike mentioned? How is that like Sin?
First off, what is sin?
A definition of sin that I found:
The Hebrew and Greek words translated "sin" throughout the Bible revolve largely around two major concepts. The first is that of transgression. To transgress means "to step across" or "to go beyond a set boundary or limit." This concept can be compared to an athletic playing field with lines delineating the boundaries within which the game is played. When a player crosses over those boundary lines, he has committed a "transgression" and gone out of bounds. Limits are set that define the playing area, and the players are to stay within the limits of that area.
Most of the other words translated "sin" in the Bible involve a second concept, "to miss the mark." Again, to use a sports analogy, if a player aims for the goal and misses, how many points does he get? None. He missed the goal, missed the mark at which he was aiming.
This view of sin includes the concept of our going in one direction but straying off course to the side and not continuing in the direction we intended to go, with the result that we don't reach the goal we intended. We miss.
This concept also encompasses the idea of failing to measure up to a standard. For example, most academic courses and tests are graded or judged according to a minimum standard. If we don't meet that standard, we fail that test or course. A minimum level of performance is expected, and anything less than that standard is failure. By not meeting that standard, we "miss the mark" and don't pass. We can miss the mark by either missing the goal at which we were aiming or by falling short of that goal. In either situation we fail to reach the mark set for us.
The the group heard the following true illustration:
In Aachen, Germany, police were forced to break up a fight between a husband and wife when the husband, who was seeking an encounter with a prostitute, discovered his wife moonlighting—as a prostitute.
Police didn’t report who was more surprised or dismayed: the husband or the wife.
We discussed the following:
The husband was seeking to commit adultery. The wife was prostituting herself. Both were deeply involved in sin.
Which of them was guilty of committing the “greater” sin? Why do you think that?
Not all sin is as blatant as prostitution or adultery, but all sin, no matter how small, is destructive to our relationship with Christ.
How many of you in here sin? When you think of the sins you tend to commit regularly, is it hard to think of these as destructive? Why or why not? What are some sins that we as a society commit that we tend to be ok with and justify, and how do we justify them?
We discussed that it is easier to point out the specks in other people's eyes rather than notice the plank in our own. That as a society we seem to condone things like war, abundance of wealth without giving to God, etc.
We then discussed if there are always victims with sin.
We then passed out the following verses on sin, although there are plenty more verses about Sin in the Bible, as well as rules/laws/commandments/examples that God has given us to live by. The verses are at the end.
Sin is essentially falling short of what God wants us to do. We sin by doing things that don’t please God, and we sin by not doing things that God wants us to do. Let’s see what the Bible says about this: ( Deuteronomy 25:16; Ephesians 2:1-3; James 1:14-15; 4:17; 1 John 3:4; 5:17 ).
All people in every age have sinned. Because of the sin nature introduced by Adam and Eve, without God’s help no human is able to refrain from sinning. Let’s see what the Bible says about this (See Genesis 3:1-13; 1 Kings 8:46; Job 14:4; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10-12, 23; 5:12; 1 John 1:8 .)
Sin causes both physical and spiritual death. God’s standard is perfection, and with one single sin we’ve lost all possibility of being perfect. Therefore, we’re cut off from God and destined for spiritual and physical destruction. Let’s see what the Bible says about this (See Genesis 2:17; Isaiah 57:20-21; 59:2; Matthew 5:48; Romans 6:23; Galatians 6:7-8 .)
This was shared from the above of what I found on some definitions of sin:
Both of the concepts that we mentioned earlier, transgressing and missing the mark, involve a basic requirement. If we transgress, which means to cross over a set boundary or limit, then we must have a boundary or limit to cross over. If we miss the mark, we must have a mark, target or standard to miss. Sin, then, is to transgress those boundaries that God has set for us or to miss the target He set for us.
This is where the biblical definitions of sin become important, because these scriptures define the boundaries and standards God set for us. They define the playing field on which we are to live our lives. They also define the goal we are to aim for, the minimum standard we are expected to meet. In other words, the biblical definitions of sin show us the standards God has given us that define what is acceptable to Him and what isn't acceptable. They show us what measures up and what falls short of those standards, the fundamental principles God has given us to live by.
The definitions of sin in the Bible are not simply arbitrary dos and don'ts. Instead, they show us the way God lives. They show the spiritual principles by which He lives, the same standard of conduct He expects His human creations to live by.
So this hasn’t been the most uplifting discussion, and study, but it is important that we address sin and missing the mark. That mark being a life of following Christ. As Mike said in the clip, we are cursed by sin, and we are going to lose. We just can’t win. Sin is something hanging over us always. And as Coach Gaines said: Our only curses are the ones that are self imposed and that we dig our own holes. It is all of our fault for falling into temptation with our decisions in using our free will.
Let’s think about all of that for this week, but know that next week we are going to talk about the Grace that Christ has given us, and the remedy that it is over this curse of sin. Close in prayer then pass out the little target reminders to each of them as a way to remember what we talked about.
Deuteronomy 25:16- But the LORD is disgusted with anyone who cheats or is dishonest.
Ephesians 2:1-3- 1In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. 2You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God. 3Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.
James 1:14-15- We are tempted by our own desires that drag us off and trap us. 15Our desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead.
James 4:17- If you don't do what you know is right, you have sinned.
1 John 3:4- Everyone who sins breaks God's law, because sin is the same as breaking God's law.
Genesis 3:1-13- The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal GOD had made. He spoke to the Woman: "Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?" 2-3 The Woman said to the serpent, "Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.'" 4-5 The serpent told the Woman, "You won't die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil." 6 When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate. 7 Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves. 8 When they heard the sound of GOD strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from GOD. 9 GOD called to the Man: "Where are you?" 10 He said, "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid." 11 GOD said, "Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?" 12 The Man said, "The Woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it." GOD said to the Woman, "What is this that you've done?" 13 "The serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate."
1 Kings 8:46- (talking about enemies) When they sin against you—and they certainly will; there's no one without sin!
Job 14:4- There's no way a human can be completely pure.
Ecclesiastes 7:20- There's not one totally good person on earth, not one who is truly pure and sinless.
Isaiah 53:6- We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him. (prophesying the Messiah, who is the ‘Him’)
Romans 3:10-12- Basically, all of us, whether insiders or outsiders, start out in identical conditions, which is to say that we all start out as sinners. Scripture leaves no doubt about it: There's nobody living right, not even one, nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God. They've all taken the wrong turn; they've all wandered down blind alleys. No one's living right; I can't find a single one.
Romans 3:23- All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.
Romans 5:12- You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we're in— first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death.
1 John 1:8- If we say that we have not sinned, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth isn't in our hearts.
Genesis 2:17- GOD commanded the Man, "You can eat from any tree in the garden, except from the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. Don't eat from it. The moment you eat from that tree, you're dead."
Isaiah 57:20-21- The wicked are a restless sea tossing up mud. But I, the LORD, have promised that none who are evil will live in peace.
Isaiah 59:2- There's nothing wrong with God; the wrong is in you. Your wrongheaded lives caused the split between you and God. Your sins got between you so that he doesn't hear.
Matthew 5:48- Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Romans 6:23- Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death.
Galatians 6:7-8- Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
We opened with the scene at 1:02 where Mike and Coach Gaines are in the car together after the game and Mike talks about feeling cursed, no matter how good or bad he is. Coach Gaines talks about how people dig their own holes in life.
So what are your thoughts on that scene between Mike and Coach Gaines? Do any of you feel that way? That you are surrounded by the things that Mike mentioned? How is that like Sin?
First off, what is sin?
A definition of sin that I found:
The Hebrew and Greek words translated "sin" throughout the Bible revolve largely around two major concepts. The first is that of transgression. To transgress means "to step across" or "to go beyond a set boundary or limit." This concept can be compared to an athletic playing field with lines delineating the boundaries within which the game is played. When a player crosses over those boundary lines, he has committed a "transgression" and gone out of bounds. Limits are set that define the playing area, and the players are to stay within the limits of that area.
Most of the other words translated "sin" in the Bible involve a second concept, "to miss the mark." Again, to use a sports analogy, if a player aims for the goal and misses, how many points does he get? None. He missed the goal, missed the mark at which he was aiming.
This view of sin includes the concept of our going in one direction but straying off course to the side and not continuing in the direction we intended to go, with the result that we don't reach the goal we intended. We miss.
This concept also encompasses the idea of failing to measure up to a standard. For example, most academic courses and tests are graded or judged according to a minimum standard. If we don't meet that standard, we fail that test or course. A minimum level of performance is expected, and anything less than that standard is failure. By not meeting that standard, we "miss the mark" and don't pass. We can miss the mark by either missing the goal at which we were aiming or by falling short of that goal. In either situation we fail to reach the mark set for us.
The the group heard the following true illustration:
In Aachen, Germany, police were forced to break up a fight between a husband and wife when the husband, who was seeking an encounter with a prostitute, discovered his wife moonlighting—as a prostitute.
Police didn’t report who was more surprised or dismayed: the husband or the wife.
We discussed the following:
The husband was seeking to commit adultery. The wife was prostituting herself. Both were deeply involved in sin.
Which of them was guilty of committing the “greater” sin? Why do you think that?
Not all sin is as blatant as prostitution or adultery, but all sin, no matter how small, is destructive to our relationship with Christ.
How many of you in here sin? When you think of the sins you tend to commit regularly, is it hard to think of these as destructive? Why or why not? What are some sins that we as a society commit that we tend to be ok with and justify, and how do we justify them?
We discussed that it is easier to point out the specks in other people's eyes rather than notice the plank in our own. That as a society we seem to condone things like war, abundance of wealth without giving to God, etc.
We then discussed if there are always victims with sin.
We then passed out the following verses on sin, although there are plenty more verses about Sin in the Bible, as well as rules/laws/commandments/examples that God has given us to live by. The verses are at the end.
Sin is essentially falling short of what God wants us to do. We sin by doing things that don’t please God, and we sin by not doing things that God wants us to do. Let’s see what the Bible says about this: ( Deuteronomy 25:16; Ephesians 2:1-3; James 1:14-15; 4:17; 1 John 3:4; 5:17 ).
All people in every age have sinned. Because of the sin nature introduced by Adam and Eve, without God’s help no human is able to refrain from sinning. Let’s see what the Bible says about this (See Genesis 3:1-13; 1 Kings 8:46; Job 14:4; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10-12, 23; 5:12; 1 John 1:8 .)
Sin causes both physical and spiritual death. God’s standard is perfection, and with one single sin we’ve lost all possibility of being perfect. Therefore, we’re cut off from God and destined for spiritual and physical destruction. Let’s see what the Bible says about this (See Genesis 2:17; Isaiah 57:20-21; 59:2; Matthew 5:48; Romans 6:23; Galatians 6:7-8 .)
This was shared from the above of what I found on some definitions of sin:
Both of the concepts that we mentioned earlier, transgressing and missing the mark, involve a basic requirement. If we transgress, which means to cross over a set boundary or limit, then we must have a boundary or limit to cross over. If we miss the mark, we must have a mark, target or standard to miss. Sin, then, is to transgress those boundaries that God has set for us or to miss the target He set for us.
This is where the biblical definitions of sin become important, because these scriptures define the boundaries and standards God set for us. They define the playing field on which we are to live our lives. They also define the goal we are to aim for, the minimum standard we are expected to meet. In other words, the biblical definitions of sin show us the standards God has given us that define what is acceptable to Him and what isn't acceptable. They show us what measures up and what falls short of those standards, the fundamental principles God has given us to live by.
The definitions of sin in the Bible are not simply arbitrary dos and don'ts. Instead, they show us the way God lives. They show the spiritual principles by which He lives, the same standard of conduct He expects His human creations to live by.
So this hasn’t been the most uplifting discussion, and study, but it is important that we address sin and missing the mark. That mark being a life of following Christ. As Mike said in the clip, we are cursed by sin, and we are going to lose. We just can’t win. Sin is something hanging over us always. And as Coach Gaines said: Our only curses are the ones that are self imposed and that we dig our own holes. It is all of our fault for falling into temptation with our decisions in using our free will.
Let’s think about all of that for this week, but know that next week we are going to talk about the Grace that Christ has given us, and the remedy that it is over this curse of sin. Close in prayer then pass out the little target reminders to each of them as a way to remember what we talked about.
Deuteronomy 25:16- But the LORD is disgusted with anyone who cheats or is dishonest.
Ephesians 2:1-3- 1In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. 2You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God. 3Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.
James 1:14-15- We are tempted by our own desires that drag us off and trap us. 15Our desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead.
James 4:17- If you don't do what you know is right, you have sinned.
1 John 3:4- Everyone who sins breaks God's law, because sin is the same as breaking God's law.
Genesis 3:1-13- The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal GOD had made. He spoke to the Woman: "Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?" 2-3 The Woman said to the serpent, "Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.'" 4-5 The serpent told the Woman, "You won't die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil." 6 When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate. 7 Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves. 8 When they heard the sound of GOD strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from GOD. 9 GOD called to the Man: "Where are you?" 10 He said, "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid." 11 GOD said, "Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?" 12 The Man said, "The Woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it." GOD said to the Woman, "What is this that you've done?" 13 "The serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate."
1 Kings 8:46- (talking about enemies) When they sin against you—and they certainly will; there's no one without sin!
Job 14:4- There's no way a human can be completely pure.
Ecclesiastes 7:20- There's not one totally good person on earth, not one who is truly pure and sinless.
Isaiah 53:6- We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him. (prophesying the Messiah, who is the ‘Him’)
Romans 3:10-12- Basically, all of us, whether insiders or outsiders, start out in identical conditions, which is to say that we all start out as sinners. Scripture leaves no doubt about it: There's nobody living right, not even one, nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God. They've all taken the wrong turn; they've all wandered down blind alleys. No one's living right; I can't find a single one.
Romans 3:23- All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.
Romans 5:12- You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we're in— first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death.
1 John 1:8- If we say that we have not sinned, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth isn't in our hearts.
Genesis 2:17- GOD commanded the Man, "You can eat from any tree in the garden, except from the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. Don't eat from it. The moment you eat from that tree, you're dead."
Isaiah 57:20-21- The wicked are a restless sea tossing up mud. But I, the LORD, have promised that none who are evil will live in peace.
Isaiah 59:2- There's nothing wrong with God; the wrong is in you. Your wrongheaded lives caused the split between you and God. Your sins got between you so that he doesn't hear.
Matthew 5:48- Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Romans 6:23- Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death.
Galatians 6:7-8- Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
Friday Night Lights Bible Study on Reputation 9-21-08
For Friday Night Lights. Reputation
Read the following true illustration to your students: An Irish judge has made it official:
Redheads do have quick tempers.
When a redheaded man appeared in Carrick-on-Shannon District Court as a defendant in several public order offenses, Judge Mary Fahy declared him guilty, fined him 225 Irish pounds (about $250 U.S.)—and said she believed his red hair was an indication of his hot temper.
Does this make sense to you? Do you feel this is an accurate perception?
What are the reputations of the following characters in the movie? Boobie Miles-perhaps a jock, natural ability that doesn’t work and doesn’t go to class? Coach Gaines perhaps a man who works hard and tries to do what is right and who cares for and wants the best for his players? Mike Winchell (the QB) perhaps hard working, devoted to his mom, under a lot of pressure due to single mom and some of her unknown issues? Ivory Christian (Defensive player aka Preacher Man. Quiet, silent leader, respected, doesn’t take crap)? Blonde girl at the party with Mike (perhaps promiscuous, popular, pushy)? Don Billingsley (the one that is Tim McGraw’s son-perhaps a partier, promiscuous, acts out due to his father).
Are there any people like this at your school and how would you react/treat them:
How are reputations made?
How does a person's reputation affect how you treat him or her? Why do you think that is?
• Read aloud Proverbs 22:1 “A good reputation and respect are worth much more than silver and gold.” And 1 Tim 3:7 Finally, they must be well-respected by people who are not followers. Then they won't be trapped and disgraced by the devil.
Do you agree with these verses? Why or why not?
• Is it easier to build a good or bad reputation? Explain. Is this fair? Why or why not?
What makes a reputation so precious? How long does it take to gain a reputation? to lose it? to restore it?
• What 's the general reputation of Christians in society today? How does that reputation affect the public perception of Jesus? (Going back to how you would have treated the movie characters if you went to the same school, perhaps that is why Christians are looked at in a certain way as far as our treatment of others.)
• Next, the group wrote down on cards or paper the answers to these questions. 1. How would you describe your own reputation?
2. Do you think your reputation reflects who you really are?
3. If you could choose your reputation, what would it be?
4. If someone in your English class were asked about your reputation, what would they say?
5. Is there a discrepancy between your two answers? If so, why?
The answers were then shared with the group.
* How does your reputation reflect upon God? Why do people project onto God the reputations of his followers? Is this fair? Why or why not?
* Read aloud Acts 5:12-16. “12The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. All of the Lord's followers often met in the part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch. [a] 13No one outside their group dared join them, even though everyone liked them very much. 14Many men and women started having faith in the Lord. 15Then sick people were brought out to the road and placed on cots and mats. It was hoped that Peter would walk by, and his shadow would fall on them and heal them. 16A lot of people living in the towns near Jerusalem brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits, and they were all healed.”
What does this say? Sum it up in your own words. How did the disciples gain such a great reputation? Are we able to do something similar today? Why or why not?
* What responsibility do we have in protecting God's reputation?
* If God cared about his reputation, why would God allow us to affect it? What does this tell you about God?
** What one thing could we do as a ministry to increase our reputation? How would doing this thing bring glory to God?
• Can a person have a good reputation and still have fun? Why or why not/how so? Do they know anyone that does?
• Read aloud Ecclesiastes 7:1. 1 A good reputation is better than a fat bank account. Your death date tells more than your birth date.” Why would the writer consider a "good reputation" better than a lot of money? Do you agree? Explain.
• Should we care about what other people see us doing? Why or why not? Who are some people you believe have good reputations? What did they do to gain their reputation?
• What do you believe to be your own reputation? How can you make your own reputation stronger? What can you do to protect it from damage?
How does this apply to your life/what can you take away from this as a teenager? As a guy/girl? As a Christian?
The group closed in Prayer.
Read the following true illustration to your students: An Irish judge has made it official:
Redheads do have quick tempers.
When a redheaded man appeared in Carrick-on-Shannon District Court as a defendant in several public order offenses, Judge Mary Fahy declared him guilty, fined him 225 Irish pounds (about $250 U.S.)—and said she believed his red hair was an indication of his hot temper.
Does this make sense to you? Do you feel this is an accurate perception?
What are the reputations of the following characters in the movie? Boobie Miles-perhaps a jock, natural ability that doesn’t work and doesn’t go to class? Coach Gaines perhaps a man who works hard and tries to do what is right and who cares for and wants the best for his players? Mike Winchell (the QB) perhaps hard working, devoted to his mom, under a lot of pressure due to single mom and some of her unknown issues? Ivory Christian (Defensive player aka Preacher Man. Quiet, silent leader, respected, doesn’t take crap)? Blonde girl at the party with Mike (perhaps promiscuous, popular, pushy)? Don Billingsley (the one that is Tim McGraw’s son-perhaps a partier, promiscuous, acts out due to his father).
Are there any people like this at your school and how would you react/treat them:
How are reputations made?
How does a person's reputation affect how you treat him or her? Why do you think that is?
• Read aloud Proverbs 22:1 “A good reputation and respect are worth much more than silver and gold.” And 1 Tim 3:7 Finally, they must be well-respected by people who are not followers. Then they won't be trapped and disgraced by the devil.
Do you agree with these verses? Why or why not?
• Is it easier to build a good or bad reputation? Explain. Is this fair? Why or why not?
What makes a reputation so precious? How long does it take to gain a reputation? to lose it? to restore it?
• What 's the general reputation of Christians in society today? How does that reputation affect the public perception of Jesus? (Going back to how you would have treated the movie characters if you went to the same school, perhaps that is why Christians are looked at in a certain way as far as our treatment of others.)
• Next, the group wrote down on cards or paper the answers to these questions. 1. How would you describe your own reputation?
2. Do you think your reputation reflects who you really are?
3. If you could choose your reputation, what would it be?
4. If someone in your English class were asked about your reputation, what would they say?
5. Is there a discrepancy between your two answers? If so, why?
The answers were then shared with the group.
* How does your reputation reflect upon God? Why do people project onto God the reputations of his followers? Is this fair? Why or why not?
* Read aloud Acts 5:12-16. “12The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. All of the Lord's followers often met in the part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch. [a] 13No one outside their group dared join them, even though everyone liked them very much. 14Many men and women started having faith in the Lord. 15Then sick people were brought out to the road and placed on cots and mats. It was hoped that Peter would walk by, and his shadow would fall on them and heal them. 16A lot of people living in the towns near Jerusalem brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits, and they were all healed.”
What does this say? Sum it up in your own words. How did the disciples gain such a great reputation? Are we able to do something similar today? Why or why not?
* What responsibility do we have in protecting God's reputation?
* If God cared about his reputation, why would God allow us to affect it? What does this tell you about God?
** What one thing could we do as a ministry to increase our reputation? How would doing this thing bring glory to God?
• Can a person have a good reputation and still have fun? Why or why not/how so? Do they know anyone that does?
• Read aloud Ecclesiastes 7:1. 1 A good reputation is better than a fat bank account. Your death date tells more than your birth date.” Why would the writer consider a "good reputation" better than a lot of money? Do you agree? Explain.
• Should we care about what other people see us doing? Why or why not? Who are some people you believe have good reputations? What did they do to gain their reputation?
• What do you believe to be your own reputation? How can you make your own reputation stronger? What can you do to protect it from damage?
How does this apply to your life/what can you take away from this as a teenager? As a guy/girl? As a Christian?
The group closed in Prayer.
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