Group Guide

March 8th, 2026

This Week's City 7:

3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)

Ice-Breaker:

What is your favorite thing to complain about?

Scripture

Jude 1
16 These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.
A Call to Remain Faithful
17 But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. 18 They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. 19 These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

Discussion Questions:

In verses 16-19, Jude is giving us more distinctions between the GODLY and the UNGODLY. In verse 16, the ungodly are complainers, braggers and flatterers. They grumble. They're always offended by something. Always criticizing. They are a perpetual victim and never take responsibility for anything. There is a difference between lamenting to God (crying out to Him in our pain) and criticizing or blaming God. Where is the line between lamenting and complaining? Can you cry out to God without criticizing or blaming Him? Where is the balance?
In verse 17, Jude tells us that we need to remember Jesus' and the apostles' predictions about the last days. This means we as believers should know what Scripture says is coming and be looking forward and expecting His return. We should be ANTICIPATING Jesus coming back. How often do you think the day He returns? When you think of it, what emotions come up? Anticipation? Excitement? Longing? Or is it dread?
In the last days there will be scoffers and people that chase their ungodly desires. The ungodly will always mock us and reject us. They will hate us just like they hated Jesus. One of the reasons they'll reject us is if we refuse to be like them and just do whatever feels good. Pursing our own passions and living only to satisfy ourselves is ALWAYS a bad thing. We as believers have only two options... we are going to live according to our flesh (our lusts and passions) or according to the Spirit. Which is true of your life most of the time? What do your actions, habits and words prove is true of you?
The UNGODLY boasts in HIMSELF, while the GODLY boast in HIM. Because Jesus died for us, we must no longer live for ourselves, but for Him. We all exist for ONE purpose; to give Him glory and make His name (not ours) known. How can we up our game in this area? What are some practical ways we can bring God more glory with our lives?
The ungodly COMPLAIN because the cross ISN'T enough. But the godly are the opposite; they are CONTENT because the cross IS enough. We must realize, like Paul said in Ephesians 1, that we are already blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing. Even if we feel like things can't get any worse, we must remember we have been rescued, redeemed and forgiven, and we have been given the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and a church family. We can live our lives looking FORWARD to the promise of a fully restored and eternal life in a new body, in a new city, on a new earth. Are you going though a difficulty that threatens to obscure all of this truth? How can we praise Him and be thankful regardless of our circumstances?

Prayer Topics:

That we would seek to live godly lives.
That we would embrace being ostracized for our faith.
That we would live according to the Spirit.

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