Group Guide
Ice-Breaker
Do you have any friends/family that are a Judgy McJudgerson? If they are in the room go ahead and point them out :)
This Week's City 7
5. Why do I follow Jesus? I follow Jesus because Jesus rose from the dead proving that He is the way, the truth and the life.
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
Study Questions
Have someone read Luke 6:37-42 aloud.
- One thing you hear constantly in our culture is, "Don't judge me!" It's considered a mortal sin. It's ALWAYS wrong to judge people, right? Jesus would say, "Not so fast, my friend." First of all, in verse one, the greek word used for "judge" means sharp and unjust criticism, to discriminate against, to look down upon. It's the word that gives us the word "critic". This is talking about the absolute determination of someone's fate before God. So Jesus is saying it's GOD's job, not ours, to determine the fate of someone's soul. But he does tell us the CORRECT way to judge those who are inside the church. This is not a judgement of condemnation, but a judgement of discernment. The first point on Sunday was, "Don’t judge HYPOCRITICALLY". We shouldn't confront our brother about the speck in our eye when we have a log in our own eye. This is the approach we should have. We should take care of our own dirt first. We tend to accuse others and excuse ourselves. Do you feel like you are self-aware when it comes to your own sin and shortcomings? Do you make repentance a daily habit?
- Secondly, Jesus would say, "Don’t judge SUPERFICIALLY." The plank in your eye, your own arrogance and self-righteousness, is hindering your discernment. So we shouldn't judge by appearance, but we should make a righteous judgment. We should be like God, who looks past the outer show and looks at our hearts. We should assume the best about someone's heart and intentions. We can tend to only look at someone's actions and then make a snap judgement or have an emotional reaction that can lead us to approach them in the wrong way and with the wrong heart. Assuming the best about someone's heart will completely change the way you approach them in a conversation. Is there someone in your life that you might be misjudging based on their behaviors? Have you written someone off because you didn't assume the best about their heart or intentions?
- Next, "Don’t judge HARSHLY." Forgive and you will be forgiven, give and you will receive. Jesus is talking about having a gracious and generous spirit. If we have dealt with our own plank, then we will have the right heart to approach our brother about their speck. It brings us the humility needed to deal with things. When we assume the best about people, we will talk to them in a kind and compassionate way. Jesus was the perfect example of this principle, as he was FULL of both GRACE and TRUTH. Sometime we come way too heavy with truth and it can do damage to the relationship. Is this something you struggle with? Is there a relationship that you have damaged by coming in too hot with truth? Do you need to make any apologies? How do we make sure we go into these conversations with the right spirit in the future?
- Finally, Clayton's last point was, "Don’t judge outside the FAMILY." Luke uses the word "friend." Matthew uses the word "brother." Jesus is talking about a fellow disciple, someone who is also in the family of God. This is where we miss it BIG time. The church has been bad about lobbing truth grenades over the walls of the church as they huddle inside, doing damage to our message and to those that need to hear it. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul says it's not our business to judge those outside the church, but we should judge those inside. So we shouldn't hold non-christians to Christian standards, and we should expect other followers of Jesus to confront us about our sin. "Only God can judge me!" NOT true if you're a follower of Jesus. A family lovingly holds each other accountable. Have you been guilty of holding non-christians in your life to Christian standards and as a result you have judged them unfairly? Do you feel like you are truly open to both giving and receiving judgement inside your church family? Do you have relationships like this in your life? Do you feel like we can safely do these things in this group?
- The big idea from Sunday was, "If your heart isn’t broken over YOUR sin, don’t approach people about THEIR’S." Jesus isn't saying don't judge at all. He's saying pay attention to your heart and how you are relating to other people. Think about your life and take an inventory. A few questions for you to consider: Is there some sin in your life that you haven't dealt with? Do you need more accountability? Should you find someone you love and trust and ask them for help in an area of your life where you're struggling? Have you had the wrong attitude with both Christians and non-Christians in your life? Are there some relationships that you need to revisit and seek restoration? Is there another Christian in your life that you haven't been willing to confront about their sin because you thought it wasn't your place?
Prayer Topics
- That we would always be willing to deal with our own sin.
- That we would make sure we stay in a community of believers where we can keep each other accountable.
- That we would look past the outer show and believe the best about someone's heart.
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