Group Guide
This Week's City 7:
7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
Ice-Breaker:
Why do you think that most of our greatest regrets from the past are sexual sins and mistakes? Why is your sexual history the hardest thing to talk about with a person you love?
Discussion Questions:
- The first thing Clayton wanted us to see on Sunday is that God is for SEX! He created it! It was part of his design. Now let's go a bit further, shall we? God wants you to have TONS of great sex with your spouse. YES and AMEN! How does this differ, if at all, from the way you were raised to think about sex? Is it difficult for you to wrap your mind around the fact that God created sex to be enjoyed and wants you to do it as much as possible once you're married?
- Not only is God for sex, but God is for YOU! Like any parent, God wants to keep us from being hurt. He wants us to experience his best. Sex done God's way is the best way! This is why we save sex for marriage... because sex isn't just physical, it involves joining your soul to someone else's. "Two are united into ONE." So it stands to reason that sexual sin cuts deeper than others. It leaves a more noticeable scar. It creates a lot of pain and it can ultimately rob you of future intimacy. This is why Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 6 to RUN from sexual sin. Jesus said to get extreme... cut off your hand or gouge your eye out if it causes you to sin. This is how serious of a problem sexual sin can become. How have you seen this play out in your life or in someone else's that you have seen walk through healing from sexual sin? Are there any ways you have been extreme in your commitment to run from sexual sin?
- Sexual sin can lead to shame in our lives and cause us to want to hide. We hide our sin and keep secrets. We hide from our spouse. We even try to hide from God! The problem is, as long as you hide in shame you stay the same. What can be the dangers of hiding in shame of your sin? How can it affect your relationship with your spouse? With God?
- True intimacy, which we all crave in our relationships, is being fully known (the good, bad and ugly) and still being fully loved. It means nothing is between you. No unspoken things. No secrets. Because secrecy is the enemy of intimacy. So, Clayton led us to promise to CONFIDE and not HIDE. But it can be difficult to confess things to someone else that have the potential to bring with it so much hurt. We don't share because we fear the response of the other person. One way to encourage honesty in a relationship is for both parties to come to the table with a full dose of mercy. The promise of MERCY is the antidote for SECRECY. How difficult can it be to promise to give someone mercy that has sinned against you sexually?
- Vow of PURITY is this: I promise to give myself EXCLUSIVELY to my TWO. If you're single, it's this: Purity NOW paves the way to intimacy LATER. The essence of intimacy is exclusivity. Sexual sin, as we've discussed, can bring with it so much shame and hurt. Take some extra time to pray for each other, that our marriages would stay full of God-honoring passion. Pray that singles would be committed to purity until they find their TWO. Pray that God would heal wounds, whether in the past or recent.
Prayer Topics:
- That we would remember God is for US and for SEX.
- That we would never hide in shame because of our sin.
- That God would give us supernatural mercy and grace when working through these issues.
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