Jail sermon discussion guide aug 23 2020
Read. Romans 3:20-26
Get to know each other while getting to know the text.
Can you list 4 things that are on the courthouse lawn?
Have you ever been really embarrassed in front of a bunch of people?
Do you think chaining people to a tree in front of the courthouse would be a deterrent of crime?
What do you think of innocent until proven guilty?
How has social media made it harder for people to change for the better?
Do you know anyone who has been to prison? How has it changed or reinforced your view of prisoners?
Why does the US have so many people in prison? 25% of all the people in the world in prison are in the US. Are Americans just more criminal?
Has putting more people in prison made our country better?
Have you ever escaped from something?
Digging into the text.
How does thinking yourself better than others fly in the face of Romans 3:23?
Why did the Jews think they were better than everyone else?
In which kind of culture did you grow up? Guilt - Honor/shame - Fear.
Most Western culture has been guilt - Is what I am doing right?
Our culture seems to be shifting - “Is if do this, what will people think?”
Is this a good or bad shift? Can you see evidence of this?
Was following the law ever the way people were justified or might right?
How did removing “observing the law” undermine the culture's control on people?
How does legalism make people feel superior to others? Why is that a wrong pathway to pursue God?
What is the “righteousness from God, apart from law”? Read 3:22
Why is it hard for people to give up on self-salvation?
What is the difference between Justified, Redeemed and Atoned? 3:24-25
Why is justice delayed? Why does God not just strike people down for doing bad things as they do them?
Applying the text.
Why can’t laws solve our problems?
Why can’t there be two ways to God? Why is grace the only way?
In what ways can the two pathways look the same (self-salvation or grace)? How are they different?
How is asking Jesus to be Lord of our life a moment of giving up on self?
Have you made progress in your life? Are there things that you used to do, but now you would be embarrassed if people found out that you did them? How has God slow justice benefited you?