Community Group Questions: April 21st-27th

April 21st, 2024
by Karissa Smith

Luke 6:37-49

Judging Others

37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit

43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Build Your House on the Rock

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Questions:

Doctrine - How we Think

What do you think about the question, “Who are you to judge me?” When is it usually used in our culture? What is it meant to do? Do you think it’s possible to go through this life without making any sort of moral evaluations?
If a good tree does not bear bad fruit (vs. 43), how do we make sense of believers (perhaps ourselves) that have seasons of disobedience/wandering from the faith? Does this mean that they had not been truly in the first place?

Worship - How we Feel

Jesus’ teaching on obedience isn’t that we obey in order to receive salvation. Rather, true salvation always produces obedience. What happens when we believe that our salvation is based on our works? What attitudes does this produce
Jesus warns that “floods will come” in our living of the Christian life. Suffering is inevitable. The floods of life expose the foundations of our faith. How has past
obedience to God’s will prepared you for the suffering of life? How has past
disobedience made present sufferings more difficult? Why is this so?

Application - What we Do

How can we keep ourselves open to correction/right judgment without growing bitter or angry? How can you grow in frequently judging your own life, down to the thought level, by God’s Word?