Group Guide

Love Like Jesus | Week 1

"Seek Justice"

Running short on time?

Feel free to just use these questions.

1. Read Micah 6:8 and Luke 10:25-37. Considering the Good Samaritan story and what it means to act justly, how has your view of this story been affected?
2. What did you hear in the weekend message that was either new to you or a good reminder? How did it connect with your current experience or what God is teaching you?

Group Reconnect

• Think of the worst joke you have ever heard and share it with the group. 
• Name a food (or combination of food) that you have eaten that might be considered strange to other people. 

Open in Prayer

Looking for an example of an Opening Prayer? Click here.

Message Recap

Today, Dave Dummit kicked off our new series, Love Like Jesus. Dave began by asking us how we might define justice and then shared a video from the Bible Project explaining biblical justice. 

He walked us through verse 8 in Micah 6, which says, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly love mercy and walk humbly with your God."

Dave drew three circles for each phrase: act justly, love mercy, (walk humbly) with God. Each circle overlapped with the others to create a Venn diagram. Through this illustration, Dave showed how we need all three components of this verse to love like Jesus. When we leave out one and have the other two, we have an incomplete picture of God's kingdom. 

• Love Mercy + Act Justly - Walk with God = Secular Humanism
  • By leaving out God, there isn't an eternal impact, and we are left with a significant problem: who defines what mercy and justice are?
• Act Justly + Walk with God - Love Mercy = Religious Activism
  • When we leave out mercy, we lean hard toward self-righteousness and an intensely critical spirit.
• Walk with God + Love Mercy - Act Justly = Moral Irrelevance
  • When we focus on walking with God and mercy and neglect acting justly, we forgo using our gifts, talents, and influence to bring about God's justice. 
• Love Mercy + Act Justly + Walk with God = God's Kingdom on Earth
  • When we endeavor to love mercy, act justly, and walk humbly with God, we love unconditionally and mercifully, and we pursue and advocate for real justice in the world – we love like Jesus.

Through the story of the Good Samaritan, Dave led us into a deeper understanding of what it means to live these three things. In our world today, there are many things that divide us. He encouraged us to seek out those that might be different than those that we typically surround ourselves with. In John 17, Jesus prayed that they would be one (praying for His followers) – our unity should stand out in stark contrast to the disunity in the world. Dave said, "We have to be good about disagreeing agreeably." 

He concluded by sharing how for followers of Jesus, our position is important, but our disposition is just as important when it comes to controversial and divisive topics. As such, we should:

1. Pray for others (Matthew 5:43-44)
2. Listen to each other (James 1:9)
3. Love like Jesus

Discussion Questions

1. Consider watching the Bible Project's video on biblical justice that Dave shared in the sermon as a group. Discuss your thoughts and reactions to watching the video.  
2. Read Micah 6:8 and Luke 10:25-37. Considering the Good Samaritan story and what it means to act justly, how has your view of this story been affected?
3. What did you hear in the weekend message that was either new to you or a good reminder? How did it connect with your current experience or what God is teaching you?
4. What thoughts came to mind when Dave shared the misses that occur when we emphasize only two of the three parts of Micah 6:8 (secular humanism, religious activism, moral irrelevance)?
5. Discuss as a group what you think acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God might look like in your day-to-day life. 

Live It Out

• This week, consider who your "enemy" might be and begin to pray for them. And pray as Dave encouraged us, not for them to change, but rather for our hearts to change and for us to love well. 
• Reflect on who your neighbor is and how you could love them well this week. 

Close in Prayer

Looking for an example of a Closing Prayer? Click here.

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