Love, Joy, Peace...
Some questions before you begin: 
-What do you remember from the last study? 
-What has been the biggest change in your life? 
-What is the most challenging part of being a disciple? Do you have any questions from our studies or your own reading?  

Purpose  
-To understand how sin affects our lives and our salvation. To be  open about sin and start on the road to repentance. 

Luke 7:36-50 
-What would you say was the difference in how Simon and this  woman interacted with Jesus? 
-What point was Jesus making in telling Simon the debt story?  
-Jesus said, “he who has been forgiven little, loves little.” How does  our understanding of sin affect our appreciation for God’s grace? 

Romans 3:23, 6:23  
-What do you think it means to “sin”?  
-Is anyone without sin? What consequences does a life of sin lead  to in these passages?  

Isaiah 59:1-2  
-What does this passage tell us about the affect of sin? When we  talk about salvation, what is it that we need saved from?  
-Imagine that your sin is a wall. When you sin you build up a wall of  separation from God. The moment our sin is removed we are  instantly and completely united with God (saved!).  
-Has your sin been removed or is there a wall between you and  
-God? Where do you currently stand? Do you know what the Bible  says about how sin is removed and we are saved?  

Mark 7:20-23  
-Where does sin come from? Whose fault is it when we sin? 
-There are many lists of sins like this in the scriptures. Let’s look at  a more complete list and talk about how each sin causes us to fall  short and build a wall between God and ourselves: 

Galatians 5:19-21 (2 Timothy 3:1-5) 
-God has given us a conscience so that we don’t need a PhD to  know when we’re sinning.  
-Look up the definitions of any sin you don’t know. 

James 4:17 
-How does this differ from the other lists? 

Ephesians 5:2-13 
-Is even a “hint” of sin OK? 
-What “empty words” would people try to deceive you with? What does this passage say we should do with sin?  
-On another sheet of paper, write a list of the sin that you have  been involved in. Next time you meet up with your study partner  you will have a chance to talk openly and “expose” the darkness  so we can be “children of the light.” 

Key Questions:  
-How does looking at the big picture of your sinfulness make you  feel?
-“Those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”  Are you ready to leave sin behind and live a righteous life?  
-The next study will look at God’s answer to sin and the  response we should have. Spend special time praying to God  about your life up to this point.