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.