Love Out Loud - Week 6

LOVE OUT LOUD
Week 6 -- Love Lasts

Main Idea
The Christian life is about BEING, not just DOING.

• Make a list of every rule you've ever heard about how Christians are supposed to follow. Use the following categories if you need help thinking of things: school, sex, parents, money, church, obedience to authority, what we say, what we wear, what we watch. (Leader: You might want to bring something to write all these down on so everyone can see.)

• Some of the things on this list may be good things. Some may be ridiculous. But let's just focus on the good ones.

• How many of you have broken at least one of these?

• At least three?

• At least five?

• Is how "good a Christian" we are determined by how well we follow this list?

• Why or why not?

Read Exodus 20:4-17
4"You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

7"You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

8"Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

12"Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

13"You must not murder.

14"You must not commit adultery.

15"You must not steal.

16"You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

17"You must not covet your neighbor's house. You must not covet your neighbor's wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor."

• How many of you have broken at least one of these?

• What do you think is the hardest of these commandments to keep?

• In the few thousand years these commandments have existed, how many people do you think have done every, single one of them perfectly their entire life?

• Why did God give these commandments in the first place?

• Is it kind of cruel for Him to give us commandments we're not capable of keeping?

Read Romans 5:20
God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant.

• According to the first half of this verse, why did God give "the law" (of which the 10 commandments are a part)?

• This verse makes God sound kind of mean, wanting us to always know how messed up we are. Why do you think God does that? (If students don't pick up on it, have them read the second half of Romans 5:20.)

• The end of verse says that as we sin, God's "wonderful grace" becomes "more abundant."

• What does grace mean? (After students have given their best answers, tell them that grace is being given things we don't deserve.)

• What have we been given by God that we don't deserve?

• What does it mean that what God has given us is "more abundant?" (It means that God's gift of Jesus is more than enough to cover everything we've ever done.)

• What do you think it means when Doug says that "the Christian life is about BEING not DOING"?

• Think about Doug's example of a husband and his wife:

• Can a husband or wife "perform the right tasks" but still not be a good husband? How so?

• Can we as Christians "perform all the right tasks" but still not be the kind of Christ-follower God desires? How so?

• Are there some areas in your life where you're more about "doing" than "being"?

• How do you think we conquer sin in our life: by "trying real hard" (doing) or by learning to live more in community with Jesus, and asking him to change us (being)?

• Are there areas in your life where you're trying to change on your own power (doing) instead of letting Jesus change you?

• What's one thing you can do tomorrow to focus more on "being" instead of just "doing"?

• What does this whole discussion have to do with "living out loud?"

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