Sermon Discussion Questions
- Think of a time that you were mistreated, perhaps even manipulated. How did that make you feel? How did you respond and why? What do we see Nehemiah doing in the face of mistreatment? [Show in the passage.]
- Ryan talked about how our tendency in responding to mistreatment is often either sentimentalism on the one end or cynicism on the other. Why do we struggle with these tendencies? Which do you lean towards: sentimentalism or cynicism? Why do you think that might be? How do you see this coming out in your daily life-at home, at work, around town, or at church?
- Hopeful Realism. How do we see Nehemiah displaying this kind of response? [Show in passage.] What two things did Ryan say [the main points of the sermon] characterizes Hopeful Realism? How and why is this a better response than either sentimentalism or cynicism?
- How do we see the concept of Hopeful Realism in the Lord's Supper? Do you think of participating in communion as an act of love by God [grace truly exhibited] or simply as a time to remember Jesus' death and your sin? As a group, brainstorm ways that we can better prepare for and participate in the Lord's Supper in a way that reflects Hopeful Realism.
No comments:
Post a Comment