Pastor Jeff began our Sunday sermon by asking ‘What don’t you know?’ With all honesty, even if done playfully, take a few minutes to list what you do not know about people, nature, the pandemic, the past and/or the future? What does God know (vs. 4)?
How are we not to treat others with our words, written or spoken, in vs. 10-11? In what ways have you seen people use their words to treat others poorly? Consider recent challenging discussions you have seen or been a part of.
What sins do you see in verses 12-13 related to how we think about ourselves and others? How does pride lead to these sins?
Luke 6:31 says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Considering the political and societal challenges of today, how would you like to be treated in conversations with people that believe differently than you? Consider both in-person and social media contexts.
Pastor Jeff pointed us to https://goldenrule2020.org/ a place to go to learn how to behave in challenging conversations. They invite the following five practices: (1) Always show respect for the other person (2) Listen patiently and with curiosity to understand another’s point of view—especially when there is disagreement (3) Use precise and truthful language that communicates my views without exaggerating (4) Look for areas of mutual agreement (5) Encourage others including our political leaders to be civil. Choose one of these and elaborate on why this practice would be important for God-honoring conversation and give an example from real life. Commit to this practice and explore the website more fully.
Jeff Mattesich