The Life Challenge

Personal and Small Group Guide
for the week of July 1st, 2007

the PASSAGE
Romans 1:8-15
the LIFE lab
Does your passion in life have anything to do with sharing God’s love with others?
If not, your challenge is pray about this. Ask God to give you His “heart” and that you will begin to see this world the way He sees it. Share with someone or your small group and have them pray for you as well.
Do you truly feel you understand ALL that God has done for you? Are you driven completely by your own goals or out of gratitude for His grace in your life?
If you struggle with perfection and trying to measure up, your challenge is to be honest before the Lord. Spend time with the Lord being completely honest about your shortcomings. Allow God’s grace to “be enough.” Share with a trusted friend or your small group areas where you struggle. Allow them to pray for you and minister God’s grace into your life. It is hard to share God’s love and grace until you have experienced it for yourself.
Do you hold prejudices that hinder your ability to share God’s love? Is there a person you have “written off?” Are there groups of people you don’t like to associate with?
If so, prayerfully take a step out of your comfort zone. Take time to set aside pre-conceived notions and seek to get to know someone who is “different” and frankly makes you a bit uncomfortable. Try to focus on what you have in common rather than on differences.

As you accept these challenges, keep track of what happens! You will be given opportunities to report.

Flip the SCRIPT ¯
The STUDY
Read the parable of the Good Samaritan as found in Luke 10:25-37 and then reflect on or discuss the following:

1. What was motivating the Samaritan man to act the way he did?

2. Why does Jesus use a Samaritan as the example in the story?

3. From reading the text, is it possible to “love God” and yet carry a dislike or bias against certain groups of people?

4. Again from the text, what do you think God values more, right beliefs or right actions, or both? Why do you think this?

5. At the end of the passage Jesus gives a command, “go and do likewise”. What does he mean? How can you keep this command?

The CONNECTION (Into Next Week)
1. Where does faith come from?

2. Do you ever feel like you have to do good things so that God can be happy with you? What is the problem with trying to earn God’s favor?

3. Would you say that your faith is evident to others by the way you live?

We encourage you to “blog-back” your responses at www.kevinrobertson.blogspot.com OR email to pastorkevin@marinachristian.org.