What you will need: A Bible or your Bible app, a notebook, pen, and highlighter. The verses highlighted below are linked so that you can easily access them during your study time.
Jump Start
1. What was the kindest thing someone ever did for you? Think outside your family to someone like a teacher, coach, or neighbor?
2. Read Colossians 3:12 and Romans 13:14. Why does God use the analogy of clothing or dressing ourselves? How much care do you take about your personal appearance? Now, how much care you take about your daily spiritual preparation? How do you appear to others that you meet for a short exchange (think waitress or salesperson)? Do you appear differently to believers and people you know well than to short-term acquaintances?
3. In this week's message, there were several instances of Jesus being interrupted and stopping to show compassion. (For a more in-depth study, see Luke 7:11-13, Matthew 20:29-31, John 11:33-35, Mark 10:48-52, and surrounding verses on your own.) But let’s focus on the story of the Good Samaritan. Read Luke 10:29-37. What prompted Jesus to tell this parable? What excuses did people have for not helping? What did the Samaritan give up to help?
4. Attitude check right here: read 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, 2 Timothy 2:23-24, 1 Corinthians 1:10,and Ephesians 4:3. How would you rate yourself right now in the area of argumentativeness? Have you grown in this area over the past year?
5. How can we apply Ephesians 2:14 in our daily lives? Share practical ways to encourage other members of your Life Group to live in harmony, bring about peace, and heal divisions.
6. Final Thought: Who are your prayerfully considering inviting to Movies at The Cove? What other “short-term acquaintances” or spur of the moment opportunities have you had?
Deeper
7. Read Romans 2:4. What does this verse say to you? How can you presume on the kindness of God? What is one reason that God is kind and merciful to us? Does this translate to why we are to be kind to others?
8. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. Study this passage using the questions below:
a. Verse 18 says “all this is from God,” -- look at verse 17. What has God given us?
b. Also in verse 18, what has God given to us? What is our spiritual “job” to do?
c. What verbs relay Paul’s passion as he is trying to impress on us our calling?
9. Read John 4:35. Study this passage using the questions below:
a. What is Jesus comparing in this verse? What does it mean when it says the fields were “white for harvest”?
b. How does evangelism remove us from our comfort zones, especially in times that may even seem inconvenient?