Sunday, February 28th - Pastor Kyle Van Tine
"Vantage Point: Pharisees" (Mark 2:13-17; 3:1-6 and Phil 3:4-9)
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
What kind of religious traditions have you seen or experienced that actually go beyond the scriptures, or even contradict God’s Word?
Why is it easier to see disobedience in others instead of ourselves?
In what specific ways do you have a condemning and judgmental spirit towards others?
When you think of being a hypocrite, what does that mean to you? The Bible describes a time when Peter was hypocritical (Gal 2:11-13); share a time where you found yourself acting hypocritically. What is involved in the process of moving from honesty to hypocrisy?
What is the motivation behind times when you have behaved hypocritically? What are areas of hypocrisy in your life and how do you fight against hypocritical tendencies?
The Pharisees were jealous of Jesus’ popularity and threated by his growing influence. How have you experienced jealousy in your own life? What tends to provoke you to jealousy and why? When we live in ongoing jealousy and envy of others, what truths are we not believing about the Gospel?
In what areas of your life do you tend to find your value, significance and worthiness apart from the cross of Jesus?
How does the cross confront our self-righteousness?
How does the cross confront our hypocrisy?
How does the cross confront our jealousy?
Why do you think it was so hard for the Pharisees to see these qualities in themselves? Why is it so hard for us? As a group, if you were challenged to help a Pharisee recover, how would you help him/her? What advice and help would you offer? Of that advice, what do you need to apply to your own life?
