Seaford Baptist Church Blog

On Wednesday evenings we’ve started to Enter the Zone.  This is where the youth view a Twilight Zone show.  Why the Zone?  These are ‘morality plays’ that usually can lead us to a passage in the Word of God where we can learn more about what God says in situations that have some common threads.

Many of the things we view (SpongeBob, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Star Trek, etc.) have a ‘moral to the story’ since they play on things we can relate to and trouble or issues we may deal with.  What we rarely do is cross reference this with God’s Word and see what we should do in these areas.

So that is what’s happening on Wednesday nights.  I’ll post the items we reviewed and discussion questions here so others know what is happening.  Enjoy!

—– Steel —–

A fight – that may be what folks are in for! You see – society loves bad news. It sells papers, it competes in news cycles. And bad news isn’t something we in the family of God deal with successfully at times. When things are out of kilter in our church family – do we have the courage to stand tall in the faith?

In tonight’s Zone (Episode 122: ‘Steel’-air date of 10/4/1963) we see a ‘boxer’ past his prime, running on borrowed time. But a trainer who believes in him, and a mechanic that works to keep the ‘boxer’ working.

In fact, the trainer cares so much he goes to an extreme to raise the funds to keep the ‘boxer’ going.

Perhaps that is where we are – in a manner of speaking. We have reached a point where we need to understand that we have a ‘boxer’ down. I don’t mean to say we should go and throw ourselves against others on behalf of the boxer, but we need to review the ‘boxer’ as the cause of Christ and our youth group and our church fellowship.
I see the crowd as jeering this cause – look at what has happened! Get that pile of junk out of here! The world has their own hero(s), and for most the church or the cause of Jesus Christ is not a member of that set of folks.

And many of us will face some jeering, some rejection. We may face questions – some honest and others that may be a slap at us. Let’s look at a passage of scripture (1 Cor. 16:13-18).

In verses 15 – 18 we see that we know those around us, and we know those that have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. We can name them. We know what they have done among us for the cause of Christ. We were not wrong to submit to them and join the work! Notice in verses 17 through 18 others came and supplied what was lacking. No one is the ‘total package’ in ministry, only Jesus Christ is the total package. New directions and new faces can be refreshing, so I ask of you to give all of us a chance to lift the spirits of all that go forward in the name of Christ.

Did you notice I skipped the first 2 verses? 13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.

Be on your guard – know that the enemy will cause you to rethink and even question many things during this time of growth.

Stand firm – not in your experiences, but in the faith of God through Jesus Christ.

Be people of courage – now is not the time to shrink away, it is the time to stand tall and not be ashamed of the good God did among us.

Be strong – and often times strength comes in numbers before it is tested individually, so we look forward to your strength as we go through these rough waters together.

Do everything in love – even as we transition to new things, the old is not swept under the rug.

We love you and want to minister to you in the power of Christ. It will be different – but you have a team of boxers out there fighting the fight, contending for the faith as it were, so you can see Christ’s love in action among us.

Discussion questions:

• 1 Cor. 16:14 instructs us to do everything in love. Looking at where you are at right now – how is this something we can follow?
• Phil 1:27-28 states, ‘…I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.’ During this time of growth, what frightens you about what may be on the horizon?
• What evidence of hope do you see with the recent challenges we have had at church?

In tonight’s Zone (Episode 38: ‘The Man in the Bottle’-air date of 10/7/1960) we see a downtrodden pawnbroker and his wife who are offered four wishes by a genie. That’s not a bad deal at all, but all wishes have consequences.

I mean let’s think about it – if I were to wish I had as much time to spend with you (our youth group) to be a positive influence and to share the Word of God with you as you got from your time with television or music, a consequence may be that I would have no time to work and earn money to eat and feed my family (and I love to eat). Or if I wanted to spend so much time in study and preparation for lessons in the Bible so I could answer any and all of your questions, a consequence may be that I have no time for ‘divine appointments’ with others that God may have me interface with and become, in practice, a reclusive monk that is of little use as an instrument in the world for Christ.

When we look at wishes, sometimes we need to look at ourselves. I may wish to break all of Michael Phelp’s Olympic swimming records at the next Olympic gathering (he won 8 just last year), but unless I’m in the pool for many hours a day (that’s every day) and entering into local, state, national and international swim meets to earn the right to compete – my wish is just a wish. It would take effort on my part to make this wish anything near a reality. And that’s where we are tonight.

John received a message from the Lord in the book of Revelation – a message specifically to the church at Laodicea. And in that message you will find a wish. Now I grant you, it’s a wish that came right before we see the Lord say He’s going to throw up! But, we’re not there just yet, let’s read Revelation 3:14-22.

Here we see a church that has made it – they were rich and lacked for nothing. Nothing! Except for what really mattered to God – they needed to be on fire for Him. As it was, they were just going through the motions. Attending services, doing the church things – but God warned them that rebuke and discipline were heading their way because He loved them.

The fact is, they were not hot, but they weren’t cold either. And that lukewarm state was going to lead them to making God sick. To God, it was a lot like the Cox Hi Speed Power Boost commercial (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgvf-7ktzYc). He’s gonna spew the lukewarm out!

Perhaps you have wished to be a better person, or a better Christian. It will take some work on your part because God isn’t a genie in a bottle. Each wish has consequences, so a wish to be a better Christian will require some prayer, time in the Word, and time with the group to get instruction and insight into how God is at work in our fellowship.

Discussion questions:

• In Revelation 3:15 we read, ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!‘ Can this mean God looks at what we do and not just what we mean to do (our intentions)?
• If we do good things is that enough to not get spit out?
• If you had a wish for yourself – what would it be? If it was for the youth group or church – what would it be?

In tonight’s Zone (Episode 7: ‘The Lonely’-air date of 11/13/1959) we see a convicted murderer incarcerated on a distant asteroid and is dying of loneliness. This episode has an unusual twist…and there are many ways we could go with it! Let’s start with our scripture (Genesis 2:15-25).

It must be a terrible thing to be sentenced to solitary confinement. Some would call this torture, and while I don’t have a dog in that hunt, I can imagine that it would be a terrible way to spend time. No others to interface with, no one to bounce ideas around with. Just you and your thoughts.

Now in this episode, the criminal was put on an asteroid. That makes the issue a bit worse (or easier, depending on your view point). No matter where you went, no one could interface with you because there IS NO ONE AROUND. You had to have something to occupy your time and mind, and the episode makes it clear that the main character was on the verge of going mad due to loneliness.

This is nothing new – God noticed it after He had made all of creation. God was so gracious He even brought out all the created animals, allowed man to name them, but the problem of having a suitable helper still hung out there. So God decided to be creative and make a helper for man – by using a rib from Adam and crafted Eve.

At this point some guys cringe. Is that the best God could do? And all the ladies say God just improved on version 1 when He created woman. Again – I have no dog in that hunt! I am, however, very thankful that God gave us a helpmate.

Once the character (James A. Corry was his name) in our episode got past the machine part, he noticed that companionship (even from a robot) was superior to no companionship. So I ask you this – did you notice how he treated her? How he spoke kind words to those that came to bring him the news that he could return to earth? Did you see his reaction when he figured out that she would not be coming back to earth with him?

Let me make this point bluntly in the hopes it sinks in – cherish the women in your life. Now let me give you a definition of cherish: To treat with tenderness and affection; to nurture with care; to protect and aid; To hold dear; to embrace with interest; to indulge; to encourage; to foster; to promote. For those reading the blog, I highly recommend a book (especially for us guys, and particularly for those with sons) – Raising a Modern-Day Knight: A Father’s Role in Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood by Robert Lewis. This concept is driven home!

The Bible is full of information on this, and perhaps another set of lessons is warranted on it, but I want you to focus on this portion for this time we have together – God knew it was not good for man to be alone and He created our helpmate of woman. How do you treat these precious ones? Do you speak in kind and uplifting terms about them? Or is degrading and demeaning terms the norm? And I’m thinking of how you treat a sister, your mother, your teachers, all women.

Now girls and ladies – you don’t get a pass in this either, how are you doing with your relationships of other girls and women? I often hear that females are more relational in their dealings with each other (and experience shows that to be true) – but what kind of relationships? Gossip and back stabbing? Or uplifting and encouraging women to be what God has called them to be?

An interesting lesson from the Zone tonight, and perhaps one we can discuss in our small group time together!

Discussion questions:

• Loneliness can lead to depression and suicidal thoughts – how would / can you deal with this? Do you have a trusted network of friends – or are there some adults you would get with?
• There are times we choose to be alone – and that is normal. If you were confined away from others, how would you deal with it?
• One way to deal with loneliness is to communicate with someone every day (email, letter, phone, etc.). Is this something you practice with God?
• If you were a monk and abstained from life, just spent time with God, how would that affect you (would it be like the main character in tonight’s episode)?

In tonight’s Zone (Episode 66: ‘Two’-air date of 9/15/1961) we see two lone survivors of a nuclear Holocaust who, just maybe, could start the world anew. The main difference, after 5 years of survival on a planet devoid of others (as far as they both knew) was the color (and this show is in black and white) of their uniforms.

You know, we don’t even need to be on different sides to learn we have differences. It has been said of Baptists where 2 are gathered together, there are at least 3 opinions. I’m thinking in our youth group we have a lot of different opinions and reasons for them. So what do we do? We forget that it is people we are dealing with and quickly circle the wagons and choose sides.

In fact, it is a tendency between youth and adults to keep with folks that are like them – basically they are part of a clique – an exclusive group of people who share interests, views, purposes, patterns of behavior, or ethnicity. And I’m thinking you know what I’m talking about! Once we huddle up in these groups, others are excluded, they feel awkward and folks don’t interface with them.

In tonight’s episode, the references seem to be an American (Charles Bronson) and a Russian (Elizabeth Montgomery). They had real barriers (such as language and gender) in front of them. But the largest was what colors or country they represented. Let’s look at our scripture for the evening (2 Cor. 10.1-6).

Paul seemed meek when he was among those at Corinth, but away he talked a big game (that was the report Paul had received back from those that were feet on the street). In verse 2 we see Paul says he’s coming to do battle (I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be…). But in verse 3 we learn the battle won’t be with fists or the weapons of the day. Paul goes on to explain that he expects to demolish arguments and pretension against the knowledge of God.

Further more, Paul addresses the war of the mind when he explains capturing thoughts and making them obedient to Christ. Make no mistake about it, our moving among others in cilques is a problem that starts with our minds – why would we want to hang with others that are so…different? Apparently things haven’t changed much!

I did have another scripture reference for your consideration (Eccl. 9:17-18). While I won’t give much insight on that verse here, it is in your discussion questions so we can learn what you think this is talking about.

Discussion questions:

• Are we waging war with the world the wrong way? By removing ourselves from it and being in a ‘church clique’ and not knowing our neighbors and other youth?
• When we come across others that we disagree with – how should we respond?
• Eccl 9:17-18 reads, ‘The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.’ What do these verses mean?
• What can we do about cliques in our group? Is this a potential cause of conflict?

In tonight’s Zone (Episode 73: ‘It’s a Good Life’-air date of 11/3/1961) – we meet someone who knows your every thought, every emotion. He can eliminate all you hold dear. Who is he? A six year old boy. You know what shocks me with this episode? Many see God exactly like this little boy – and you’d better be watching your P’s & Q’s or else He will get ya!

In fact, looking at the townspeople and how they appear to be so bland, yet if you can peer a little deeper in their eyes they are bordering on hysteria / terror / fear of this small child. Why are they like this? Because they want to survive! And looking around our youth group (and indeed, many churches full of adults as well) that seems to be the normal behavior we have in many cases.

We see God as up in the sky, watching our every move, and if we step out of line the lightning bolt is sure to come down from heaven and sizzle us to a pile of ashes with our two eyeballs bugging out. And we seem to catch each other and say ‘well, it’s a good thing you did’ in our own way as we start to talk about sin or areas that we have dabbled in, all the while hoping God doesn’t know what is REALLY going on in the inside of our hearts and minds.

Perhaps what caught me even more off guard is that we sometimes look at God just like these folks looked at Anthony (Billy Mumy in tonight’s episode) – God just knows what is and dispenses out His wishes with no feelings or emotions. And we just mindlessly go about our lives trying to figure out what it is God wants so we can please Him and avoid that lightning bolt (or corn field or fate of a cow or whatever else we remember folks told us God did in the past…).

Let’s read our scripture for tonight (Romans 3:21-4:4). You see, we were under the law and then God sent His Son into the world. Jesus fulfilled the law and now we are under grace. This caused an issue with folks that were use to living ‘by the rules’ – what would they do now if the rules were not followed, or if we got it wrong, or if someone wasn’t allowed in by the old rules?

These were real issues facing Christians, Jews and Gentiles. So God addresses this. No one is perfect, no one can live without breaking the law, and everyone needs the forgiveness and mercy / grace offered by Jesus. These verses may be a bit much to digest here in large group time, so let’s get to our questions and small group discussions.

Discussion questions:

• Anthony was often hearing ‘that was a good thing you did’ – was that to reinforce the right things done or to ensure the person making the statement seemed to be a good person to Anthony?
• Verse 23 reads, ‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’. Since this is true, why do we try so hard to follow all the rules that God set forth?
• How would we behave if God never set any rules before Jesus came? Would mankind have made their own rules and survived or would mankind have killed each other off?
• Verse 27 reads ‘Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.’ Does most of our boasting come from following the rules of ‘church’ or of faith in Jesus? How so?
• If we lived by faith alone and ignored the law, would we be good people OR would we have no way to measure what was right and wrong? (in both our own sight as people and in God’s sight)
• When did God’s grace (we’re free from the law) become real to you?

In tonight’s Zone (Episode 68: ‘The Shelter’-air date of 9/29/1961) a UFO invasion appears eminent, friends and neighbors are reduced to selfish conniving animals in a fight over one family’s bomb shelter. We see the response of the man and family who were prepared, and that of his neighbors.

This reminded me of the return of Christ. I know many of you may have accepted Christ as your Savior. I have to be honest, many people treat this as their safety net or insurance policy. They have prepared for the worst by claiming Christ – and there is nothing else to do. So they live their lives out with the idea that the worst may not really come – so they’re not really planning to build the bomb shelter.

There are some key differences here – the bomb shelter in tonight’s episode is constructed to keep the family alive for some period of time in a time of war or invasion. Air for 3, space for 3, food for 3 for two weeks minimum. They wanted survival after the fight.

Another look reveals all were aware of the potential of attack and could have spent their time constructing a bomb shelter. But they chose not to do so. And not much has changed for us! Jesus said He will return, but it’s been about 2,000 years or so and He hasn’t come back yet! So why are we in a hurry (or should we even be in a hurry)?

I don’t doubt Christ will return – but I also know that I (and everyone else) have no idea when His return is. So the question becomes – am I ready?

I don’t have a hard time imagining a scene playing out like the one we see in this episode. It is not that far fetched. A note – as a Christian, I won’t have folks banging on my bomb shelter door because an attack is eminent. Jesus will take me away, and it will be too late for those that were not prepared for His second coming. I will, however, get to review my readiness with The Master as He sees if I heeded His instruction to share Jesus with my neighbors, friends, and family when I did have time to do so.

Scripture:  Luke 12:35-48

Discussion questions:

• If you had to build a bomb shelter to survive a potential battle, how many would it be able to hold? (And why did you choose the number you chose?)
• What does God expect us to do between now and the return of Christ? Just behave? Or is there more?
• Luke 12:47 reads, ‘From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.’ If you learned more tonight, how does this verse relate to you?
• With all the distractions we have in life (work, school, family, etc.), how can we be expected to share Jesus with our words and actions?

In tonight’s Zone (Episode 9: ‘Perchance to Dream’-air date of 11/27/1959) – we meet a man who’s terrified of falling asleep in fear he might die. His pursuer? A mysterious vixen he meets in his dreams.

Dreams are something we all have. Some are better than others, and some are downright scary. This dream (in tonight’s episode) was of the scary variety.

According to Wikipedia, ‘Dreams are a series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not fully understood, though they have been a topic of speculation and interest throughout recorded history. The scientific study of dreams is known as oneirology.’

There is still scientific study on dreams and dreaming. Just when you think we know it all, you find (another) areas where we just aren’t as smart as our Creator! In tonight’s scripture (Daniel 2:1-48), we see the reflection of a king with troubled dreams, and the interpretation God gave through Daniel to this king.

There was a catch – the king called his wise men / astrologers and asked them to interpret the dream, but he didn’t tell them the dream. No one could do that (vs. 10) and the king got mad and ordered all the wise men put to death (vs. 12). Among those counted as wise were Daniel and his men.

In verse 19 we see that Daniel (and his friends that you know from a fiery furnace encounter) prayed to God for true wisdom, and God revealed the dream to Daniel. So Daniel asks to be taken to the king (vs. 25). And what does Daniel do once he is before the king? He starts to introduce him to God! A bold move to those around, but it was just giving credit where credit was due to Daniel.

And the king made good on his word to give riches to Daniel and his friends. The king even notes that the God of Daniel must be the greatest God of all (vs. 47).

It’s pretty phenomenal what God can use us to do. Here, he put Daniel in a position that would help influence those in mighty positions again and again. While I don’t want to spoil your opportunity to read more about it, what follows is the fiery furnace encounter along with a king going out to pasture and writing on the wall by the hand…of God! Let’s examine some questions in our small group time.

Discussion questions:

• If a friend came to you concerned about a dream, would you follow Daniel’s lead and pray about it? If not, what would you do?
• In tonight’s episode, the main character ends up in a therapist’s office to discuss their problem. Is that something you would recommend? Why or why not?
• When we are frightened of dreams, what is the best way to deal with it?
• Since dreams are experienced by all of us, are they good or evil?

In tonight’s Zone (Episode 10: ‘Judgment Night’-air date of 12/4/1959), a German wonders why he is on the deck of a British Steamship with no memory of how he got there and impending doom.

JUDGMENT - Discernment or separation between good and evil. God judges among people and their actions according to the standards of His LAW. Judgment can refer either to this process of discernment or to the punishment meted out to those who fall under His wrath and condemnation (John 5:24).

From earliest times it has been recognized that God Himself is the Judge of mankind (Gen 18:25), and that He has the power and wisdom to judge with righteousness, truth, and justice (Ps 96:13; 98:9). The final judgment is a task given specifically to God’s Son (John 5:22; Acts 17:31) to conclude His work as mediator, deliver His people from sin, and destroy all God’s enemies. God’s people are associated with Christ in the exercise of this judgment (1 Cor 6:2-3; Rev 20:4).

The rulers of Israel bore special responsibility in this respect (Deut 16:18-19), as do the leaders of the church today (Matt 18:17-18). Believers also have a responsibility to judge matters of wrongdoing among themselves (Matt 18:15), but this should always be done fairly and with compassion. Believers are never to take over the task of judgment that belongs to God alone (Heb 10:30). (from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Judgment. In tonight’s episode, the action of the captain resulted in his being doomed to repeat the scene over and over again. It’s like saying my reward for not doing a certain thing for Christ could be nursery duty once I make it up in heaven. Or perhaps more aptly, this type of story was taken from mythology of the Greeks – namely Sisyphus.

What I want to discuss tonight is judgment. What the Bible teaches us about it would be the best thing, but I know we don’t have a huge amount of time, so tonight your discussion leaders and I are hoping to understand what you think or believe about it. Is it anything like what we saw tonight? Or is it something completely different?

Discussion questions:

• With us not knowing the final time and place of judgment, but understanding it is coming and it is real, how should we share that knowledge with others?
• John 5:27 states, ‘And he (God) has given him (Jesus) authority to judge because he is the Son of Man’. What will Jesus judge on? What is the criteria?
• Many believe that if they live a good life, go to church and follow the rules, they go to heaven. What do you believe about this?
• John 5:24 states, ‘I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.’ What does this mean to you?
• If you had the ability to look in the future at the consequence of some action you were going to do – would knowing the consequence change your action?

In tonight’s Zone (Episode 81: ‘Nothing in the Dark’-air date of 1/5/1962) we meet an old woman who has fought with death a 1000 times and always won but she thinks a wounded policeman at her door is Mr. Death. But is he? We see her fear of death due to a chance encounter on a bus, it leads to her becoming obsessed with death – so much that she has stayed holed up in her living quarters for years!

Death is a theme that runs throughout The Zone, but that is just a reflection of death being a part of life. As a youth, perhaps you have not lost someone or something (like a family pet) you loved dearly. It hurts us, we have a sadness, a sense of loss and longing to see that person just one more time so we can tell them all the things we haven’t said.

There are instances where folks feel guilty about death due to the things left undone or unsaid. A relationship that went sour and lingered on for years without contact. Perhaps a fight over something that seemed important, but then death enters the picture and recalibrates us to realize what really is important – and we are left to ask all those ‘what if’ questions.

For this woman, it seems like Death (played by Robert Redford) explains it well – she was afraid of the unknown. And for all of us here, death certainly seems distant and unknown. I mean – we haven’t experienced it for ourselves! But some here have seen death up close in various ways, and we have felt the impact it leaves on the living.

You know, while we are privileged to experience the life in Christ here on planet earth, we are also looking forward to a better home – with God! But in our quest to continue life here, I think we sometimes forget that. I’m not saying ‘live for the moment’ or ‘eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may all die’ or take all risks because you are just waiting to meet Jesus – so don’t mishear me. I am saying that we put an awful lot of work into keeping things comfortable while we are here – and perhaps we forget that this is not our true home.

Let’s review our scripture tonight (1 Cor. 15:50-58). God tells us we will move from this life (perishable) to a better life with Him (imperishable). And then we get to see that death is truly nothing more than a gateway – it’s God’s way of carrying us over the threshold into our new home with Him! And – if you read further, in verse 58 we see that our work here for God is not in vain, in fact – we are to give ourselves fully to it. It is not a waste of time in the least! Let’s break into our small groups and look at some questions a bit deeper.

Discussion questions:

• In 1 Cor. 15:55-56 we read, ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law’. What is all this suppose to mean?
• Why is death so frightening for us? Is it because of the way we could die (think of all the horror movies that explore this) OR because death is something unknown (not experienced) to us?
• 1 Cor. 15:51-52 reads, ‘Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.’ In tonight’s episode we see death played out as an easy passage (as a whisper), when Jesus returns will resurrection from death be as quiet?
• When we die – what do you envision the experience as? Try to answer using a single word to capture what you think it might be like. (i.e., Horrible? Peaceful? Helpless? Hopeful?)
• 1 Cor. 15:57 reads, ‘But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Since the context of this is the experience of death (that some see as the ultimate defeat), what do you think this passage means?
• Death often causes us to pause and reflect on how we live our lives. If you knew you would not live past another week, what would you change in your life?

In tonight’s Zone (Episode 16: ‘The Hitchhiker’-air date of 1/22/1960) – Alone on a cross country trip Nan Adams has a blowout. Surviving the incident, she gets back on the road, only to see the same hitchhiker everywhere she looks.

This was an interesting episode to me. Again, we meet death. Here, he appears as a hitchhiker that follows the main character all the way across the country. At first, the hitchhiker was a curiosity. Before long, he was an obsession – a stalker that seemingly was always somewhere ahead of her. But the strange thing was others could not see him. It got so bad, she was attempting to run him over so he would stop following her and showing up all the time on her route.

So it may be a good opportunity for us to look at this subject of death – but from a different angle. This episode got me wondering – how do you know you have died to sin and self? One of the ways we know what is good (right) from what is bad (wrong) is the law. Our scripture speaks to this tonight, so now is a good time to get to it (read Romans 7:4-12).

When we gave our lives to Christ, we were no longer under law – we have been bought with a price and were put under grace by the blood of Jesus Christ. That’s where verses 4-6 take us, we need to understand that we are free from having to be under slavery to the law and are now under the new of way the Spirit (who will guide and teach us).

So does that mean the law was bad? No – we would not have known what was wrong was without the law to guide us. So there may still be great value to the law – but there is also caution that the law can be a slave to us because we like having rules and regulations. In fact, we like not to think too much so we will let others do that for us, then we just follow like sheep!

So back to my question – how do we know that we are dead to sin? Is it some feeling that we have – you know, like when ice cream is no longer a temptation to us to eat the whole carton. We may still want to in our mind, but we have learned not to do it because we will feel bad afterward. Or perhaps it’s a feeling that is a bit different, like we have fulfillment in some area and no longer are tempted to chase after other areas that would change that feeling. You know, like winning the flag football championship and not wanting to go compete anymore because you don’t want to lose that feeling of being a winner.

Let’s break out into our small groups and look at our scripture this evening so we can better examine what it means to you and those in your group.

Discussion questions:

• How is it that the law, that was suppose to help lead us to life, actually leads us towards death? (note – you may need to read verses 14-20 before you answer this…)
• Why do you think the law was given to us?
  • As a means of salvation
  • A guideline to follow once we are saved by grace
  • A stumbling block, impossible to follow, only points to our salvation by grace
• Since Paul wrote this to let us know part of his struggle, how does reading it make you feel? Can you relate to this struggle?
• If your spiritual life was a football game, what would the score be? What quarter is it? Are you on offense or defense? What is your game plan?