Encounter - Sundays Encounter Church, Mission Viejo

Go Deeper
Who are you most like in the narrative right now (Man on the mat/One of the friends/Pharisee/A face in the crowd)? Why?

What kind of obstacles try to prevent you from getting in front of Jesus? How can you creatively overcome those obstacles?

Who are the people in your life that will carry you to Jesus (keep you accountable, lift you up in prayer, rejoice with you, etc.)? If you don’t have anyone, why not? What is holding you back?

What event in your life brought you closest to God? 

The Worker

TOGETHER GROUP QUESTIONS
Read Luke 10:25-37. What stands out in this passage? What is God’s heart wanting to communicate to us through this Scripture?

We refer to the “expert in the law” in this passage… someone who was a know-it-all and had all the spiritual answers. What was he asking, testing, and seeking from Jesus… and why?

Before talking with Jesus, what would your guess be about “The Expert’s” definition of a neighbor? And after Jesus’ story, what was Jesus’ definition of loving your neighbor?

Look at the characters in the story: a priest, a Levite, a Samaritan, and the man who was beaten. How can you relate with all four characters?
 
Why do you think the Priest and the Levite walked away?
Would it change the likelihood of you stopping and helping someone on the side of the road based on their gender, age, or ethnicity? 
 
Why is it important for us to be willing to help others? How does God see each of us? How can we work to see each other the way God sees us?

Share with the group one person that you know is in need right now. How can you go out of your way and help them this week?

The Bottom Line

TOGETHER GROUP QUESTIONS
Read Ecclesiastes 10:1-20. Solomon lists off many proverbs in this chapter and moves around all over the place between topics, observations, and experience. Have each group member share one verse or idea in chapter 10 that sticks out to them and why.

Verse one talks about the idea of a fool being compared to a bad stench. What are some ways that Christians can give off a bad aroma to this world? (In other words, how can we be off putting to the people around us?)

One mark of a fool is that they don’t see clearly in regards to how God wants us to see things in this world. Spiritually, how does our vision get clouded with the world’s ways?

In what ways can we be foolish with our family? At work? With neighbors? At church?

What does it mean to be…
Foolishly indulgent?
Foolishly lazy?
Foolishly indifferent?
Foolishly blunt?
 
Read Ephesians 5:15-17. How can we pursue wisdom instead of foolishness?

Wisdom is Better than Skills