What can God do through you?You can walk more humbly with others when . . .
You remember how God mercifully walks with you. You remember what Jesus did on the cross for you. You look for the face of Jesus in everyone you meet—but especially in the faces of the poor, the sick, the oppressed, and the marginalized. Matthew 24:31-46 Discussion Questions:
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It's all connectedFor Jesus (and for us too) walking humbly, loving mercy, and doing justice are all connected.
Philippians 2:3-11 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross. Question of the Day: Where haven’t you been humble when it comes to others? Do you have a story where you ignored the needs of others, especially those who are unwanted, or unloved? Discussion Questions:
Humility and justiceThe topic of humility would have been a good way to start this series on justice, but it is also a good way to end it. Remember, "justice" means "to make wrong things right."
So what do justice and humility have to do with each other? If injustice is on one end of the spectrum, humility is on the other. They're sort of opposites. Injustice happens when people behave out of selfishness, arrogance, pride and greed. When those things exist, people tend to get hurt and injustice tends to take place. But when people act from a place of mercy, love, and humility, justice tends to follow. People who are humble tend to make wrong things right more often than people who are selfish. Question of the Day: Have you ever humblebragged online or to your friends? Also, how would you define humility? Discussion Questions:
Act justlyWhat are we supposed to do?
One of the first steps we can take toward justice is to help meet people's physical needs. Sometimes when we think about justice, all we think about is meeting physical needs. But justice is so much more than just giving people clothes, or money, or food. Justice can mean giving the gift of relationships to others, or it can mean receiving the gift of relationships from someone else, or leveraging our relationships for justice work. While so much can be done for justice on through one-on-one interactions, local projects, and short-term initiatives, fighting for justice often requires a much deeper dive into the systemic, deeply rooted issues that cause injustice on a large scale. Question of the Day: How are you going to act justly this week? Challenge yourself to pick one thing from the list and do it this week. Discussion Questions:
A vision for justiceAccording to Scripture, orphans and widows should not be in distress. The weak and the fatherless should not be taken advantage of, Mercy and compassion should be shown to the poor and the oppressed. No one should be exploited by the powerful. No one should be voiceless or unheard. The refugee should be welcomed and given refuge.
If justice is about righting wrongs, we sometimes need to begin by righting the wrongs in our own hearts. Sometimes the fight for justice begins with confronting and uprooting the sins of greed, pride, lust, idolatry, and hardened hearts, which can all cloud our vision of justice. “I have come to see questions about suffering in the world not so much as questions about God’s character, but as questions about the obedience and faith of God’s people.” - Gary Haugen, International Justice Mission Question of the Day: Did you hear the scripture differently as you listened with a new perspective in mind? Discussion Questions:
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What is this?Each week we will post one or more blogs related to our ministries for High School youth and families. Check back often and leave a comment! Archives
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First Lutheran Church
1000 3rd Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA | 319.365.1494 | info@firstlutherancr.org | A congregation of the ELCA
Office Hours: Mon. -Thurs. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ; Fri. 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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