Life Group Questions

1. If you could not hear this week’s sermon, consider going to the church website and listening to it. What main ideas did you gain from the message? Do you have any questions?

2. Read through our passage and note any significant repetition of words or ideas. Explain why the writer used repetition; what did he intend for us to conclude about Israel’s actions? What is the general idea of this passage?

3. Read the following passages, which provide some biblical background to our textual setting: Exodus 23:23-32; Leviticus 18:1-5; Deuteronomy 7:1-6; 20:16-18; Joshua 23:1-13. According to our passage, how well did Israel obey the Lord? What difficulties do these passages cause you concerning God being a loving and merciful God (cf. Genesis 15:12-16)? Does God make a distinction between sin and the sinner (i.e., idea of “hate the sin but love the sinner”)? Explain.

4. How does the story of the spies dealing kindly with the man of Luz (cf. 1:24) compare with the story in Joshua 2 of taking Jericho? Was Israel correct in extending mercy to this man? Were they right to include this man? What were the consequences of their actions? What are some consequences we may face when disobeying God’s commands and not following the Holy Spirit?

5. What are some tensions Christians face today due to being in the world but not of the world? Share some of your struggles with trying to follow God in a fallen world. Are there any areas in which you are presently struggling? If comfortable, share your struggles with your group or a friend and ask for prayer.

6. Read Daniel 1:1-9 and Daniel 3. What impresses you about these men of faith? In what ways can the world lead to our defilement if not careful? What lessons can we learn from how these men regarded governing authorities and leaders? Are these principles applicable to our times? Explain.

7. Read the following passages: Ezra 4:1-5; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. In what way should we be careful in our relationships between ourselves and the world? Explain what Paul meant and did not mean by “do not be unequally yoked.” How are we, and should we be distinct from the world around us? Explain.

8. What are some ways you are tempted to be a friend of the world? What are some consequences of making yourself a friend of the world (cf. James 4:4)? Describe some worldly things we should avoid (cf. 1 John 2:15-17).

by Terry Beatty /  Lead Teacher and Ministry Vision