Lean In // 5 minutes
Leader note: This week a simple question and image has polarized people into two camps. Click the link below and have group members answer the question. Make sure to watch your time as the question is simply intended to be fun and create energy. Don’t spend more than 5 minutes on the question.
Click here: White/Gold or Black/Blue?
What color is the dress?
Look Down // 10 minutes
What separates sheep from goats?
Sample answers may include…
- Sheep respond with:
- Action- food for the hungry & water for the thirsty
- Engaging the stranger
- Compassion- visiting the prisoner
- Care for the sick
- Obedience- Serving others is the same as serving Jesus
- Seeing and identifying with the “least of these”
- Goats respond with:
- In-action
- Indifference
- Complacency
- Rationalization- “why” help is not needed
- Self-centeredness
- Belief that the least are unimportant
What’s the surprise in the story?
Commentary: The surprise is found in how the people responded to the poor, needy, marginalized, and broken.
Look Out // 10 minutes
Who are the “least of these” in our world today?
Sample answers could include…
- Hungry/Thirsty – Physically hungry/thirsty, seeking fulfillment & life
- Stranger – Outsider, the immigrant, marginalized,
- Without clothes – Homeless, vulnerable, human trafficking
- Sick – Mentally ill, shut-in, physically handicap
- Prisoner – Addicts, broken, indebted, broken relationships, depressed
Leader note: Go through each of the categories Jesus highlights in the passage and put together a full list of who would be included in each one before moving on to the next question. Consider the emotional, physical, spiritual, geographical, financial, and relational factors.
An experiment: Integrating Love, Truth, Justice, & Peace
Leader note: We tend to lean toward one characteristic more than the others. So, when we see a person described as “the least of these” we tend to react with love, truth, justice, or peace.
As a Look Out experiment, choose a category from the “least of these” question (listed above) and divide your group into four groups. Depending on their category, group members will only give voice for either love, truth, justice, or peace. So, group members in the love category will speak up for the “least of these” through only a perspective of love while group members in the truth category will give voice for their perspective through a lens of truth, and so on and so forth.
*Please remind everyone that it is only an experiment!
Sample Story: Mike pulls up to a traffic light and discovers a person standing on the side of the road holding a sign. The Love Group responds by finding a way to help the person by rolling down the window and giving them something. The Truth Group responds by thinking, “They made decisions that have led to this circumstance and I know that helping can only further the hurt.” The Justice Group responds by advocating for the poor and needy and how they never received the same opportunities as others. And, the Peace Group responds by trying to harmonize the different ways to help the person in need.
Look In // 15 minutes
Leader note: With the definitions of the “least of these” listed above and in mind, lead group members through these questions. Don’t let the group settle for just the usual talking points like homelessness or immigration. Rather, encourage group members to go deeper.
Where have you recently seen someone in need? How did you respond?
What could it look like to integrate love, truth, justice, & peace for those in need?
Leader note: As the leader, pay attention to group member’s stories and themes so that you can possibly respond to helping those in need as a group.
How could your group respond to the needs in your community?
Live It Out // 5 minutes
What would happen in our community and world if we unleashed good deeds and generosity?
Leader Note: This weekend is our Be Fearless campaign where we are unleashing good deeds and generosity. If you are looking for opportunities to serve, please click this link: Be Fearless. There are five events to serve with one goal in mind: To fearlessly change the world for Jesus Christ. Here are the events:
Saturday, March 7-
- Boys and Girls Club Work Project Irvine – 8:30a-12n
- Kids Around The World – 10:30a-1p
Saturday, March 14-
- Boys and Girls Club Work Project Costa Mesa – 8:30a-12n
Saturday, March 21-
- Lighthouse Community Centers Work Project – 8:30a- 12:30p
- Medical Clinic at Christian Arabic Church – 8a- 3p
Key Verse(s): For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. – Matthew 6:21
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. – 1 Timothy 6:18
Key Thought: Do good for those who can’t and won’t do anything for you.
Click here for Life Group Serve Opportunities
Learn More About Flow Questions: Check out Kenton Beshore’s book Ask in the Irvine Campus Bookstore for more on the Flow Question model.