Justice, Pt 1: Is Justice Biblical?
Review the last practice (10 min)
Did you invite another person in your group for a coffee or walk to share your stories in relationship with God, current struggles, hopes and fears? If so, how was it? Share your experience.
This Week’s Sermon Recap (5 min)
Justice is one of the most important themes in the Bible. What is Justice? Why does it matter? And how does the Bible speak into our own lives and into common social issues today? That’s what this series is about.
So what is justice? It’s not “getting ones due.” In fact, a simple definition won’t give us clarity. In the Bible:
Justice is something you do (Micah 6:8), not something you think or feel.
Justice is about fixing not about condemning. In the Bible justice, judge, and judgment all have the same root word: shaphat.
Justice is about obligations (Romans 6:17), more than about rights. We are “slaves to righteousness.”
Justice has a goal (Isaiah 32:16-18) and it’s not fairness, it’s Shalom.
Justice is something God is committed to doing (Psalm 146). Good news: At the end of the day we are not the hope of the world, God is.
Short Discussion (15 min)
Most conversations we have in our groups attempt to create space for different perspectives and experiences—for different people. We are many members but one body; there is beauty and strength in diversity!
As we begin this series on Justice let’s take some time to refresh and share around the question: What makes for a good group discussion?
Go around and share a few thoughts that come to mind, and have someone write them all down to be able to reference back to them later (ideally on a paper/poster where everyone can see).
A couple notes for this discussion:
You can share adjectives like “honesty,” or general ideas like, “when everyone gets a chance to share.”
This isn’t about “cracking the code” on what a good discussion is. Feel free to share what is obvious but important to you.
After everyone has had a chance to share a few ideas, have someone summarize all that was shared. Then invite the group together to commit to following these new “guidelines for a good discussion.”
Leaders: it is your role to lovingly and graciously encourage and coach the group toward these guidelines.
Exercise (15 min)
Review the 5 clarifying points about justice from this week’s sermon. As someone in the group reads them again, prayerfully listen for one God might be drawing your attention to.
Share. Go around and share which point is sticking out. Notice any recurring points. Ask one another follow up questions to explore further.
Read. Identify one of the points that is surfacing and shared in common. Read the connected scripture passage. How does this passage speak into the conversation? Allow space for sharing, then read the passage again to close the time.
Practice for the Week (10 min)
This week as a group you are encouraged to meditate, reflect on, and pray with the scripture that was read.
What is some way you could “take it with you” as you go through the week? Read the passage every morning? Commit to memorizing it? Save it as your phone lock screen?
Go around and share one small way you might carry the passage with you this week.
Prayer (15 min)
Take prayer requests and spend some time praying for each other.
