Review from October 10

Another Sunday came and brought with it another great topic for Club 56ers to mull over.  We finished our 4 week unit on friendship by talking about "what if someone needs something from me?"  This week, we were challenged to look outside of ourselves, see needs of others and help them get those needs met, even when it is uncomfortable, hard, inconvenient or unnatural.  Our whole focus for this unit on friendship brings into mind the difference between what God expects of us and what the world suggests we should do.  The world tells us to only like people that are like us and look out for ourself first.  Jesus instructed us to love everybody, even our enemies and look out for the needs of others first.
Here is where our discussion went on Sunday.

First we read Luke 10.25-37
This is the story of the good Samaritan.  In this parable, The man from Samaria helped the Jewish man, even though the men were from groups of people that hated each other, it was a dangerous place (1 man had already been mugged), and it was an inconvenience and a sacrifice, (taking him to an inn, and paying the bill).  What a challenge this is!  We are more inclined to help if it doesn't cost us anything, but this event would cost time and money, not to mention the dislike these people groups had for each other. What is our lesson from this.  Are we to help people even when there is a cost involved to us?  How about if it may put us in a dangerous situation.  What about if the person in need is someone that we don't like?  Do any of these things exclude us  from the responsibility of helping out?

Next, we read Galatians 6.1-5
This passage talks about helping someone who is caught up in sin.  Help them but don't be tempted to join them in their sin.  We can really help people out if they are struggling to make good choices by loving them and helping guide them to make right choices.  This means that we cannot judge them though - which we are so easily tempted to do.  Our memory verse is in this passage - verse 3.  In the New Living Translation, it tells us not to think we are too important to help others,  if we think that, we are fooling ourselves.  But we need to guard ourselves against making the same bad choices that they are making.  If someone asks you to steal something for them,  should we?  Can helping people actually hurt them in the long run?

We then looked at Romans 15.1-3
Here we talked about making others happy vs. making ourselves happy.  Which is more important?  Why does God want us to help others so much?
I really liked the part of the discussion when we were asked, what do you love to do more than anything
like playing a computer game, or reading a good book.  If someone comes to you while you are doing this and asks for help doing something that you don't enjoy as much (like folding laundry or vacuuming the family room), what do you do?  How easy is it for us to think of someone else's needs above our own?

And Finally, we read 1 Peter 4.11
This passage reminds us that God is glorified when we help others with all the energy and strength God supplies.  God will give us what we need to help others out.  Will we be obedient and do it, or miss the opportunity by keeping to ourself?

Great discussion everyone!

See you again on Sunday when we start our new unit - Who is God?

Check back later this week as I will post chances for you to earn some bonus points for next Sunday.

Remember, one way that you can earn some bonus points for your team right now is to leave us a comment somewhere on the blog and let us know what you are checking out, and what you like.

CP