Beyond Sunday - At The Movies "The Grinch"
Beyond Sunday, Week of December 15, 2024
Christmas at the Movies, Week 3, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Luke 19:1-10
Thoughts: The Grinch can sometimes be rather dark and foreboding. However, it gave us a glimpse this Sunday into the real consequences of being consumed with self. It reminded us that hurt people often respond by hurting other people, and revealed the transformational power of compassion and kindness.
Read: James 4:1-3, Galatians 5:13-15, Leviticus 19:9-18
• James, in his epistle, goes into some of the consequences of being consumed with self. He describes aptly some of the obvious interpersonal conflict that can result.
o What about the consequences to the self-consumed person themselves; what are the less obvious negative effects of our self-absorption on ourselves?
o What does self-absorption say about (and how does it impact) our relationship with God?
• The apostle Paul states it more succinctly in his letter to the Galatians saying our self-consumption risks destroying one another. He offers the antidote, the oft-quoted “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The quote comes from the end of a passage in Leviticus which gives us more context for what Jesus said was the second most important commandment.
o Several times in that passage, which deals almost exclusively with our treatment of others, God ends a sentence with “I am the LORD.” Why do you think He inserts that so often in this passage?
o Of all those do’s and don’t’s, which ones might you find difficult to live by?
Read: Proverbs 18:14, Psalm 34:18, 119:49-56
• It is very common that people who have been hurt—physically, emotionally, or spiritually—often hurt others, and not just those who hurt them, but others who may have done nothing to them.
o How can turning to God and meditating on His ways keep us from taking out our hurts on others?
o Describe a time when this has worked, or could work in your life.
Read: Luke 19:10, Matthew 9:35-38, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
• Many of the verses we have looked at so far basically add up to “Love your neighbor by doing them no harm.” But Jesus wants us to go beyond that. He ends the story of Zaccheus by proclaiming why He came down from Heaven, and why He frequently hung out with “sinners.”
o What do these passages reveal to you about our great God?
o What do they tell you about what it means to imitate Jesus, and to follow His commands?
o How has God gifted you to be a worker in His harvest field, to give compassion and comfort to others?
Pray: Pray that God would help you see others through His eyes; that He would lead you to those He has equipped you to comfort, strengthen, and encourage. Pray that He will reveal to you how you are allowing your past hurts to affect how you relate to others, and ask Him to free you from those hurts. Pray specifically for those you know need that freedom.
Next Steps:
• One of the most effective antidotes to self-consumption is to actively look for others to serve and bless. We would love to start you on that path by offering you Rock Hills’ Growth Track. Learn more and sign up here.
• If you have completed Growth Track and are ready to serve, reach out to the church by calling (785) 775-0012, or email to info@myrockhillschurch.com, and you will be put in touch with the right people.
• Freedom Groups gather weekly to discuss a 12-week curriculum that will equip you to live the victorious and abundant life Christ came to give you. Freedom Groups build on the foundation of your faith in Christ to help you embrace the truth of God’s Word as it relates to your worldview, your past, your sin, your personal value to God, and your purpose in His Kingdom. This group will help you remove every obstacle to intimacy with God and walk in true freedom. The next round of Freedom Groups will begin in February!
Christmas at the Movies, Week 3, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Luke 19:1-10
Thoughts: The Grinch can sometimes be rather dark and foreboding. However, it gave us a glimpse this Sunday into the real consequences of being consumed with self. It reminded us that hurt people often respond by hurting other people, and revealed the transformational power of compassion and kindness.
Read: James 4:1-3, Galatians 5:13-15, Leviticus 19:9-18
• James, in his epistle, goes into some of the consequences of being consumed with self. He describes aptly some of the obvious interpersonal conflict that can result.
o What about the consequences to the self-consumed person themselves; what are the less obvious negative effects of our self-absorption on ourselves?
o What does self-absorption say about (and how does it impact) our relationship with God?
• The apostle Paul states it more succinctly in his letter to the Galatians saying our self-consumption risks destroying one another. He offers the antidote, the oft-quoted “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The quote comes from the end of a passage in Leviticus which gives us more context for what Jesus said was the second most important commandment.
o Several times in that passage, which deals almost exclusively with our treatment of others, God ends a sentence with “I am the LORD.” Why do you think He inserts that so often in this passage?
o Of all those do’s and don’t’s, which ones might you find difficult to live by?
Read: Proverbs 18:14, Psalm 34:18, 119:49-56
• It is very common that people who have been hurt—physically, emotionally, or spiritually—often hurt others, and not just those who hurt them, but others who may have done nothing to them.
o How can turning to God and meditating on His ways keep us from taking out our hurts on others?
o Describe a time when this has worked, or could work in your life.
Read: Luke 19:10, Matthew 9:35-38, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
• Many of the verses we have looked at so far basically add up to “Love your neighbor by doing them no harm.” But Jesus wants us to go beyond that. He ends the story of Zaccheus by proclaiming why He came down from Heaven, and why He frequently hung out with “sinners.”
o What do these passages reveal to you about our great God?
o What do they tell you about what it means to imitate Jesus, and to follow His commands?
o How has God gifted you to be a worker in His harvest field, to give compassion and comfort to others?
Pray: Pray that God would help you see others through His eyes; that He would lead you to those He has equipped you to comfort, strengthen, and encourage. Pray that He will reveal to you how you are allowing your past hurts to affect how you relate to others, and ask Him to free you from those hurts. Pray specifically for those you know need that freedom.
Next Steps:
• One of the most effective antidotes to self-consumption is to actively look for others to serve and bless. We would love to start you on that path by offering you Rock Hills’ Growth Track. Learn more and sign up here.
• If you have completed Growth Track and are ready to serve, reach out to the church by calling (785) 775-0012, or email to info@myrockhillschurch.com, and you will be put in touch with the right people.
• Freedom Groups gather weekly to discuss a 12-week curriculum that will equip you to live the victorious and abundant life Christ came to give you. Freedom Groups build on the foundation of your faith in Christ to help you embrace the truth of God’s Word as it relates to your worldview, your past, your sin, your personal value to God, and your purpose in His Kingdom. This group will help you remove every obstacle to intimacy with God and walk in true freedom. The next round of Freedom Groups will begin in February!
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