The Song of Fools (Psalm 14 & Proverbs 6:16-19)

1. When was the last time you had a conversation with someone who was offended at or spoke harshly regarding one or more practices of our Christian faith? What direction did you steer the discussion to keep it from becoming argumentative?

• Did you attempt to ask clarifying or probing questions to gain a clearer understanding of why they held such a view? How did that person respond? If you had the opportunity to replay the same conversation again, what would you do differently?

• How would you respond to a sceptic’s statements or questions such as: If Jesus were to come down here today and visit Israel or the Ukraine or certain impoverished nations and places where injustice was being carried out, what would he think? What would Jesus have to say about the conditions of the world he supposedly came to save? Would Jesus look at all this mess we’ve created in the world and ask, “Was this what I died for?”

• Discuss where that line of questioning comes from. What do you think that questioner believes or understands about the advents of Jesus prophesied in the Old and New Testaments? If you were to engage that person in conversation, how might you inform them of what the Bible truly teaches on the two advents or appearances of the Son of God?

• Proverbs 6:16-19 lists seven things the Lord hates. How has your life been impacted at home, at work, at school, in your relationships etc. by the behaviors described in that list? Consider each of these: Haughty eyes. A lying tongue. Hands that shed innocent blood. A heart that devises wicked plans. Feet that make haste to run to evil. A false witness who breaths out lies. One that sows discord among brothers.

• Have you ever experienced God ‘coming down’ to intervene on your behalf either to bring you justice or to correct and instruct you personally?

• How well does the body of believers in your church demonstrate the commandment of Jesus in John 13:34 & 35? What does the kind of love Jesus has shown to His followers look like?

Have you experienced that love yourself and if so how have you personally extended that kind of love to others?