Contrary To Popular Belief (part 1): Not Fair Is Not Okay

#1 Liar, Liar...

For the next few weeks we'll be examining lies told to us by culture. For fun, start this week with a game of two truths and a lie. Each group member shares three "facts" about him or herself. Two should be true and one a lie. Group members try to guess which of the "facts" is a lie.

Have you ever believed something that wasn't true? Did your parents ever tell you any lies to get to you to behave? Teachers? Older siblings? Stick to light-hearted examples for now. We'll get to the heavier stuff later.

 

#2 “Contrary To Popular Belief: Not Fair Is Not Okay”

Consider this Sunday morning’s lesson. You can listen here: http://bit.ly/1gCDfNL

Or watch here [video will be posted by Monday each week]: www.vimeo.com/rrcoc

What stuck out to you as interesting?

Did you encounter any challenging or re-orienting truth?

How’d it make you feel?

 

#3 Liar, Liar...

Read Jeremiah 9: 4-6

“Beware of your friends;
    do not trust anyone in your clan.
For every one of them is a deceiver,[a]
    and every friend a slanderer.
Friend deceives friend,
    and no one speaks the truth.
They have taught their tongues to lie;
    they weary themselves with sinning.
You live in the midst of deception;
    in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,”
declares the Lord.

  • Does this sound familiar? Do you feel like we live in "the midst of deception"? Give examples.

Consider the following advertisements. What lies are they telling?

Jesus said in John 8:32, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

How does truth set us free? How do lies imprison us?

Do you have any experience being imprisoned by a lie? Did a lie ever shape who you became or the choices you made? Share with the group.

What does it feel like to encounter truth when you've been believing a lie? Is it hard? In what ways is it liberating?

 

#4 What's Fair?

This week we talked particularly about fairness.

What do we mean when we say the word "fair"? What do kids mean when they say "That's not fair!"

Consider this bit of wisdom from the most fantastic of eighties movies, Labyrinth:


Why do we (as humans) value fairness so much?

So, is God fair? Read Romans 9:14-18 and discuss...

Leif Enger wrote, “Fair is whatever God wants to do.”

  • What does Enger mean?
  • Do you agree? Why or why not?
  • How should we approach/understand apparent discrepancies in wealth, opportunities, access to the Gospel, etc?


#5 What's Right

In the parable we discussed Sunday, the landowner (a representative for God) promised the later workers he'd pay them "whatever is right." He conspicuously refrains from telling them  their wage.

Often our desire for fairness comes from a place of want or perceived lack.

Do you trust God to give you "whatever is right?" Why is that so hard to do?

What does this story tell us about the things we pray for and work for and still don't get?



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