On The Road To Better (part 1): Paging Dr. Jekyll
TO START:
Name one of your favorite fictional characters. On Sunday we said people are complicated and inconsistent. So are great characters (that's part of what makes them great). Think of an inconsistency in your favorite character. Share with the group.
DISCUSSION:
On Sunday Ryan Crowder led us in a meditation on what it looks like to be human. Quoting his college acting teacher, Ryan said, "Real human beings are not consistent. No one is either all good or all bad. People are always both. And if you’re going to create an honest portrait of a human being in your acting, you need to intentionally build in the inconsistencies, because real human beings are inconsistent."
Do you relate to this? How so or why not?
- Do you ever feel inconsistent? Give an example.
- Do you ever get frustrated by the pace of your progress in Christ? Share a category where God's been growing you lately. Share another category that you thought you had mastered only to find yourself acting out.
Consider the two stories we told about David on Sunday.
- What was good about David in the story of David and Goliath?
- What was bad about David in the story about him and the king of Gath?
- Are you confused when you read these two stories together? Or does this make sense to you? Try to explain it to your group.
Ryan offered four "rules of the road" for those of us on the journey of transformation.
1: Pursue better. There’s always more.
2: Success today doesn’t mean no failure tomorrow.
3: Failure today doesn’t mean no success tomorrow.
4: Your journey is not just about you.
Which one did you most need to hear? Which one do you run up against most often?
Consider each rule on its own. Why is this rule important to remember? Do you sometimes forget?
SCRIPTURE READING
Read 2 Corinthians 3:18.
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Who is the "we" Paul's referring to? Are there any requirements for transformation in this passage?
If we're being transformed into the image of Christ, what does that mean? What does a person who looks like Christ look like?
What's the source of transformation? Is there anything we can do to make transformation more likely?
PRAYER
Share with your group one area in which you're currently being transformed. Ask your group for prayers that you would pursue better and give yourself grace.
FOR FUN
Watch this PG rated short video and observe the character arc of Dr. Grant in the movie Jurassic Park. What circumstances lead to his transformation? Be specific. What can we learn about transformation from watching one?
(The video includes two PG level cuss words)