Wk4 One Another Series, SG Guide, Doing the Heavy Lifting

Pastor Steve TaylorLife Groups

Doing the Heavy Lifting, Wk4 SG One Another Series, 1/28/18 AM

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Gal. 6:2

Warm Up: How many times have you moved in the course of your adult life? What’s the heaviest thing you ever had to move that you swore you would never move again?

Background: Some moves are more difficult than others. And, it’s even harder if you are having to do all the heavy lifting on your own. If you don’t have some help, there are some things that are next to impossible to move on your own without getting hurt. The burden is always easier to bear if you’ve got someone else to help with the heavy lifting. The same thing is true when it comes to spiritual lives.

We all have junk in our trunk that weigh us down and keeps us from living the way God wants us to. Our greatest fear is that someone is going to look in our trunk and discover our hidden mess. We’ve seen what happens when someone’s baggage is exposed to public view in the church and we don’t want it to happen to us. So, we end up bearing our burden alone until its weight becomes more than we can bear. It’s not supposed to be this way.

Read About It: Luke 18:9-14

  1. In school, were you with the “in crowd” or the “out crowd”?
  2. How would people in Jesus’ day view the two characters in this parable?
  3. Why did the tax collector go home justified before God rather than the Pharisee?
  4. What point was Jesus trying to make? Right now, how is your attitude toward those who have fallen or are struggling in their walk with God?

Read More About It: Matt. 23:1-27

  1. Do you find it interesting that Jesus’ harshest criticism of the religious “in crowd” followed on the heels of his comments on the greatest commandment (Matt. 22:34-40)?
  2. What connection can we make between Jesus’ warnings here and the command to “bear one another’s burdens?

From the Message: Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ… Gal. 6:2 (NIV) 

  • This morning Pastor Steve asked, “Am I my brother’s keeper and if so, how does one balance personal responsibility and mutual accountability?” How would you answer that question?
  • In your personal opinion, do you think the church obeys this command well? Why or why not? Do you? Why or why not?
  • This morning Pastor Steve said, “Truth-telling always requires more courage than grace-giving.” Why?
  • What words of caution did Paul offer to those who have the courage and compassion to help lift the heavy loads of others? What are the dangers of lending a hand? What are the dangers if we don’t?
  • This morning Pastor Steve closed the message by saying, “Everyone stumbles sometime. The grace we have received from Christ must also be shared with others. ” Why?
  • What struck you the most from this morning’s message? Why that?
  • What challenged you the most? What changes do you plan on making as a result?

Reflection and Prayer: Friends, we too often assume that the church is a place for good people. The result is that we wear a mask of goodness and we fear desperately that someone at church might become aware of our temptations and failures. We often try to hide our burdens under a facade that implies we have it altogether. We forget that the church is not a museum for plastic saints; it is a hospital for the burdened and the broken. Church is a place where sinful, hurting, depressed, and troubled people should be able to find someone who is concerned about them, willing to try to restore them, and able to help carry their heavy load.

Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9 (MSG)