NOTE: If you missed this week’s message, click here to listen or watch.
Talk about your experience on Sunday morning.
- How did God speak to you during worship and/or teaching this week?
- What have you been reflecting on and/or praying about in response to this week’s service?
The topic this Sunday was judgmentalism and how judgmentalism can kill relationships.
- Prior to Sunday’s message, would you have considered yourself as someone who struggled with judgmental thoughts? Why or why not?
- Do you think you are aware of your judgmental thoughts most of the time, or is it possible that you judge people in your heart without even knowing it?
- Talk about a time from your own life where you either felt judged by someone or were judgmental towards someone else. What happened? What did it do to the relationship? How did it make you feel?
- What is “judgmentalism”? How would you define it? What makes it so harmful and detrimental to community?
To be judgmental and condemning towards another person we have to believe that we are “better” than them in some way, shape or form (often just to validate ourselves and our own insecurities at expense to others).
- What are some specific ways that you are tempted compare yourself to others and to try to validate yourself and your own insecurities at expense to others? (i.e. parenting styles, personality styles, appearances, morality etc…).
- What makes this type of comparing & validation so destructive? (relationally, spiritually, personally)
- Read Genesis 3:1-7. How is our judgmentalism connected to the original sin in the Bible?
- Why is this important to understand?
- How would you describe the difference between being judgmental and being discerning (and speaking the truth in love)?
- What are some practical ways that judgmentalism can prevent, harm and even kill relationships? (i.e. Shame – Gen 3:7, Constant Comparing, Exclusivity, Fear of vulnerability, being hard on ourselves etc). How have you experienced some of these in your own life and relationships?
Read John 15:9-13, 1 John 4:8, Romans 5:8 and 1 Timothy 1:15.
- After reading these verses together, how do you see the Gospel confronting our judgmental heart attitudes?
- What is the difference between the love of Christ and judgmentalism? Is it possible to judge and love at the same time? Why or why not?
- How did Jesus display is love for humanity? What does this say about how Jesus sees people? How should this shape the way we see people?
- How does Paul’s saying “I am the worst of sinners” have the potential to change the way we see other people? (i.e. “I need grace as much or more than anybody!)
What practical next steps do you feel God calling you to take in response to our discussion together? (i.e. speaking words of blessing instead of cursing, soaking in the love of God, looking in the mirror, asking God to convict us when we are judgemental).
