Sermon Discussion Guide 5-17-26

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Ten Commandments | The Jealous God | Exodus 20:4-6

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read Exodus 20:1-17

The Second Commandment: Three Commandments in One

• The second commandment actually contains three commands: don't make an idol, don't bow down to it, don't serve it. What do you think the significance of that progression is? Why does it matter that it moves from making to bowing to serving?
• Looking back, can you recall a time when you could see this progression happening in your own life, where something went from desire to devotion to control without you fully realizing it?
• Romans 6:16 says that whatever you offer yourself to, you become a slave of. Some of the symptoms of that slavery might be constant anger, anxiety, isolation, addiction, and the inability to forgive or let things go. What are some other symptoms of slavery? Do any of these land close to home? Which ones are hardest to admit?

Hebrew Cosmology and the Stakes

• The Bible assumes a populated heaven with real spiritual forces, not just competing philosophies or ideologies. How does that land for you? Does it raise the stakes of idolatry for you, or does it feel hard to accept?
• All of us were raised with a modern, western worldview that explains everything through cause and effect: science, medicine, psychology, and economics. How does it sit with you to consider that there might be a spiritual dimension to the struggles you face that your rational mind can't fully account for?
• Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10 that the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons. What do you think it means practically that the things we turn to for control can become genuine spiritual captivity?

A Jealous God

• A jealous God is not a controlling God but a fighting God, one willing to give everything for the person he loves. How does the cross look different when you see it through the lens of divine jealousy rather than just divine justice?
• A jealous God will do whatever it takes for you to have a chance at freedom, peace, joy, and love. Is there an area of your life where you need to receive that freedom right now rather than keep fighting for control on your own?

Closing Prayer