Sermon Discussion Guide 7-5-26

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Ten Commandments | You Shall Not Lie | Exodus 20:16

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

Questioning Christ

• In what ways do the 10 Commandments reveal essential aspects of God’s character?
• Why might these 10 particular commandments be such a priority in God’s outline of how a healthy society should function?

Living in the Tension

• What evidence do you see around you of a distrustful society? 
• What are some of the different approaches the world takes to how and where truth is found? Where might God be on the move in those discussions?
• Why is it significant that the commandment about telling the truth is phrased in a way that focuses on the benefit to others rather than the benefit to ourselves?

Made New

• Read Ephesians 4:17-25. What observations do you have about the way this passage addresses truth?
• Why does it matter that truth comes from the Holy Spirit within us now that we are made new, rather than having to search for where to find truth?
• What does it mean to witness to the truth rather than just telling the truth?

Don’t Be A Cynic

• “Like all dreamers, I mistook disenchantment for truth.” – Jean-Paul Sartre. This quote laments the equivalence between being cynical or distrusting and being wiser or more intelligent. Do you agree with this quote? If so, why might we tend to assume cynicism is the wiser approach?
• Do you find yourself tending toward a cynical and distrustful approach to people? What might it look like to embody a more generous spirit in those interactions?
• Telling the truth is not just about calling out issues and problems, but also testifying to the good. What might it look like in your life to be a truthteller in the positive sense? 

Closing Prayer