jesus is your friend
6.
Read James 4:4-8. How are we supposed to be friends with the same types of people Jesus was friends with without being friends of the world? What is the difference, and how can we live that out?
Application 7.
8.
We never really want to be friends with people who have a low opinion of us. What can we do to remind ourselves of God’s view of us and that He wants to be our friend?
What is the next step you need to take to build your friendship with Jesus?
week 2 April 23, 2017
Scott Simmerok
lead pastor
JESUS IS YOUR FRIEND. “You are my friends if you do what I command.” ~ Jesus John 15:14
9.
In his book Judah Smith wrote about the time he realized he had no “really bad” friends and decided that was part of his problem. Do you think you have a healthy amount of “not like you” relationships? If not, how can you change that?
WHY DO WE RESIST FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS? 1. _________________________________: “Jesus would not want to be my friend.” Two categories of people, only one were his friends
“For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13
Jesus’ reputation was . . .
“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’” Matthew 11:19
We feel self-condemned because we come up short, ________________________ and __________________. Luke 19:1-10 500 sands drive, san jose ca 95125 | www.churchonthehill.com
2. ____________________________________: “I don’t ___________ Jesus to be my friend.” You might be self-righteous if . . . You mess up, but others sin. You make mistakes, but others are bad or evil. You focus on the “reason” you make mistakes, but everyone else has “excuses” for their bad behavior. You are offended by people who sin differently than you. You see others mistakes and feel outrage or pity. You distinguish between levels of sin. You flaunt your good deeds and hide your dark side. Humility and compassion are replaced by judgmentalism. “We swing from the self-righteous side of the pendulum (That filthy sinner deserves to go to hell!) to the self-condemning side (I’m a filthy sinner who deserves to go to hell!). Both extremes come from focusing on rules rather than on a relationship with Jesus.” ~ Judah Smith, Jesus is _____. page 25
COMMUNITY GROUP QUESTIONS Before your group meets this week read the “Jesus Is Your Friend” section (pages 1-32) of Jesus is ______. Getting to Know You 1.
Think about the best friends you had as a child. What did/do you like about them? What is your favorite or funniest story with them?
2.
In his message on Sunday Scott said that Jesus is a friend only to sinners, but not to the self-righteous. What does that mean for us? How do we know which camp we are in, and what is the difference?
3.
Looking at your notes from the message, was there anything that you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged you, or confused you?
3. ___________________________________: “I won’t measure up as a good friend to Jesus.”
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” ~ Jesus, John 15:13-14
Stages of friendship with Jesus: (adapted from Judah Smith’s stages of friendship with Jesus)
________________________________: “I am a good person, and I am justified in criticizing bad people.”
_________________________________________________: “I am a good person, but I should show compassion to bad people.”
____________________: “I am a sinner who needs just as much help as the next guy.”
________________: “I am loved by Jesus, just as I am, and so is everyone else.”
__________________: “Because of Jesus’ continuous love for me and others, I will be Jesus’ friend by loving Him and loving others.”
Into the Bible 4.
Read Luke 19:1-10. From that passage and from what you have read in Jesus Is ______. this week, what lessons do you take away from the story of Zacchaeus?
5.
Read John 15:9-17. Sometimes it seems like friendship with Christ is totally free and not based on anything we do, and at other times it seems like we can be Christ’s friend only if we _______ (fill in the blank). How do you make sense of the two seemingly conflicting ideas?
Read James 4:4-8. How are we supposed to be friends with the same types of people Jesus was friends with without being friends of the world? What is the difference, and how can we live that out?
Application 7.
8.
We never really want to be friends with people who have a low opinion of us. What can we do to remind ourselves of God’s view of us and that He wants to be our friend?
What is the next step you need to take to build your friendship with Jesus?
week 2 April 23, 2017
Scott Simmerok
lead pastor
JESUS IS YOUR FRIEND. “You are my friends if you do what I command.” ~ Jesus John 15:14
9.
In his book Judah Smith wrote about the time he realized he had no “really bad” friends and decided that was part of his problem. Do you think you have a healthy amount of “not like you” relationships? If not, how can you change that?
WHY DO WE RESIST FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS? 1. _________________________________: “Jesus would not want to be my friend.” Two categories of people, only one were his friends
“For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13
Jesus’ reputation was . . .
“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’” Matthew 11:19
We feel self-condemned because we come up short, ________________________ and __________________. Luke 19:1-10 500 sands drive, san jose ca 95125 | www.churchonthehill.com
2. ____________________________________: “I don’t ___________ Jesus to be my friend.” You might be self-righteous if . . . You mess up, but others sin. You make mistakes, but others are bad or evil. You focus on the “reason” you make mistakes, but everyone else has “excuses” for their bad behavior. You are offended by people who sin differently than you. You see others mistakes and feel outrage or pity. You distinguish between levels of sin. You flaunt your good deeds and hide your dark side. Humility and compassion are replaced by judgmentalism. “We swing from the self-righteous side of the pendulum (That filthy sinner deserves to go to hell!) to the self-condemning side (I’m a filthy sinner who deserves to go to hell!). Both extremes come from focusing on rules rather than on a relationship with Jesus.” ~ Judah Smith, Jesus is _____. page 25
COMMUNITY GROUP QUESTIONS Before your group meets this week read the “Jesus Is Your Friend” section (pages 1-32) of Jesus is ______. Getting to Know You 1.
Think about the best friends you had as a child. What did/do you like about them? What is your favorite or funniest story with them?
2.
In his message on Sunday Scott said that Jesus is a friend only to sinners, but not to the self-righteous. What does that mean for us? How do we know which camp we are in, and what is the difference?
3.
Looking at your notes from the message, was there anything that you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged you, or confused you?
3. ___________________________________: “I won’t measure up as a good friend to Jesus.”
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” ~ Jesus, John 15:13-14
Stages of friendship with Jesus: (adapted from Judah Smith’s stages of friendship with Jesus)
________________________________: “I am a good person, and I am justified in criticizing bad people.”
_________________________________________________: “I am a good person, but I should show compassion to bad people.”
____________________: “I am a sinner who needs just as much help as the next guy.”
________________: “I am loved by Jesus, just as I am, and so is everyone else.”
__________________: “Because of Jesus’ continuous love for me and others, I will be Jesus’ friend by loving Him and loving others.”
Into the Bible 4.
Read Luke 19:1-10. From that passage and from what you have read in Jesus Is ______. this week, what lessons do you take away from the story of Zacchaeus?
5.
Read John 15:9-17. Sometimes it seems like friendship with Christ is totally free and not based on anything we do, and at other times it seems like we can be Christ’s friend only if we _______ (fill in the blank). How do you make sense of the two seemingly conflicting ideas?
