These questions are connected to the message, “Blowing Up the Boundaries” from Sept. 12, 2021. You can watch it here.
Dive In: Read or listen to this passage (Luke 7:1-10) in an unfamiliar translation of the Bible (e.g. New Living Translation or The Message). How does this passage teach you about what God is like?
Reflect:
- This was a challenging passage. What new insights did you glean from knowing the cultural and political background of Roman occupied Israel? How did this story come alive for you?
- Jesus blows up the boundary system of insider and outsider. Do you find that confusing, uncomfortable, or heart-warming? Discuss.
- Have you ever found yourself as an outsider in some way in a faith group? What was that like? How did that impact you? How did it impact your image and understanding of God?
- Try to imagine what it might look like to remove our human-made boundaries and centre our community of faith on Jesus. What difficult scenarios might arise? What benefits do you see? How does this way of being bump into some of your assumptions?
Act on it:
- How might you begin to see the world this way? What might you do this week to begin to live this way?