Galatians 6:1-5

 
Series Setup

Ice Breakers

  • Have you ever gotten busted by someone - a parent, a teacher, the police, etc.? You don’t have to give all the details, but what happened?

    • How did they respond?

    • Did the way they responded help you own up to it and grow up into something more mature? Why or why not?

    • Would you have wanted them to respond differently? Why or why not?

Food for Thought

  • How does Paul call us to respond to when others are caught in sin?

    • Have you seen churches handle this well? …poorly? What made the difference?

    • Are Paul’s instructions different than the way you’ve been busted in the past?

    • Is this different than the way you’ve responded to others when you’ve found them out / they’ve confessed to you?

  • Restoration: What’s it mean to restore someone? Restored to what? And how?

    • How is this different than “accountability” in the church?

    • What does this require of the person who needs to be restore? What does this require of the person trying to help?

    • How is full restoration Jesus’ goal for each of us?

  • Gentle Spirit: Why does he emphasize that “spiritual” people will actually be gentle towards those caught in sin?

    • Does this sound like the opposite of what the most “spiritual” people would be like?

    • Does this mean we’re not tough on / serious about sin? Why or why not?

    • Read Romans 2:4 and James 1:19-20. How do this give us a fuller picture of the importance of kindness, restraint, and patience?

  • Why should we watch out for temptation especially when we’re caring for others caught in sin?

    • How is it a unique opportunity for comparison to creep in?

    • How can comparison change the way we care: our goals, our attitudes, our source of help and hope, or even whether or not we decide to care in the first place?

    • How can grounding our own lives under the level playing field of the Law help us care from and carry others towards a place of grace?

  • What does it look like to bear one another’s burdens when we’re caught in sin?

    • Read 1 John 1:5-10. Does anyone here need to confess? …help repenting? …help imagining what a restored life might even look like or how to even get there?

    • Does anyone need help figuring out what it looks like to care for someone else?

 
Who Cares?Scott O'Donohoe