Sunday July 11

Holy No’s:  Rightly Focused Protest Requires Humility

Start with a word of prayer asking God to open minds and hearts to the idea of humility in our faith journeys.

What does the word humility mean to you?

What are some of the positive and negative connotations that come with the word humility?

What are some examples of humility in Jesus’ life?

Discuss what you know of the following Biblical characters and how humility (or perhaps their lack of it) played out in their lives.

                Moses

                David

                Solomon

                Paul

                Peter

Who are some modern day examples of people who live(d) with great humility (expect that your list may well be short).

What can we learn from the successes and failures of these stories (both Biblical and modern day)?

The Greek word that gets translated as ‘humble’ simply means to lower.  Why is it essential in our faith to keep ourselves low?

In what ways is being humble contrary to what we’re taught in American society?

How do we get in God’s way when we forget to be humble?

What are some of the reasons that humility can be so difficult for us?

The topic for the series is rightly focused protest. Humility is clearly something God calls us too, but why is it an important part of protest? Or in other words…why is humility essential to our ability to stand up for and love others?

What are some of the walls and barriers that prevent us from standing up for others?

What are some areas of your own life that you need to let go of to allow God to be in charge?

Close in prayer asking God for the strength to keep yourself low, for the wisdom to know when pride is getting in the way, and for the kind of love that will allow you to love others in the same way that God has chosen to love you.