Lesson Two Discussion Questions
Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time you have provided for us to come together to hear from you and have fellowship in your Word and to learn and apply your Word to our hearts. We need you, Lord. We need your grace all the time. We praise you for your goodness and your love and mercy. Please open our hearts to you and to one another and lead our discussion. Help us not to fear, but to put all of our hope in Christ. Help us to remember there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. May you be glorified in all our thoughts and words and deeds. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
I. LECTURE
Will someone share how the Lord used the lecture to speak to your heart? Did anyone have any questions or concerns about the lecture? If you ever have a question or something is unclear, please let us know. We want to serve you in any way we can!
II. PLEASE READ THE MAIN POINT FROM THIS WEEK’S HOMEWORK
Anger is universal. We can only push aside hurt and anger for so long. When we don’t take our hurts to the Lord, they turn to anger, and when unrighteous anger isn’t mortified, it reigns. In our weakness, we need Christ’s righteousness. It is not enough to know what is right. We must learn how to live it and live it in love through Christ in us. Many who proclaim they are Christians are not dealing with their anger biblically. They deny it or repress it and then lose it. We want to be able to walk in Christ’s love and His righteousness in all of our relationships, even in those difficult relationships with people who are slow to change. Because of His love for us and our love for Him, we want to choose, by His grace, to be Christ to them. We want to know the difference between walking in the sinful flesh and walking in the Spirit of Christ. As Christians, the terrain is challenging, but be encouraged! As you cling to your Lord and crucify your flesh, He will show you the way.
III. QUESTIONS FROM THE HOMEWORK
1. Go through the homework, occasionally calling on women. Read scriptures aloud. After asking a question, remember to allow a brief period of quiet “wait-time” to give women a chance to think before answering. After pausing, if no one shares, go ahead with your answer, rephrase question, and/or move on.
DAY ONE Devotion: Lord, Am I Angry?
2. Would someone please share what spoke to your heart from Day One?
DAY TWO
3. Quiet Moment - Read Matthew 5:21-22. What causes anger to rise up within you? What heart changes might you need to make?
4. Going Deeper Question #1 - What do you think God wants you to learn from Cain’s actions and choices? What is He communicating through the recounting of Cain’s sin? In what areas do you behave like Cain?
DAY THREE
5. Quiet Moment - Read Matthew 5:23-24. Describe a time when you reacted in anger toward someone – in your heart or with your lips.
6. Going Deeper Question #2 – How should we respond to others?
7. Question #3 – What typically upsets you or pushes your buttons? When is it most difficult for you to hold your tongue, manage your anger, or respond with grace and patience?
DAY FOUR
8. Quiet Moment - When you are angry, describe what you do when you are responding in a godly manner? What do you do on a “bad” day, when you give in to your anger?
9. Going Deeper Question #3 - What are the specific actions you wrote down for both putting off the “old girl” and putting on the new self?
DAY FIVE
10. Quiet Moment - What did Jesus do or not do when He was angry? What are some blessings that come as a result of responding to anger in biblical ways?
11. Going Deeper Question #2 – What patterns have you been able to identify in your responses or in the circumstances that tend to set you off and cause you to get very angry or very frustrated?
IV. PLEASE RECITE YOUR SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSES TOGETHER
V. TAKING THE TRUTH TO HEART TIME
We will now focus on taking God’s truth to our hearts and bringing it to life. James 5:16a states; “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” And 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Please turn to your Taking the Truth to Heart and Bringing It to Life page. We will each have 3 minutes so that every woman will have a chance to share. Please record one another’s confessions on the Taking the Truth to Heart Guide on the following page so you can pray for one another throughout the week. Leaders, please set the example by always going first.
VI. PLEASE CLOSE IN PRAYER
