The Great Divide Study Guide
December 1, 2019

Connect

When it comes to Christmas, which side of the polarized spectrum could you relate with most: The “over the top” Christmas people or the “I’m over it” scrooges? Kindly explain your reasoning with the group.

For those who fall more on the “over the top” side, share a favorite Christmas tradition or memory. And for those on the “I’m over it” side, share your feelings as to why Christmas doesn’t mean that much to you.

Engage

In his message, Scott said, “To be human is to be born into the reality of personal, spiritual, relational, social, and societal divides.” What are some of the personal divides that you have been shaped or influenced by over the years?

Read 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
As followers of Jesus, we just read that have been entrusted with a very specific job, what the Apostle Paul calls “the ministry of reconciliation.”

What do you think that actually means, or rather, looks like in our actual, everyday lives? In what ways is this job easy and also, so very hard to personally live out? Share honestly with the group.

Read Luke 18:9-14

Jesus tells a parable about two men who were seeking God. They both had willingly come to the temple, watched the sacrifice, heard the trumpet sounds and scripture read, saw and smelled the smoke from the incense, and then they both prayed. And yet, there couldn’t have been a wider gap between them.

Why is that? What was the most significant difference between these two men, besides their occupation? How does this relate back to us?

Scott said, “You can do all the right things and still become the wrong kind of person. You can be religious and not be right with God…The problem with self-righteousness is that you can’t see the problem.”

How can our own self-righteousness (pride/arrogance) become a greater hindrance in our relationship with God even more than our unrighteousness (sin/wrongdoings)?

Ponder these words written by the great writer C.S. Lewis for a minute: “As long as you are proud, you cannot know God…And if you think you are not proud, you are very proud indeed.”

How can we, as followers of Jesus, prevent ourselves from passively becoming self-righteous “do-gooders” and rather seek to actively become “grace-giving ambassadors” to those around us? How might this shift within us impact those around us greater? How might it impact us and our walk with Jesus greater?

Read Ephesians 2:11-18 (NLT)
What is this passage of scripture trying to remind us of? What does it say about what God has done and how does this personally affect us/how we choose to live?

Apply

The tax collector went home justified because he knew that only God could make a way and that there was nothing he could do but simply confess his sin and surrender his life before God. And this is what closes the great divide between us and God.

Pray: Take a few extra minutes to pray together as a group (or break up into pairs) and practice the posture of humbling yourself together before the Lord. Pray for each other and give thanks for all the Lord has done in each other’s lives.

And finally, here are some meaningful challenges to take into the week -

Personal Reflection: “How are you and God doing?” Carve out some time this week to sit with God and honesty come before Him with listening ears and a willing heart.

Intentional Connection: Is there someone in your life who knows you and loves you, who can speak truth into your life and help you discern your blind spots? If so, reach out to that person this week to meet up for coffee or a phone conversation and invite them to speak into your life once again. And if you don’t have someone like that in your life right now, who might you reach out to and invite them to become that friend to you and maybe even you to them?

Be a Gap Closer: Who could you invite to join you for Christmas Eve service this year? Prayerfully consider and then bravely reach out to whoever the Lord brings to mind. You never know how meaningful or impactful your simple invitation may be.