God & Sex: Sex, Etc. (09.09.19)
Opening Silence & Song
Open in prayer and then sit in 3 minutes of silence to shift focus toward this time of seeking God and practicing the way of Jesus. Finish the time of silence by singing the Doxology together:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen
Respond to Sunday’s Teaching
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 and then reflect on this Sunday’s teaching from Dave, especially these key takeaways:
- The aim of the coherent life philosophy of followers of Jesus is to please God. All life is directed toward this aim, and the Christian’s adapt their lives to this aim through self-denial.
- To be a follower of Jesus is to put primary importance on what Jesus teaches as “the way, the truth, and the life.” This includes His teachings about sex.
- All are sexually broken—whether in forms of promiscuity, pornography use, infidelity, lust, repression, anxiety, excessive suspicion, isolation, or so on.
- Christians are called to live in self-control.
- Sexuality in “full bloom” looks like generative self-giving. This finds expression any time people gives of themselves for a purpose beyond themselves through acts of compassion, generosity, or co-creation with God.
Discuss as a group:
- What were you most intrigued or challenged by in this Scripture or from Sunday’s teaching?
- What might be other competing philosophies of life in our world, and how do they influence you? Which do you find yourself most tempted toward holding as more important than pleasing God?
- In light of the concept of sexuality in full bloom as generative unity and co-creation with God for His pleasure, how can you see your sexuality finding meaningful expression in your life?
Prayer & Confession
Take 5-15 minutes to silently prayer or journal in a notebook or phone with the following prompts:
- What does God want you to know about what’s pleasing to Him in your sexuality?
- What does God want you to surrender to Him when it comes to your sexuality?
- Allow any guilt, shame, or grief you’re feeling to guide you to cross of Christ, where Jesus died for the forgiveness of your sins.
After praying, split into pairs of the same gender to practice confession, as James 5:16 instructs: “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” Take turns walking through following steps with one another:
- As a confessor, simply be open with anything you believe God is prompting you to confess, and then pray aloud with your partner.
- As the person hearing the confession, agree with your partner in prayer, and then pray for God’s gracious blessing and encouragement for the person.
- After praying, notice if God seems to be inviting any practical steps to take—whether quitting something, changing your mind about something, or otherwise.
Intercessory Prayer
Come back together as a large group and intercede in prayer for one another, for those you know who need prayer, and for God’s will to be done in our city.