INTRODUCTION

Self righteousness doesn’t look good on anyone. Jesus was righteous but people who weren’t still wanted to be around Him. In other words, people who were nothing like Jesus liked Jesus. There is something to learn from the way that Jesus taught people to understand those who were nothing like them.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Which way do you lean: Self-Righteous? Unrighteous?

2. Why are we quick to size some people or some types of people up and write them off?

3. Read Luke 15:1–7 aloud. What key words or phrases stand out to you in this parable?

4. Now, read Luke 15:8–10. What do you notice about this parable as compared to the one before it? In verses 7 and 10, what was Jesus trying to communicate about God's priorities?

5. Luke 15:11–31 is a parable Jesus once told of a prodigal son. The story has three main characters:

  • The son, who demanded and squandered his inheritance

  • The brother, who was frustrated that his good behavior seemed overlooked

  • The father, who welcomed his lost son back to the family

    Is there a key time in your life when you could relate to one of these three characters? Why?

6. Who in your life is it most difficult to rebrand as lost versus bad or evil? What difference do you imagine it would make if you did?

MOVING FORWARD

The shocking discovery that God looked at people who were far from him as lost rather than as unworthy turned a lot of peoples understanding of God upside down. Just as we don’t worry about things that are un-lost but rather on things that are lost, God has a deep desire to restore relationship with those of us who are far from Him. Is it comforting to you to know that God goes out of His way to be near you no matter what your behavior reflects? Does it surprise you that God doesn’t divide people into categories defined by good behavior verses bad behavior, but rather lost people and found people? What does that say about how He feels about you?

CHANGING YOUR MIND

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Luke 15:7