Week 14: Matthew 7:12 = Others
Who are the kinds of friends you want in your life? How do you want to be treated in life? In Matthew 7:12 Jesus gave us what has been called “the golden rule”, to treat others the way you want to be treated, teaching us to go first in being the kind of friend of who you would want as a friend and treating people the way we would want to be treated.
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DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
- When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
- Talk about a memory you have of a childhood friend?
- Who is the kindest person you’ve ever known? What stands out about their kindness?
Make a List: What words would you use to describe someone who would be a great friend?
*Brainstorm as many as possible but at least 10. After you have made the list, read through all the qualities you listed out and then answer these questions: Does that list describe you?
- Which ones describe you and which ones do you struggle at living out as a friend?
- This week Doug talked about this verse that’s been referred to as “the golden rule”…
READ: Matthew 7:12. What observations do you have about that verse?
The “Golden Rule” also is mentioned in Jesus’ teaching in Luke 6:27-36…
READ: Luke 6:27-36
Spend some time SOAPing this passage. You can either spend time SOAPing individually and documenting for a several minutes and then spend time sharing with each -OR- SOAP in real time with each other. Either way make as many observations as you can.
- Observations: What are the things that stand out to you about this passage?
- How would you summarize this passage in one sentence?
- What does this passage tell me about who God is?
- What does this passage tell me about who I am?
Read these verses and briefly talk about how they speak to the way we treat others:
Matthew 22:34-40
Galatians 5:14
Romans 13:8-10
- HOW can I be a good, godly friend to others this week?
- WHO will I seek to be a good, godly friend to this week?
- What are the applications of how we treat strangers and even enemies? How will you do live that out this week to them?
- What else stood out from this week’s sermon?
APPLICATION: What is your big takeaway from this week’s sermon? Be specific.
NEXT STEPS:
Everyone has a next step to apply what we have learned. What is your next step?Be specific.
MEMORY VERSE: *Challenge yourself or your group to commit this verse to memory:
Matthew 7:12 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
PRAYER:
Spend some time praying for each other.
Scripture References:
Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31; Matthew 22:34-40; Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:14; John 15:12-15; 1 Peter 2:21