October 11 & 12 - Queen of Diamonds

Core Scripture:
Matthew 5:27-30

Memory Verse:
Hebrews 12:1 (NIV) "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sine that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Discussions Questions:

1. What law was Jesus completing in this teaching? Why did it need to be completed?
2. What new spin did Jesus put on this law? What did He say was at the root of lust and anger?
3. Why did Jesus speak in this strong overstatement? What does this tell us about the seriousness of lust and anger in our lives?
4. Why should amputation "smoke" hesitation in our lives? What will it look like for us to follow God's Ultimate Authority and "amputate" instead of "hesitate"?
5. When should we not "amputate"? How can we learn to do this only at the appropriate times?
   

Bottom Line:

• The radical message that amputating the sin smokes hesitating to act is one that a disciple must master. Even if you haven’t murdered someone or killed your own marriage, it doesn’t mean that you are not guilty in your heart. If your words, attitudes, and thoughts are infected, then don’t hesitate – amputate.

• Jesus was once again after our hearts and true intentions. We must stop lustfully looking after things that are not ours, and we must guard what is pouring through our retinas into our brains. Jesus asks us to get to the root of our lustful behavior, and when we find it, to amputate instead of hesitate. So quit making excuses and cut out whatever is robbing your life of the luster God wants it to reflect.

• Those who hesitate are not just lost; they are dead. So cut it off, cut it out, and cut free to embrace the value and luster God created you to possess.