The Law vs The Alabaster Jar | April 21

by | Apr 21, 2024 | Digging Deeper

 

Series: Gospel of Luke
Sermon Title: The Law vs The Alabaster Jar
Passage: ‭‭Luke‬ ‭7‬:‭36‬-‭50‬ ‭NIV
Reno and Carson Campus
Pastor Dave Pretlove

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Series: Gospel of Luke
Sermon Title: The Law vs The Alabaster Jar
Passage: ‭‭Luke‬ ‭7‬:‭36‬-‭50‬ ‭NIV

  1. What kind of person am I?
    Luke 7:28-30 NIV
  2. Is my faith marked by familiarity or is it marked by intimacy?
  3. When did I last love Jesus in a way that others couldn’t understand?
    2 Samuel 6:14-22 NIV
  4. How real is God’s grace to me?

GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Why do we look at others to make ourselves feel better about our sinful attitudes, thoughts, or actions?
  2. Both the Pharisee and the lady with the alabaster jar were sinners. Yet only one of them came to Jesus in faith with boldness and humility seeking forgiveness.  Why does it require boldness and humility to come to Jesus in our sins?
  3. What did the action of the woman reveal about her self-image?
  4. The woman came with a total sense of lack, with no pretense whatsoever.
  5. What area of your life brings out your sense of lack, and why do you think that is that attractive to God?
  6. Read Romans 3:20-23.  How is it easy to compare our sin to someone else’s sin and not see our need for grace?
  7. How do people use earthly riches, or assets to hide their spiritual poverty?
  8. How does acknowledging the depth of the sin in which we’ve been forgiven magnify our love for God?
  9. The Pharisee neglected Jesus and denied Him the common courtesies of a host to a guest during that time like washing His feet, a kiss for a greeting, and anointing His head with oil.  How can pride and a lack of humility cause us to not love Jesus as we should?
  10. What was the difference between the Pharisee and the women in the use of their earthly riches towards Jesus? 
  11. The woman was seen by the Pharisee as being reckless. What prevents you from loving Jesus with reckless abandon?
  12. Why does the older brother, become angry with the Grace demonstrated to the younger brother?
  13. What shaped the self-image of the broken brother and the proud brother? Why does that matter to us today?
  14. Read  Exodus 34:6-7  How does this truth about God shape your view of His grace for sinners? 
  15. Read  Romans 5:20-21 NIV These verses equate sin abounding and God’s grace. What do these two statements say about God’s desire to touch humanity?

SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON:

Exodus 34:6-7 
Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
Romans 11:5-6 ESV

RESOURCES:

 

MONTHLY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE TO TRY : Journaling

What is the point of Journaling? Why take the time and write down our thoughts? For some, it is to process, for some to express their emotions, and for others, it can be creative through drawing pictures. At the core of Journaling is the desire to slow down alert yourself and reflect on the presence and work of God in the day, week, or month. Journaling is a tool. This tool forces us in a rapid world to focus and be present with our inner thoughts and express them in a safe way. 

Many of us live our life on autopilot running full speed from one thing to another. How do you process where God has worked and moved, or what He is doing in the moment in your life? Let’s detach from the hectic for a moment and be present with the incredible gift of God’s presence. 

This month as we begin to explore this discipline, I want to start with this scripture,  Psalm 25:1 – Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.  Sit down with a scratch piece of paper. Read this scripture and write out your thoughts for 3-5 minutes. Express any and all thoughts that come to mind.

 

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Being a rule follower is something I thing resonates with many people. It is a way to be safe, a way to show to others that we are good and acceptable. It isn’t until we break the rules that we begin to identify with the concept of needing grace. That is True for me atleast. For many of my early years of being a Christ followers I felt I was able to earn my forgiveness and acceptance by God through following the rules he had laid out for me. The problem was that led to living two different very unstable lives. It was not until I had experienced the goodness of God’s grace that I began to actually begin to see myself as God saw me. Grace and acceptance of self is a difficult journey inward, and learning to accept God’s good grace can be difficult. I urge you to begin the journey of breaking your understanding of how God truly sees and loves you.

Rob Hans |  Pastor of Adult Discipleship and Connection