StoneBridge Community Church
Interim Pastor Neal Nybo
More common than ever, an us versus them attitude is not a strategy followers of Jesus are to have. Making us smaller and them bigger, an us versus them attitude shrinks our world. In this week's scripture, Jesus encourages a compelling, alternative mindset.
Mark 9:38-40 NIV
If someone isn’t hostile treat them like friends.
If a person or group is not hostile, not against us, assume they are for us. In fact, treat them like friends.
GROWTH GROUP / PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. Does "If they're not hostile, treat them like friends." seem like an accurate interpretation of Jesus' principle in Mark 9:38-40?
2. Take a minute and come up with your own version of this principle.
3. However you say it, what implications does this principle have for Christians today?
4. Would practicing this cause you to think differently about any of the issues we face today?
5. What groups or topics in the news can you apply this to?
6. Which headlines don’t qualify for this principle?
7. If you had to choose one group that you are against, which would it be?
8. What do you know about their position or beliefs that make it seem they are against you?
9. As you think about that group, could it be that, yes, they believe or act differently from you but even so, are not actively against you?
10. Can you imagine them being either for you or, at least, neutral towards you?
11. What groups could our church work with, if our standard is - if they aren’t against us, they are for us?
Next step:
Reading one devotion from Richard Rohr’s website noted above.
