The Bridge Church
Upside Down Kingdom - Specks, Logs, and Hypocrites
November 3, 2024
Locations & Times
Englewood SKY Academy
871 S River Rd, Englewood, FL 34223, USA
Sunday 8:00 AM
Sunday 9:15 AM
Sunday 10:45 AM
1. Jesus calls us to avoid judgmentalism
Judgment is different than judgmentalism
2. Jesus calls us to judge humbly not hypocritically
Be gentle in correction as the goal is restoration, not condemnation.
“All we have to do is use our imagination, put ourselves in the other person’s shoes, and ask, ‘How would I like to be treated in that situation?’” – John Stott
3. Jesus calls us to pray rather than criticize
4. Jesus calls us to gracious love
MY NEXT STEP TODAY IS:
I need to receive Jesus Christ as my personal Savior for the first time.
https://thebridgevenice.churchcenter.com/people/forms/500390
I need to be baptized.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/baptism
I need to attend Starting Point.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/starting-point
I need to join a serve team.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/serve
I need to join a small group.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/bridge-groups
I need to receive Jesus Christ as my personal Savior for the first time.
https://thebridgevenice.churchcenter.com/people/forms/500390
I need to be baptized.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/baptism
I need to attend Starting Point.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/starting-point
I need to join a serve team.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/serve
I need to join a small group.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/bridge-groups
Dig Deeper:
1. What was your understanding of the Sermon on the Mount before we began this series? Is your understanding different now? If so, why?
2. What do you think of when you hear the word “judge”? What are the different definitions of this word?
3. Why does Jesus spend so much time focusing on how we are to treat and relate to one another? Why is that important to Him? Why should it be important to us?
4. What causes people to be against, or judge, one another? Why does this world make that “easy” for us?
5. Read Matthew 7:1. How is this taken out of context? Is Jesus saying that we are to never judge anything or anyone?
6. What is the difference between judgment and judgementalism?
7. Read John 7:24. What is “righteous judgment”? How is this different from other forms of judgment?
8. Discuss the ways in which a critical, judgmental spirit is revealed, including fault-finding, gossip, and slander.
9. Read Matthew 7:2. Unpack what this passage means. Why is this a significant statement?
10. Read Matthew 7:3-4. What would be the implications if you literally had a beam of wood coming out of your eye?
11. Have you ever had something like a small speck in your eye? If so, what was the experience?
12. Read Matthew 7:5. What is a hypocrite? Why is this word used?
13. Why is it vital for us to take the wood out of our own eye to clearly see the splinter in someone else’s eye? What does it mean that we can then “clearly see”?
14. What role does humility play in this action? What role does pride also play, in a negative sense?
15. Have you ever had someone help you with literally removing a small speck in your eye? How did you want them to help you? How did you not want them to help you?
16. Read Galatians 6:1-2. Is how you answered question fifteen the same way you would want someone to help you with any correction that you might need? If so, how?
17. Read Matthew 7:6. How does this passage relate to the ones before it? What is Jesus sharing here?
18. Read Matthew 7:7-8. Again, how does this passage relate to the ones before it? What should we do instead of criticizing? Why?
19. Have you ever, instead of criticizing someone, prayed fervently for them instead? What was the outcome?
20. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Why are we called to “pray constantly”?
21. Read Matthew 7:9-11. How should knowing who God is and how gracious He is shape how we pray?
22. Read Matthew 7:12. What is there a “therefore” here? What is it there for?
23. What is one take away from this sermon that you can intentionally live out this week? Share with others what that is and when you plan to do it!
Live It Out:
Bridge Church Family, let us be people of grace and truth. Do you struggle with a critical spirit? This week, observe when, and with whom, you have a critical spirit. Keep a record of them throughout the week. As you write down the observations of your critical spirit, with others or even with yourself, strike through these moments, writing Jesus, the Righteous Judge, over them all. Without Jesus, we are without hope. We cannot save ourselves by our good works, and we fall short. Commit to memorizing Colossians 3:12-13 and pray constantly as God brings to light those moments when you are critical. The way to live differently is to experience and live in the grace of God.
1. What was your understanding of the Sermon on the Mount before we began this series? Is your understanding different now? If so, why?
2. What do you think of when you hear the word “judge”? What are the different definitions of this word?
3. Why does Jesus spend so much time focusing on how we are to treat and relate to one another? Why is that important to Him? Why should it be important to us?
4. What causes people to be against, or judge, one another? Why does this world make that “easy” for us?
5. Read Matthew 7:1. How is this taken out of context? Is Jesus saying that we are to never judge anything or anyone?
6. What is the difference between judgment and judgementalism?
7. Read John 7:24. What is “righteous judgment”? How is this different from other forms of judgment?
8. Discuss the ways in which a critical, judgmental spirit is revealed, including fault-finding, gossip, and slander.
9. Read Matthew 7:2. Unpack what this passage means. Why is this a significant statement?
10. Read Matthew 7:3-4. What would be the implications if you literally had a beam of wood coming out of your eye?
11. Have you ever had something like a small speck in your eye? If so, what was the experience?
12. Read Matthew 7:5. What is a hypocrite? Why is this word used?
13. Why is it vital for us to take the wood out of our own eye to clearly see the splinter in someone else’s eye? What does it mean that we can then “clearly see”?
14. What role does humility play in this action? What role does pride also play, in a negative sense?
15. Have you ever had someone help you with literally removing a small speck in your eye? How did you want them to help you? How did you not want them to help you?
16. Read Galatians 6:1-2. Is how you answered question fifteen the same way you would want someone to help you with any correction that you might need? If so, how?
17. Read Matthew 7:6. How does this passage relate to the ones before it? What is Jesus sharing here?
18. Read Matthew 7:7-8. Again, how does this passage relate to the ones before it? What should we do instead of criticizing? Why?
19. Have you ever, instead of criticizing someone, prayed fervently for them instead? What was the outcome?
20. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Why are we called to “pray constantly”?
21. Read Matthew 7:9-11. How should knowing who God is and how gracious He is shape how we pray?
22. Read Matthew 7:12. What is there a “therefore” here? What is it there for?
23. What is one take away from this sermon that you can intentionally live out this week? Share with others what that is and when you plan to do it!
Live It Out:
Bridge Church Family, let us be people of grace and truth. Do you struggle with a critical spirit? This week, observe when, and with whom, you have a critical spirit. Keep a record of them throughout the week. As you write down the observations of your critical spirit, with others or even with yourself, strike through these moments, writing Jesus, the Righteous Judge, over them all. Without Jesus, we are without hope. We cannot save ourselves by our good works, and we fall short. Commit to memorizing Colossians 3:12-13 and pray constantly as God brings to light those moments when you are critical. The way to live differently is to experience and live in the grace of God.
Reading Plan:
Monday: Colossians 3:12-13
Tuesday: Matthew 7:1-2, John 7:24
Wednesday: Matthew 7:3-5, Galatians 6:1-2
Thursday: Matthew 7:6-8, 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Friday: Matthew 7:9-12
Monday: Colossians 3:12-13
Tuesday: Matthew 7:1-2, John 7:24
Wednesday: Matthew 7:3-5, Galatians 6:1-2
Thursday: Matthew 7:6-8, 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Friday: Matthew 7:9-12