By Michael C. Mack
1. With whom did you share God’s grace and forgiveness last week?
2. What should we take with us when we go to worship God?
Ask two people to read aloud Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; 7:8-19; Matthew 9:9-13; 1 John 1:1-2 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to summarize the main points from the passages in two minutes or less.
3. After reading and hearing these passages, how would you answer the questions in Micah 6:6?
4. What do you learn about God’s nature from these passages? (And how does Jesus embody God’s nature?)
5. Justice and mercy are more than just biblical concepts. They took on flesh in Jesus. How did Jesus personify both justice and mercy in Matthew 9:9-13?
6. What do you learn about yourself, especially regarding your relationship with God, from these passages?
7. The God of mercy (see especially Micah 7:18-19) desires mercy from us (Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8). How will you act justly and show mercy to another person as you walk humbly with God this week?
8. Jesus’ first disciples saw and heard Jesus, and then they testified (proclaimed) to others about him. How will you use the passages we’ve studied today to proclaim to others the eternal life Jesus came to give?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. Conclude your time together by rereading Micah 7:18-19 as a group prayer. To go deeper, allow others to add to this prayer in their own words.
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Amos 9:5-15. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Author: Christian Standard
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