03.11.18 Small Group Questions

Point of View - Divorce

Main Point: Divorce is not the enemy of marriage; a hard heart is.

  • What’s one idea from the message that stood out to you? Why do you think it grabbed you?
     
  • This might be a difficult conversation but if your group feels safe enough share how divorce has impacted you and your family.
     
  • There was a time when many churches did not feel like they were safe places to go through or recover from divorce. Why do you think that was? What has changed?

Read: Mark 10:1-12

  • Frank said the Pharisees were more concerned about their rights than their responsibilities. They were always looking for a loophole. In what ways are we like that? Why?
     
  • Women in the time of Moses had few rights. Moses’ instructions in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 were for their protection. In Mark 10 how did Jesus elevate the status of women in his answer to the Pharisees?
     
  • David Garland wrote, “Divorce happens, but Jesus attributes it to a sclerosis of the heart – deliberate disobedience to God.” What are some ways in which we allow our hearts to grow hard, either in marriage or in general?
     
  • How can each of us foster a tender heart?

Bonus Read: If you have time, and are so inclined read Mark 10:13-16

  • Why are children so important to Jesus? In what ways should our spiritual lives should be childlike
     
  • Jesus just taught about marriage and divorce. Now he talks about children and childlikeness. How are these two subjects connected?

Prayer: Pray for your heart to become more tender.
Action: Talk about something specific you plan to do this week to cultivate a tender heart.