Loving When It is Hard - Psalm 137 & Matthew 5:38-48

This Week's Scripture: Psalm 137 & Matthew 5:43-48

Crossroads Community Group Guide

A. Welcome: Welcome everyone, especially new people, and read aloud the purpose of your group.

B. Purpose: Our purpose is to spread the Kingdom of God. We do this by multiplying groups of people who care for each as God's family. We begin by inviting new people to our group and building them to be followers of Jesus. Each person here has the potential to be empowered to start and be the leader of a new group and spread God's kingdom.

C. Worship Time (Optional): Spend a few minutes singing a worship song. Here is one you may want to use: I I Give You My Heart (or pick your own YouTube video that shows the lyrics.)

D. Video Message                                                                  

       

E. Upcoming Events: Crossroads Website        

F. Review:

1. How did you do with what you want to apply from last week?
2. Who did you invite to the group for this week?

G. Opening Question (an icebreaker - a simple question to introduce the main theme):

• What is one time someone really hurt your deeply in your life?

H. Background Information for this study: 

To undertand a scripture especially a Psalm it is importnant to know the context. The context is what is the situation that caused the Psalm to be written. The context of Psalm 137 is the time when the people of Babylon invaded the land of Israel (Zion and Jerusalem) and destroyed it completely. People were killed, babies and children killed, buildings burned down and a group of Jews were taken captive as prisioners to the country of Babylon. That is what is happening that causes the Jews to write this Psalm or prayer to God. They are in Babylon as prisioners when they write this and are in deep grief. The Edomites are cousins to the Jewish people who encouraged the Babylonian people to attack the Jewish people.

As you study this Psalm try to understand how they must have felt and see if you can relate to it on some level.  

Jesus is our example of how we are to act towards those who mistreat and hurt us.

First Section: Psalm 137:1-6. Their feelings.

Second Section: Psalm 137:7-9. What they would like to do.

Third Section: Matthew 5:43-48. The challenge to love your enemies and those who hurt you.

In this study be sure to make a practical application to each section. Make application to your life including what you will do to tell other people the message.

J. Word: Read the scriptures above by section. Read it in smaller portions aloud together several times. (The goal is for everyone to understand the Bible story or verses by retelling them in their own words; keep at it until everyone knows the story or verses.)

1. What key (important) words do you see in these verses?

2. Tell in your own words what happens in these verses.

3. What are the details?

4. What jumps out at you and catches your attention?

5. What details can you add to what others in the group have said?

K. Discuss the following general questions together. (The goal is to use these general questions to guide a discussion. The leader should not speak for more than 30% of the time; let the group discover what God is saying to them.)

1. What catches your attention in these verses?

2. What new thing did you discover in the story or verses that you did not know before?

3. What did you learn about God (Father, Jesus or Holy Spirit) from the story?

4. What do you learn about people from the story?

5. What important lessons for us do you see in this story?