More Holy People - Leviticus 18-19

September 25, 2022

Main idea: The law is a life-giving guide.

Leviticus 18: The law is ...

  • Life-giving


  • Countercultural


  • Expansive


  • Reflective



Growth Group Guide

Deep Dive 🤿

This fall get to know your group members better by inviting your Christian group members to share their testimony. This article and this article may be of help in preparing.

Gospel Questions ✝️

Q3: Why did Christ die for your sins?

A3: “Christ died willingly in our place to deliver us from the power and penalty of sin and bring us back to God.”

[Source]

Icebreaker 🧊

Read some of these laws.

  • Why do you think these laws were created?
  • Do they seem irrelevant today, or can you still see their significance?
  • Do you think the Bible is similar to these laws? Why or why not?

Complete the following: "The Bible is ..."

What have been your experiences with the Bible growing up?

Digging Deeper 🧭

  1. What does "grace" mean? How do we see God's grace in Leviticus 18:3? (Hint: What has God just done for the Israelites in Exodus?) Why is that so important?

A quote to help:

"God did not send Moses to Israel with a new method of forging relationship, one that would set aside the grace of God’s promises to Abraham, a plan that said in effect: If you keep the law, I will save you. It is precisely the other way around. Obedience flows from grace; it does not buy it. The exodus [i.e. redemption] precedes Sinai [i.e. law]. . . . Far from setting aside the promise of grace, the law was given to those who had been saved by grace in order to show them how to live in that grace. Thus Sinai does not bring fresh bondage but rather proof that the old bondage had been broken. In fact, we can speak of the law as a further act of grace, a gift to God’s people that serves his covenant and gracious purposes. Thus the call of the law is to translate God’s grace into action." (Michael Williams)

  1. Why do some people (perhaps you? 🙂) think of the Bible merely as a book of commands which are meant to limit our lives? How would you respond to a friend who feels that way?

  2. According to Leviticus 18:1-5 and Leviticus 18:24-30, why is Israel to obey these laws? Why is this important?

  3. What law in Leviticus 18 do you find most challenging? Why?

  4. What areas of life are addressed in Leviticus 19? Why do you think God addresses those areas in addition to the sexual issues address in Leviticus 18?

  5. How does the law – for example in Leviticus 19:10, 11, and 18 – reflect the character of God?

  6. BONUS: How does Jesus bring together who God is and what God commands? 💯

Need other questions? Use this set of generic questions to (1) explore different angles and (2) learn to study the Bible for yourself.

Next Steps 👣

Today we saw how God's law or word (or the Bible) is a life-giving guide that shows us how to live in God's grace.

Let's reflect on how we can respond well to the gift of the Bible.

  1. How do the following Scriptures demonstrate that God's word is alive and meant to be passed on so that it spreads and grows?

    • Psalm 78:1-7
    • Matthew 13:23
    • Acts 6:7
    • Romans 15:14
    • 1 Corinthians 14:26
    • Colossians 1:6
    • 1 Peter 2:9
  2. The author of this article suggests that one way to make sure God's Word doesn't stop with ourselves is to ask the following three questions at the end of group Bible studies:

    • What have we learned?
    • How should we pray and change in response to what we’ve learned?
    • Who can we prayerfully share what we’ve learned with and how?

What do you think of this idea and these questions?

BONUS: He gives the following examples for the third question: The answer to that third question may be as simple as this: “When I get home, and my flatmate asks me how Bible study was, instead of just saying ‘Good, thanks’, I’m going to say ‘Good thanks. I was reminded that…’”

Or it might be: “I’m going to send an email to a missionary to encourage them with the truth I learned tonight that…”

Or: “I’m going to figure out how I can simplify what I’ve learned and teach it to my children over dinner tomorrow night.”

Or, for those who are a bit braver: “I’m going to look for a way to share that truth with Jeff at the office, even though he’s not a Christian, because I think it would really help him to think about that.”

  1. Ask and apply the three questions above. 🙂

Upcoming Events

📣 Friday, September 30th at 7:30 pm – As we move toward establishing the elder board, join us as we explain more about elders and hear from the three elder candidates (Mark Freije, Howard Huang, and Birong Liao).

❤️ Saturday, October 1st from 10 am to 2 pm – Serve others by giving blood.

🛹 Friday, October 7th from 7:30 pm to 9 pm in room 108 – Youth Parent Group

🍁 Friday, October 14th through Sunday, October 16th – Youth Fall Retreat