Sunday, February 19th

Have you ever thought about the power of a lie? We live in a world filled with lies, half-truths, deceptions, and now even fake news. Where’s the truth? What’s the truth? Is there truth, or is it all just relative?

Work through the following Scriptures and questions on your own, and get together with your running partner, Life Group, or friends and family to talk through what you are learning!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What is a common lie that you have heard either at home or work? What are some outcomes that result from this lie?
2. Do you ever have a hard time discerning what “truth” is? If so, why do you think this is? If not, what helps you recognize the truth?
3. Read John 18:37-38. Have you ever perceived in yourself, or perhaps in a friend, an inherent skepticism of what “truth” is? What might be a potential harm or possible benefit of questioning what others may consider to be true?
4. Read John 8:31-32. Do you tend to view truth as narrow and confining or do you see yourself as “set free” by truth? Although the truth can set us free, why is the message of truth sometimes so difficult to accept?
5. Read John 8:40. How do you react when someone tries to confront you with God’s truth? What is the best way you have found to express truth to another without coming across as arrogant, condescending, or condemning?
6. Are there any particular “truths” you find encouraging that describe the reality of how God sees you?
7. Read James 5:16. Have you ever experienced a “critical mass of confession” that made you feel free? Take a step out of darkness and toward the light by identifying a sin and confessing it to God. Consider the next step of telling at least one other person who can pray with you.

KEY SCRIPTURES

John 18:37-38 — “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him”

John 8:31-32 — To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:40 — “Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God…”

James 5:16 — “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

DIGGING DEEPER

• Find a Spiritual Running Partner — This week we learned about the important benefits of a spiritual running partner. A running partner is someone with whom you walk closely, sharing and listening in order to provide the encouragement, pacing, and motivation we all need to grow in the Way of Christ. Running partners meet or talk on a consistent basis and commit to sharing “the last 10%,” or the portion of their lives that we often leave out even when walking closely with others. Many people find running partners through Serving Teams or Life Groups. For what a spiritual running partner relationship entails, go HERE.

• Explore these Web Resources — This week’s message may have prompted you to ask some important questions about who Jesus truly is and about truth, in general. Consider exploring GatewayChurch.com/ExploringFaith and JesusFactOrFiction.com, which offer great videos and suggestions for further reading with facts about Jesus.

• Work through the Spiritual Growth Path — One great way to learn more about what Jesus taught is to work through the Spiritual Growth Path. It offers a way to assess where you are in your relationship with Christ and then allows you to dive deeper as you discover what it means to follow Christ, develop foundational “spiritual outcomes,” and deepen your experience of following Christ by cultivating those “spiritual outcomes.”

SPRITUAL OUTCOMES — Study God & Confession