June 7 – 13

Weekly Reading for June 7 – 13

Preparing for Next Week’s Message

Sermon Series: Take it Up a Notch
Sermon Title: How to Move Beyond Revenge to Reflecting Jesus

This reading plan will get your heart and mind set for the next message on June 14, 2015:


Reflecting on the Most Recent Sermon

Sermon Series: Take it Up a Notch
Sermon Title: You Can Commit Adultery with Your Clothes On
Delivered On: June 7, 2015

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Memorize and Reflect

"But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28)


Prayer Direction

Confess to God where you have crossed the lines of sexual temptation in your heart, mind, or with your actions. Pray for courage to cut off the source of lust-producing feelings in your life. If you are married, pray for your romantic life to be healthy and life-giving for you and your spouse.


“Live It!” Challenge

Truth and Consequences: Take time to be honest with yourself and God. Where are your eyes, heart, or hands wandering? Admit where you are crossing lines that do not honor God. Then, Think long and hard about the potential consequences. If you continue on this path, if you keep doing these same actions, if your heart stays heading in the same direction, what are some of the possible repercussion for you and others? Let these possible consequences help you turn from sin and toward God and holiness.


Small Group Discussion

  1. How has our cultural attitude toward sexuality and lust changed in the past decade? How might these changes impact Christians in negative ways?

  2. Read: Matthew 5:27-28
    What are some of the consequences and damages a person faces when they get involved in an adulteress relationship? Why is God so opposed to this kind of sinful behavior?

  3. What would you say to a person who believes that lusting, pornography, explicit novels, and other lust-producing images are “No big deal”?

  4. What are some of the sources of lust-producing images and thoughts that are readily available in our world today? Even if we try to avoid these, why is it so difficult?

  5. Read: Matthew 5:29-30
    Jesus is not calling us to literally cut out our eye or chop off out heart…thankfully! But, He is calling us to cut off our exposure to things that grow lust in our hearts. What are ways we can cut off the incoming images, ideas, and content that grows lust in our hearts (be specific)?

  6. Often sexual temptation begins when we have inappropriate emotional connections with a person other than our spouse. What are ways we can live with healthy boundaries to keep us from crossing emotional lines with people of the opposite sex?

  7. One way for married couples to battle these kinds of temptations is to make sure we have a healthy and thriving romantic/sexual relationship with our spouse. What are ways we can tend to our marriage relationship and make sure it is healthy?

  8. If a person struggles with lusting, how can reading and memorizing Bible passages help battle these temptations?

  9. Why is accountability so valuable when we are facing sin and temptation in our lives? How can we keep each other accountable to honor God in the area of our sexuality and growing in purity and holiness?

  10. How has our cultural attitude toward sexuality and lust changed in the past decade? How might these changes impact Christians in negative ways?

  11. Read: Matthew 5:27-28
    What are some of the consequences and damages a person faces when they get involved in an adulteress relationship? Why is God so opposed to this kind of sinful behavior?

  12. What would you say to a person who believes that lusting, pornography, explicit novels, and other lust-producing images are “No big deal”?

  13. What are some of the sources of lust-producing images and thoughts that are readily available in our world today? Even if we try to avoid these, why is it so difficult?

  14. Read: Matthew 5:29-30
    Jesus is not calling us to literally cut out our eye or chop off out heart…thankfully! But, He is calling us to cut off our exposure to things that grow lust in our hearts. What are ways we can cut off the incoming images, ideas, and content that grows lust in our hearts (be specific)?

  15. Often sexual temptation begins when we have inappropriate emotional connections with a person other than our spouse. What are ways we can live with healthy boundaries to keep us from crossing emotional lines with people of the opposite sex?

  16. One way for married couples to battle these kinds of temptations is to make sure we have a healthy and thriving romantic/sexual relationship with our spouse. What are ways we can tend to our marriage relationship and make sure it is healthy?

  17. If a person struggles with lusting, how can reading and memorizing Bible passages help battle these temptations?

  18. Why is accountability so valuable when we are facing sin and temptation in our lives? How can we keep each other accountable to honor God in the area of our sexuality and growing in purity and holiness?