Opening Questions and Prayer
When has someone asked you to do something or behave a certain way and they themselves don’t do it?
How did you feel towards that person?
When is a time you’ve done the same thing?
Spend a few minutes praying for wisdom and insight from the Lord as you study the Bible.
Read Genesis 2:21-25 NLT
21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.
23 “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’”
24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. 25 Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.
How was the creation of the woman, different from all other creation?
What was God’s purpose behind creating a partner for the man?
What was God’s original design for the family unit?
How has the original design been distorted?
Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
What was the view of sexuality of the society that Paul was writing to?
What is our culture’s view of sexuality?
What are some ways people let sexual sin slide by?
How has the Lord made you holy?
Read John 8:3-11
3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
11 “No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
How were the Pharisees not practicing what they preached?
Why did they not bring the man forward to get condemned?
How did Jesus respond to the situation?
Why are people so quick to judge other people’s sexual sin, without dealing with their own?
What are some ways the church has done a poor job of addressing sexual sin?
What are some ways the church has done a good job of addressing sexual sin?
Why didn’t Jesus condemn her?
Does not condemning her excuse the sin?
How did Jesus call her to holiness?
Is there someone you have been condemning that you need to call to holiness?
How can you talk to them this week?
If you are dealing with sexual sin, who can you talk to this week about getting help?
Read Matthew 5:43-48
43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
How does Jesus tell us to treat those we disagree with?
How do you generally treat those you disagree with or don’t like?
What do you need to do this week to be more like Jesus in the way you treat others, especially your enemies?
Who is one person you can reach out to this week and ask for forgiveness?
Memorize it!
John 8:10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
Closing thoughts and prayer
When it comes to sexuality it’s easy to look at other people and point out the incorrect things they are doing. We want to fix the behavior, without working on the heart issue. When it comes to people who don’t follow Jesus, we can’t expect them to behave and live a certain way. We are to love them and show them God’s plan for sexuality by the way we live. For those who claim to follow Jesus, and are living outside of God’s will for sexuality (or any area), we should examine ourselves first. Then we should approach them and speak the truth in love and humility.
Spend some time praying for those dealing with sexual sin. Split the men and women to share some struggles you have in this area. Then pray for one another.