House Work, Honoring Parents

What will initially have to do with Mother's Day, we will see, has everything to do with kind of citizens we are (citizens of both the kingdoms of men, and the Kingdom of God.) Use this group time to talk about how to be a people of honor, regardless of the object of our honor being capable of earning it or maintaining it.

It's what we do, because God honored us before we could ever have been worthy of it.

Thaw

• How did your parents meet? What's their story?
• What did/do they do for a living?
• How are you most like your parents? Unlike?

• What most impacted you from the message Sunday?
• What one thing do you feel like was your personal take-away?

Read

Read each of thee and discuss the themes and implications of each one.

• Exodus 20:12 - "Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." (NIV)
• Proverbs 1:8 - "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching."(NIV)
• Proverbs 10:1 - "The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother."(NIV)
• Proverbs 23:25 - "May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice!"(NIV)
• Proverbs 23:22 ESV- “Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.”
• Leviticus 19:32 ESV - “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
• 1 Timothy 5:8 ESV- “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
• 1 Peter 5:5-6 ESV – “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.”

Discuss

• Why is honor difficult?
• What is the difference between humble honor and blind submission?

Leader note: Think about the difference between honoring someone that you fundamentally disagree with, or has been hurtful toward you. You can speak well of the person rather than putting them down to get even. You are not a mere victim of the person. You are not obsessed with revenge or public vindication. You don't let hate into your heart about them. It's the kind of strength that resonates with Jesus in the sermon on the mount when he speaks of offering the other cheek once you've been struck. It takes incredible strength and resolve. Contrast that with the kind of "honoring" that sheepishly tolerates abuse, obeying whatever is said regardless of the toxicity. A cowardly push-over that doesn't stand up for what's right so as to keep -pseudo-peace. This is not honor. It's weak and it feeds the darkness one suffers in.

• What examples of honor do we see in our society today?
• How do you respect someone while simultaneously disagreeing with their words, views or actions?
• How do we see Christ answering the previous question?

Apply

• Who are the people that we typically withhold honor from because of their failure of some standard?
• What can be done about this effective immediately?
• What are the hurdles in place for us being honorable?
• What is a way this group can honor its parents? What small step could be taken?

Leader note: Card or letters. Phone calls. An agreement to speak honestly about parents in any future story sharing (so that there is no pretending) but with honor and love. A commitment to stop blaming them for this or that until a season has been experienced where mom and dad's context and story have been fully considered. This is no small challenge!