The Trouble With Jesus- Discussion Guide II

The following may not suit your group, because the goal is to get your group thinking, and thinking about thinking...creatively. We too often default to black and/or white. This or that. Living Kingdom lives, however, requires that we make decisions, solve problems and see the world from outside the immediate context. But to choose the "third way" is often dangerous, difficult, and even more costly. So, spend time with your group members thinking of ways to be more creative about your individual lives, issues facing our community, and how followers of the King of the Third Way can impact the world outside of simplistic thinking.

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Discussion Guide

Thaw

• There is a room with a door (closed) and three light bulbs. Outside the room there are three switches, connected to the bulbs. You may manipulate the switches as you wish, but once you open the door you can't change them. Identify each switch with its bulb.
  

Leader note: Make sure and ask anyone who has encountered this riddle before to not blow it for the others. Also, make sure and give a good chunk of time for the group to work at figuring it out (the side-effect of this, unrelated to the topic, is that it will help the team learn about how it works together- which is always a plus!). Using the third way metaphor, you may notice that the group defaults to ways "one" and "two": they will try to solve the problem mechanically by taking the switch apart to see what wires went where, or wondering about some special tool that tells them what connects where and how. This is not the solution. They may also begin talking about light peaking through cracks in the door, or asking questions about other ways to see the light. Not it. The second way may be seen in their evaluation of the words in the riddle- looking for tricks and plays on words. This may be followed by a barrage of questions that are designed to get more accurate and complete information from you. This is not the solution. The "third way" in this riddle is to think of heat. A light bulb riddle is about more than light and riddle. The bulb generates heat. The solution is to flip the first switch and leave it "on" for an extended period. Then turn it back off and turn the second one "on". Go in the room. The one that is illuminated belongs to the second switch. The one that is off but warm is the first. The third is off and cool. You may have other and even better riddles that require a third way of thinking. The point is that the first two ways are default, and the third required something more!

• What were your thoughts from Sunday's message?
  
• What surprised you, or left you wondering?

Read

• Matthew 5:38-48
  
• First reactions?
  
• Does this bring up any other thoughts from Sunday's message?

• Is Jesus' teaching easier or harder than the Old Testament commands He expands on? Explain.
  
• Is Jesus' teaching easier or harder than the Roman Government's laws that He expands on? Explain.
  
• Many Christians have made themselves heard in recent years about the public posting of the Ten Commandments. Why do you think we never hear Christians voicing a desire to see the "Beatitudes" of Jesus, such as in this Matthew passage, also being publicly posted?

• What is the difference between the creative and difficult third way, and merely being indecisive, wishy washy, compensatory or pacifistic? 

• What are some examples, in our lives, of black and white decision making that seems inadequate? Pick a few examples from what is shared, and discuss as a group what the Third Way may look like in each.

• What are some examples of dealing with one another in relationships that could benefit from a Third Way?

• What are some business ethics examples that need the creativity of the third way? Politics?

• Are there any decisions pending for anyone in the group that seem lose/lose- that they would be willing to share to see if the Spirit and the group could speak a third way into it?
  

Close prayerfully! A major component to all of this is that our third way creativity is bathed in the Spirit of Christ, rather than in our own ingenuity. That Spirit is realized in the counsel of others (Prov 15:22) and through continued prayer and reflection.