What Would You Do?
Sometimes it's easier to get into Scripture when it can be looked at in light of some everyday situations. The following six situations are designed to help you to think through various passages of Scripture and how they might apply to you personally. When you are finished, if you would like you could share your conclusions with me, your pastor. Just post your thoughts if you would like. You also could work together with your friends and or your family.
Maybe you could use this as family devotionals.
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Jeremiah 17:9-10
Cheating
In an English exam you need an A or B to pass the course for the semester. You studied long and hard. Your friend didn't study at all. While the teacher is busy checking papers, you notice that your friend is copying answers from another student who always does well. You get a C while your friend gets an A.
1. How do you feel?
2. What would you do as a Christian?
3. Does this experience change your relationship with your friend?
4. Would you discuss the issue with your best friend? Or other friends, your parents, the teacher?
5. How would you feel if you were the cheater with an A knowing your friend studied and received only a C when he needed at least a B?
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Proverbs 1:29-31
Instant Gratification
Your college buddies are going on a road trip and going to an amusement park and you need $50. Because your parents agreed to help you earn money while attending school full time by allowing you to keep money from the recycling of aluminum cans and odd jobs around the house.
Normally the money is put into your college budget account. On the way home with the money, you discover a new CD by your favorite group and decide you can get the money for the trip from the next lawn you mow, so you buy it. When you get home your parents are very upset and tell you that they will not help you earn any more money and, because you broke the agreement, you cannot go on the trip even if you have the money.
1. How do you feel?
2. How do you think your parents might feel?
3. Who was cheated?
4. Has an impulsive act such as the above ever cost too high a price?
5. If you were the parent would you have handled this differently? If so how?
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Proverbs 3:1-6
Trust
Friendship is one of the most precious things there is. It should be a given in any friendship, or in any close relationship for that matter, that you can trust the other person. You felt that you could trust your friend with anything, if you find out you have trouble trusting your friend after you found out your friend was posting things about you that was told in secret and not to be shared with anybody.
You have to ask yourself if you are really such good friends to begin with. Without trust a relationship is really not worth all that much.
1. Did your friend "fess up" or try to "fake it?"
2. Will your friend go sneaking around again now that you are beginning to trust them again?
3. How do you think your friend felt when you let know that they had betrayed their trust in you?
4. Would a Christian react differently than a non Christian? Should there be a difference?
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Proverbs 16:6
Loyalty
You are at your friend's house. Your friend "sneaks" some money for you from his roommate’s wallet. You say nothing, even though you think it is not quite right not to ask. On the way home from school, you and your friend stop at the store to pick up an item for your mom`s birthday. When you leave the store, your friend gives you a bunch of candy bars. After you've eaten it some,
your friend tells you he "sneaked" it for you from the store.
1. How does the candy taste now?
2. How do you feel about your friend?
3. Should you tell someone? Who?
4. Should you have discussed it earlier when you noticed that the friend was "sneaking" the cookie at home?
5. Would you discuss this with your parents? Why or why not?
6. If this pattern continues, does your friend deserve your loyalty?
7. Can you get into trouble for being loyal? How or why not?
8. Does loyalty overlook anything and everything?
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Deuteronomy 5:16, 1 Samuel 19:1-3
Obedience
Your parents don't allow you to call guys on cell telephone. You feel times have changed and your parents are just old-fashioned. You go to your best friend’s house "to use her cell phone." The parents discover you are using the cell phone to call guys
and they also know that your parents do not approve or allow it.
1. In what position do you place your best friend’s parents?
2. Do you know why your parents do not want you to call guys?
3. Do you open discussions with your parents, or just complain to your friends?
4. Do you expect parents to automatically know how you feel? Why or why not?
5. Will your parents trust you if they find out?
6. Did you consider the consequences of being found out?
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Matthew 25:34-40
Respect for Others
Your and a group from your job goes on a retreat to discuss ideas and thoughts. You find yourself the only person from your group to have ideals to discuss. You are not being included so you speak up but the others ignore you. You ask a question or make a suggestion. They just pour cold water on your ideas. You attempt to sit closer to the nucleus of the group and someone moves the chair out and your unable sit closer.
1. How did you feel?
2. Could you have done anything to improve your situation?
3. What should the group have done?
4. Did it upset you?
5. If you had been part of the antagonizing group, what would or could you have done to improve the situation?
6. Have you ever been part of a group that excluded someone? How did you feel? What were your thoughts and or your actions?
7. Would a Christian react differently than a non Christian? Should there be a difference?
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Final Question:
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