Saturday - July 23, 2016

Woodlawn Family Bible Study
SATURDAY

BIBLE READING:  Matthew 25:33-46; James 2:13-16

MAIN IDEA:  “IS FEELING SORRY FOR SOMEONE IN NEED ENOUGH?”

DISCUSSION
I think mercy, as it applies to our Christian responsibilities, might be defined as withholding judgment and doing good to all those in need. God tells us He will have mercy on us if we show mercy. What can we do today to start showing mercy to others? 

It is easy to have compassion on the poor, homeless and hungry people that we see every day.  However, ask yourself this: Do I have enough compassion for this person to take action as Christ did?  After all, isn’t mercy just compassion in action?  If we don’t provide mercy to people who need our help we already know the consequences.

Are we guilty of judging why someone needs our help?  Do we try to justify our lack of action (mercy) because they don’t meet the threshold we have set within our own mind for us to show mercy to them? Do we clear our conscience from feeling guilty by setting a threshold for helping based on a judgment that we aren’t able to justify?  

Isn’t that a risk to our own salvation? Do we want to risk God’s mercy to us on our ability to judge if a person deserves mercy?  

We said that mercy was withholding judgment and doing good to all those in need. This is how we hope God will treat us when He judges us, right? So a person deserving mercy should not be a requirement to show mercy. We must show mercy to be pleasing to God. Can we be saved without the mercy of God? I don’t think I can. Remember James words in James 2:13, “For merciless judgment will come to the one who has shown no mercy.”  
The need for mercy is now. The opportunities are now. Don’t let Satan’s stumbling stones convince you otherwise. 

APPLICATION: Do we count on our weekly contribution as “our part” in meeting the needs of others?  Is this enough? 

Prayer Requests

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