Character Essentials: Integrity

 

Study Guide for Week of April 3, 2022 

This Week's Scripture:  Mark 6:14-30

Crossroads Community Group Guide

A. Welcome: Welcome everyone, especially new people, and read aloud the purpose of your group.

B. Purpose: Our purpose is to spread the Kingdom of God. We do this by multiplying groups of people who care for each as God's family. We begin by inviting new people to our group and building them to be followers of Jesus. Each person here has the potential to be empowered to start and be the leader of a new group and spread God's kingdom.

C. Worship Time: Spend a few minutes singing a worship song. Here is one you may want to use: Come Now Is the Time to Worship  (or pick your own YouTube video that shows the lyrics.)

D. Video Message                                                                   

       

E. Upcoming Events: Crossroads Website        

F. Review:

1. How did you do with what you wanted to apply from last week?
2. Who did you invite to the group for this week?

G. Opening Question (an icebreaker - a simple question to introduce the main theme):

• What is your best definition of integrity?

H. Background Information for this study: 

This is a fascinating study of a pivitol scene in the life of King Herod of the Bible. Notice how he is attracted to the message of John the Baptist but unwilling to commit to it. Notice also how he does not want to have John the Baptist killed but he does any way. Why is that?

We can learn from the mistakes of others. King Herod is an example of a lack of integrity and what causes people to lack integrity What are the many lessons you see in this story? Be sure to read it several times and make very practical lessons that can apply to your everyday lives today. 

We look at 3 symptoms of a lack of integrity .   

1. Symptom One: A Guilty Conscience  
2. Symptom Two: A Controlling Desire to Please People
   
3. Symptom Three: A Reluctance to Admit You Have Sinned

I. Verse Outline: Key Points to Discuss

       1.   Symptom One: A Guilty Conscience

•  Key Concept: Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching C.S. Lewis

• Key Verse: Psalm 32:3-5

For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

• Community Group Application: Community Group members know and apply God's word and let their God given conscience guide their actions in every situation

 

2. Symptom Two: A Controlling Desire to Please People

• Key Concept: A person of integrity desires to Please God in all situations no matter what others think or do. 

• Key Verse: Matthew 20:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

• Community Group Application: Community group participation and weekly church gathering are essential to live a life of integrity and live against the flow

3.    Symptom Three: A Reluctance to Admit You Have Sinned

• Key Concept: There is no better test of a person's integrity than what they do when they are wrong. Marvin Williams 

• Key Verse: Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. 

• Community Group Application: People of integrity are quick to admit to God and anyone effected that they are wrong and have sinned.

J. Word: Read the scriptures above. Read it in smaller portions aloud together several times. (The goal is for everyone to understand the Bible story or verses by retelling them in their own words; keep at it until everyone knows the story or verses.)

1. What key (important) words do you see in these verses?

2. Tell in your own words what happens in these verses.

3. What are the details?

4. What jumps out at you and catches your attention?

5. What details can you add to what others in the group have said?

K. Discuss the following general questions together. (The goal is to use these general questions to guide a discussion. The leader should not speak for more than 30% of the time; let the group discover what God is saying to them.)

1. What catches your attention in these verses?

2. What new thing did you discover in the story or verses that you did not know before?

3. What did you learn about God (Father, Jesus or Holy Spirit) from the story?

4. What do you learn about people from the story?

5. What important lessons for us do you see in this story?

 
L. Commitment - Obedience - Application

(This is the key - have everyone answer this question.) 

1. What specifically will you commit to apply in your life from this study? 

M. Prayer Time:  Break up into smaller groups of 3-4 - groups of the same sex           

1. Pray for your group to multiply.
2. Ask each other how you are doing spiritually.
3. Pray for the needs of the members of the group.

N. For Next time: Ask each person the name of someone they will invite to the group for next week.