THIS IS A REAL MESS

Planning the Session

Session Goals

Through conversation, activities, and reflection, participants will:

• Explore what it means to be made in the image of God;

• Consider the damaging consequences of sin;

• Examine our reluctance to face our sin;

• Discover ways to begin the process of restoring the beauty of God's image in our lives.

Biblical Foundation

• Luke 18:9-14

• Genesis 1:27

Before the Session

• Set up a table in the room with nametags, markers, Bibles, extra copies of Restored, a small stack of printer or notebook paper, and pencils.

• Have available a chalkboard and chalk, a dry-erase board and markers, or large sheets of paper and markers to record participants' responses during the session.

• In preparation for the "Leading into the Study" activity, write this quotation from Luke 18:11 on the board or a large sheet of paper: "God, I thank you that I'm not like everyone else." Leave space below for writing group responses.

Getting Started

Opening Activities

Greet participants as they arrive and invite them to make a nametag. Have a supply of Bibles and extra copies of Restored on hand for those who may have forgotten to bring one. Also be sure that each participant has paper and pen or pencil, or the electronic equivalent, as these will be used throughout the session.

Introductions

Introduce yourself and share why you are excited about facilitating this study of Restored.

If you sense that the participants in your group do not know each other well, allow time for them to introduce themselves and share something about their relationship with the church — for example, the name of a church group to which they belong, a mission project they support, or a particular worship service they attend. Extend a special welcome to those people who does not regularly attend your church and invite them to worship at your church if they do not have a church home.

Leading into the Study

Read or ask someone to read Luke 18:11-12. Write responses to the following questions on the sheet you prepared before class.

• Note the general categories: "crooks, evildoers, adulterers ... tax collector." What modern-day examples might we include to prove our point to God that we are not like everyone else? (Some examples are bank robbers, hijackers, kidnappers. Record the first four or five responses from the group.)

• Note the Pharisee's examples of fasting and tithing to prove his righteousness before God. What modern-day examples of our own righteousness might we point out to God? (Some examples are attending worship, teaching Sunday school, singing in the choir.)

Housekeeping

• Share any necessary information about your meeting space and parking.

• Let participants know you will be faithful to the time and encourage everyone to arrive on time.

• Encourage participants to read the upcoming chapter each week and do any "homework" that may be suggested.

• Suggest that participants may want to have a notebook or an electronic equivalent for use during the study. Explain that it may be used for recording questions and insights as they read the book and attend the sessions. It may also be used for writing reflections as they consider the topic of restoration.

• Stress the importance of confidentiality within the group. Ask participants to covenant together that they will respect a policy of confidentiality.

Opening Prayer

Holy God, it amazes us that you love us enough to have created us in your image. We are sorry that we allow sin to damage the beauty of your image within us. Guide us along this journey. Help us to clearly see the sin in our own lives. Grant us courage and wisdom as we accept the mess we have made. Show us how to take steps to clean up the mess. Thank you for the opportunity to be restored into a right relationship with you. Amen.

Learning Together

Video Study and Discussion

Introduce the video by inviting participants to first imagine a showroom of new cars, then to imagine a junkyard filled with cars that have been in accidents. Note that the setting for this video is a junkyard, and Tom Berlin compares a car that has been messed up in a wreck to our lives that are messed up by sin.

Ask participants to make note of any of Tom's comments that describe their own lives or situations as they watch the video. (This video is a bit shorter than the others — about five minutes rather than seven to ten minutes — to allow more time for first-session introductions and housekeeping.)

After viewing the video, ask:

• How does Tom Berlin define sin in the video?

These next two questions are very personal. Remind participants that sharing is completely voluntary. You may want to share a response to one or both questions to help start the conversation. If no one wants to share, then allow a few minutes for participants to write down responses for further reflection. Ask:

• Which of Tom Berlin's comments about the life of an automobile also describe your life?

• Can you think of some part of your life or some relationship you have that really is in need of attention and repair?

Bible Study and Discussion

Read, or invite someone to read, Luke 18:9-14. Ask:

• What was the attitude of the Pharisee when he prayed?

• What was the attitude of the tax collector when he prayed?

• Which one was "justified" or granted a right relationship with God after his prayer? Why? (You may want to invite participants to refer to the section in Restored titled "The Pharisee and the Tax Collector" for more information about what it means to be justified before God.)

Close this discussion by calling attention to Tom Berlin's point that our encounters with God should leave us "with a sense of humility or gratitude for God's grace." God's work of restoration in our lives is hindered by our pride and self-righteousness.

Book Study and Discussion

Review Tom Berlin's opening remarks about the painting in the Sistine Chapel. Invite participants to respond to these two observations about the painting:

• "The image consists of two hands. The one on the right is the hand of God, reaching toward Adam, trying to make contact and infuse him with life. The hand on the left belongs to Adam, who reaches feebly back, fingers slack, as if thinking: I don't know. I kind of maybe want what God is offering. Sort of. Not sure. I hope to get around to it. I need to think about it awhile."

• "When you stand in the Sistine Chapel and look at the piece, your eye will inevitably compare the figure of God in active pursuit to the figure of Adam in passive repose."

Created in the Image of God

Read Genesis 1:27 — "God...