Join us as we dive deeper into the scripture passage from this past Sunday morning. Whether you’re in a group or just wanting to talk around the dinner table, you can use this discussion guide as we allow God’s word to shape us together in community!
Starting Off
What ways have you seen God at work in the past week?
What’s one thing you did as a kid that you knew you weren’t supposed to?
Read
12:1 So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. 2 The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. 3 The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. 4 One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”
5 David was furious. “As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! 6 He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man!
The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. 9 Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife. 10 From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own.
2 Samuel 12:1-10 (NLT)
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
6 You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.
Psalm 51:1-3,6, 10-12
Discussion
If you had been Nathan heading into give David God’s message, what would you have been thinking?
a. Oh, man. I hope he’s in a good mood.
b. God, you better protect me here.
c. Hey, he needs to hear this. He’s way off base right now.
d. I really hope he listens and doesn’t just react.
e. other _________________
How do you think you would have reacted if you had been David?
Why do you think it’s so hard for us to own our weakness, failures, tendencies to choose less than God’s best for our lives?
How might we be more honest with ourselves and others about what’s really going on?
Why do you think we so often just tend to manage our sin instead of look to God for healing and freedom?
If you were to pick one line from David’s Psalm to be your prayer this week, which one would you pick? Why?
Optional: What’s one area of your life we as a group can pray for God’s healing, freedom, newness this week?