This week I taught a small group lesson about how Christians should treat others. I used homosexuality as the example. Here’s the basic lesson plan I came up with:

• Tell the story of John 8:1-3 rather than reading it (to help make it more personal to the group)
  • Jesus always had a huge crowd following him
  • He was in town teaching “swarms” of people (The Message)
  • Jesus (and probably the crowd) were sitting down
  • The religious leaders brought in a woman caught in adultery
    • Shamed her in front of everybody
    • Exposed her physically
    • Exposed her sin
• How does this make you fee?
• How do you think this woman felt?
• How do you think the people felt about this woman?
• Was this the right way to deal with her sin?
• What if this was a rally at your high school and the woman was a homosexual classmate?
  • How would you feel?
  • Would that be the right thing to do?
• (Let the group discuss the situation for a few minutes with as little input from me as possible – they had a lot of great insight and a very opinionated discussion)
• Let’s look at how Jesus handled the woman – Read John 8:3-12
• Based on Jesus’ example, how should we interact with homosexual students?
  • If we pattern our lives after Christ, we would love people so they can have a chance to interact with the love of Christ through us
  • The religious leaders used this woman with the intention of throwing her away like a piece of garbage
  • People get treated like garbage all the time. Each of us knows how this feels
  • We need to treat people better than that
  • We wouldn’t want our sins broadcast in public like that
  • We would want to know we have a safe place to share and be loved
• Here’s the GREAT news for this woman:
  • Even though the religious leaders threw her out there like trash, Jesus totally redeemed the situation
  • She came in a sinner with little hope
  • Jesus restored her, forgave her, and sent her away with a new direction (go and sin no more)
  • Her great news is also great news for us (humankind) in whatever sin we would be accused of in that same situation
  • We are forgiven when we believe and repent
  • We can help others find that same restoration that none of us deserve – it’s God’s amazing choice to give it
• If we loved like Christ loved, there’s a good chance we will have homosexual students in our small group. I’m okay with that. Christ is willing that everybody will come to him and find salvation.
• Based on statistics, there’s a good chance at least one of our small group members has struggled with his sexual identity. I hope he would feel comfortable opening up in small group about his struggle.
• I hope all of you would feel comfortable opening up about private sin or family struggles so that we can help each other, pray for each other and support one another (James 5:16)

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Filed under: Lesson Helpers