Sermon Study Guide | Series: Let’s Be Honest | Sermon: Week 1 - Judaism
Scripture: Matthew 7:12 | Date: June 28, 2026

For this series we’ve developed a Let's Be Honest — Resource Guide

CONNECT - “A Personal Reflection”

This section is designed to help you relate personally to the theme of the sermon. It encourages you to reflect on your own life experiences and how they connect to the message.

Think about a time when you realized that knowing what was wrong was not the same thing as being able to fix it. Maybe it was in your health, your relationships, your habits, or your faith. What did that experience reveal about your need for help beyond yourself?  As we begin this series, consider where you may be tempted to reduce someone else’s faith tradition to a stereotype instead of approaching them with curiosity, humility, and love.

ENGAGE - “Exploring the Scripture”

This section invites you to dive into the biblical passage, discuss its meaning, and apply it to your life through thoughtful questions.

Read Matthew 7:12 and Romans 3:19-22 as a group and discuss:

• Jesus teaches, “Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.” How should this shape the way Christians talk about and engage with people of other faiths?
  
  
• The message described the law as a thermometer, not a thermostat. What does that image help you understand about the purpose and limits of the law?
  
  
• The message emphasized that the law was a gift from God, not a burden meant to crush His people. How does that challenge the way you have thought about the Old Testament or Judaism?
  
  
• Paul says that “through the law comes knowledge of sin” and that righteousness comes “through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” What is the difference between being diagnosed by the law and being transformed by Jesus?
  
  
• Christianity is deeply indebted to Judaism: Jesus was Jewish, the apostles were Jewish, and the Scriptures that shaped the early church came through Israel. How should gratitude for Judaism change the tone of Christian witness?
  
  
• The sermon named the pain Christians have caused Jewish people throughout history. What would repentance, humility, and respect look like in conversations today?

APPLY - “Putting the Scriptures into Action”

This section challenges us to take what we’ve learned and implement it in practical ways in our daily lives.

• Identify one person in your life whose faith background or worldview is different from yours. This week, practice curiosity by asking a thoughtful question and listening without trying to correct or debate.
  
  
• Reflect on where you may be treating obedience, spiritual disciplines, or moral effort as a way to earn God’s approval. What would it look like to receive your worth as a gift of grace instead?
  
  
• Spend time reading Romans 3:19-24 this week. Write down what the passage reveals about the law, sin, righteousness, grace, and faith.
  
  
• Practice “gratitude before critique.” Before naming differences with another faith tradition, name something you can honor, appreciate, or learn from.
  
  
• Consider where God may be inviting you to become a more thoughtful witness: someone who can communicate the good news of Jesus with both conviction and compassion.

PRAY - “Seeking God’s Guidance”

This section offers a short prayer to help us center our hearts and invite God to work in our lives through his scripture.

God, thank you for revealing yourself through your covenant, your law, your people, and ultimately, through Jesus. Help us to be honest without being harsh, clear without being careless, and faithful without being arrogant.

Give us humility as we engage with people whose stories and beliefs are different from ours. Teach us to lead with curiosity, gratitude, and love. Thank you that Jesus does what the law could never do on its own: bring grace, freedom, healing, and new life. Shape us into thoughtful witnesses who reflect the beauty of Jesus in both our words and our posture. Amen.

If you have feedback on this guide or ideas that would help your group engage more deeply, we’d love to hear from you. 

Your insight helps us continue growing as a church that wrestles honestly and walks faithfully together. Contact msummers@menlo.church

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