Practical Theology

Great Teachers of the Bible
Featuring
Tim Keller
Timothy Keller is the founding
pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian
Church in New York City. He is the
author of numerous books, including The Reason
for God, The Prodigal God, and Counterfeit Gods.
Tim Keller on
Practical Theology
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how TO USE THIS RESOURCE FOR A GROUP STUDY

Study 1: Is the Bible Historically Unreliable & Regressive?
Leaders Guide Participants Guide
Study 2: How Does Sin Make Us Addicts?
Study 3: Is the God of Christianity an Angry Judge?
Study 4: Can Lust Be Idolatry?
Study 5: What Does Marriage Teach Us About Christ?
Study 6: How Should a Christian Think About Money?
Study 7: Does God Want Us to Be Happy?
2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com
T i m Ke l l e r o n Pra c t i c a l T h e o l o g y
How to use this resource for a group study
How to use this

resource for a
group study
This Bible study can be used for an individual
or a group. If you intend to lead a group
study, follow these simple suggestions.
Make enough copies of the Participants Guide for everyone in the group.
If you would like your group to have more information, feel free to copy
the leaders guide for them instead.
Dont feel that you have to use all the material in the study. Almost all of
our studies have more information than you can get through in one
session, so feel free to pick and choose the teaching information and
questions that will meet the needs of your group. Use the teaching content of
the study in any of these ways: for your own background and information; to
read aloud (or summarize) to the group; for the group to read silently.
3
4
Make sure your group agrees to complete confidentiality. This is essential

to getting people to open up.
When working through the questions, be willing to make yourself

vulnerable. Its important for your group to know that others share their
experiences. Make honesty and openness a priority in your group.
Begin and end the session in prayer.
Is the Bible Historically Unreliable & Regressive?

Leader s Guide
L e a d e r s G u i d e
Is the Bible Historically

Unreliable & Regressive?
We can trust th e Bi ble histor ically, cult urally,
an d p erson al l y.
There are many good things in the Bible, but

should we take it literally? Should we insist
that everyone believe and follow everything
in it? Arent there some things in the Bible that
are just wrongthings that are historically
unreliable? Isnt the Bible mostly legends? Many
have these questions and feel that much of the
Bible is culturally regressive and promotes certain
views that are best left behind. They admit there are
good things in the Bible, but dont think its entirely trustworthy
and completely authoritative in everything it says.
This study insists we can and should trust the Bible historically,
culturally, and most of all, personally.
S cr ip t ure: Luk e 1: 14 ; 2 4: 13 32
B ased On : Th e ser mo n Literal is m : Is nt the B ibl e H is to r ic al l y
U n reliable & R egressive?, by Tim o thy K el l er, Pre a chingTo d ay.co m

Leader s Guide
Part 1
Identify the Issue
Note to l eader : Provi de e ach p e r son w it h the Par t icipant s Guide

i n c l uded at th e en d of this study.
One of the things that most troubles people about Christianity is that they perceive the Bible
to be historically unreliable and regressive. Many people today say that the Bibleespecially
the Gospel accounts of Jesus lifewas concocted by the political winners. There are several
reasons why you can trust what the Bible says about Jesus:
1. All the New Testament accounts of Jesus were written too early to be legends. At the
very beginning of the Gospel of Luke, Luke challenges his readers to check his sources to see
how accurate and truthful his account is. Paul wrote his letters only 1520 years after Jesus
ministry on earth, and in 1 Corinthians 15, he indirectly challenged his readers to seek out
resurrection witnesses. In an effort to promote the Christian faith, Paul could not possibly
have written in a public document that there were 500 people who saw Jesus at oncemost
of them still aliveunless that was really the case.
2. The New Testament documents are too counterproductive in their content to be legends.
If I were a church leader living about 7080 years after Jesus and concocting these stories,
would I record that in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus asked the Father if he could get out of
the events that were about to take place? If you were a leader of the early church, would you
make up stories that highlight unflattering features of the early church fathers like we see in
the Gospels and Acts?
3. The New Testament documents are too detailed in their form to be legends. One of the
problems with saying the Gospel accounts have to be legends is that we dont know much
about ancient fiction. The novel or the short story, in which you have realistic fiction written
almost like history, is an invention of the 18th century.
Discussion Starters:
[Q] What arguments against, or doubts about, the Bible do you hear from those who
dont follow Christ?
[Q] What doubts about the Bible do you have from time to time? How do you deal with
them?
[Q] In what ways has your interaction with Scripture stoked your faith in God?
People these days seem to be more troubled by the cultural aspects of the Bible than the
historical aspects. They read things in the Bible that they consider offensive, primitive, or
4

Leader s Guide
regressive. Here are three ways to handle any text of the Bible that seems to offend you:
When you encounter a text that strikes you as offensive, consider the possibility that it
doesnt teach what you think it teaches. For example, in the text we examine in this study,
Jesus helps the Emmaus disciples see that they didnt really understand the Scriptures. They
were not patient with the passages in question.
Whenever you encounter something in a text that seems offensive to you, consider the
possibility that you are misunderstanding what the Bible teaches because of your cultural
blinders. The Emmaus disciples misunderstood the prophecies about the Messiah because, as
Jews, they were only thinking of the redemption of Israel.

Keep in mind that certain biblical texts might offend us because of an unexamined
assumption of the superiority of our cultural moment. Many of us read a certain passage of
Scripture and say, Thats so regressive, so offensive, not realizing that in other cultures that
passage might not come across as regressive or offensive. If youre offended by something in
the Bible, why should your cultural sensibilities trump everybody elses? If the Bible really is
the revelation of God, and therefore isnt the product of any one culture, wouldnt it contradict
every culture at some point?
[Q] What parts of the Bible might those in our culture find offensive?
[Q] Have you ever had a misconception of the Bible that you now understand to be a
misunderstanding? Explain.
It is often hintedand sometimes said outrightthat people who believe in the absolute
authority of the Bible, and therefore believe they should submit to its authority, have a cold,
legalistic kind of faith. On the contrary, a completely authoritative Bible is the prerequisite for
a warm, personal relationship with Godnot the enemy of it. When the Emmaus disciples
first encountered the authority of Scripture, they felt a love they had never experienced before.
The Emmaus disciples had been too busy reading Scripture as if it were about themwhat
they had to do for redemption and blessing. There are only two ways to read the Bible: (1) You
can read it as if its all about you and what you must do to be blessed; or (2) You can read every
part of the Bible as if its all about Jesus and what he has done for you. If you read the Bible
the first way, that is when an elevation of the Bible can lead to a cold and legalistic lifestyle.
Jesus is saying to you today through his Word that its not about you or what you have to do.
Its about him and what he has done. There isnt any place for a cold, legalistic approach to life.
[Q] Can you give an example of making the Bible be about you rather than being about
Christ?
[Q] Why would such a me-centered reading of Scripture be dangerous?

5

Leader s Guide
Part 2
Discover the Eternal Principles
Teaching Point One: You can and should trust the Bible historically.
C. S. Lewis was an expert in ancient literature. He had this to say when looking at the
Gospels: I have been reading poems, romances, vision literature, legends, and myths all
my life. I know what they are like. I know none of them are like this. [With] the gospel
texts, there are only two possible views. Either this is historical reportage, or else some
unknown ancient writer without known predecessors or successors suddenly anticipated
the whole technique of modern novelistic, realistic narrative. The reader who doesnt see
this has simply not learned how to read.
Heres the point: The New Testament documents dont have the form of legends. They
were written too early, the accounts are too counterproductive, and they dont match the
fictional style of the day. You can trust these accounts historically. They tell you what really
happened.
Read Luke 1:14.
[Q] What do you imagine is your next-door neighbors view of the Bibles reliability?
[Q] How have books and films like The Da Vinci Code affected our cultures view of
Scripture?
[Q] How does Luke 1:14 strengthen your confidence in the historicity of the
Gospels?
[Q] What is most convincing to you about this defense of the New Testament
documents: The New Testament documents dont have the form of legends. They
were written too early; the accounts are too counterproductive; and they dont match
the fictional style of the day?
[Q] How might you relay this defense to a doubting friend?

Optional Activity:
Purpose: To stretch your groups apologetics muscles.
Activity: Hand out index cards and pens to your small group. Ask individuals to write down
questions and arguments theyve heard dismissing the reliability of the Bible. Collect the cards
and read them aloud. Have your group respond to the doubts. How does this study address these
arguments against the Bible? What are some other resources you could use to help you in your
defense of the faith?
6

Leader s Guide
Teaching Point Two: You can and should trust the Bible culturally.
In Western societies, we have a problem with what the Bible says about sex. But we love
what the Bible says about forgivenessforgive your enemy; forgive your brother
seventy times seven; turn the other cheek; when your enemy asks for your shirt, give
him your cloak as well, and so on. Thats because we are driven by a culture of guilt.
But if you were to go to the Middle East, they would think that what the Bible has to say
about sex is pretty good. (Actually, they might feel its not strict enough!) But what the
Bible says about forgiving your enemies would strike them as absolutely crazy. Its because
their culture is not individualistic like ours. Its more of a shame culture than a guilt
culture.
If youre offended by something in the Bible, why should your cultural sensibilities trump
everybody elses? Why should we get rid of the Bible because it offends our culture? If the
Bible really is the revelation of God, and therefore isnt the product of any one culture,
wouldnt it contradict every culture at some point? Therefore if its really from God,
wouldnt it have to offend your cultural sensibilities at some point?
Therefore when you read the Bible, and you find some part of it outrageous and
offensive, thats proof that its probably true, that its probably from God. Its not a reason
to say the Bible isnt Gods Word; its a reason to say it is.
Read Luke 24:1332.
[Q] In Luke 24:2021, what cultural blinders led the Emmaus Road disciples to
doubt and discouragement?
Why did Jesus respond the way he did to them?
[Q] Would you say that those who doubt the reliability of Scripture question its
historical reliability or its cultural implications more? Explain.
[Q] What things in Scripture make people say: Look at what this teaches! Thats
awful! We got over that a long time ago, and its best to leave it in the past?
How would you respond to their perceptions?
[Q] How might our American cultural biases affect how we view Scripture?

Leader s Guide
Teaching Point Three: You can and should trust the Bible personally.
A completely authoritative Bible is the prerequisite for a warm, personal relationship with
Godnot the enemy of it. Lets do what Jesus did that day on the road to Emmaus. Lets
begin with Mosesjust Moses.
What is the story of Moses about? Is it about you? Is it about how youve got to be faithful
like Moses? How youve got to be brave so that you can face down Pharaoh? How youve
got to be a good leader so you can lead the children of Israel? Is it all about you? No! If you
really listen to what Scripture is saying, it shows you that God did not come to Moses and
say, You are such a good man. You deserve to be the leader. Because you are really faithful
to me, Im going to let you lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Instead, heres what
God is saying in the story of Moses and the Passover: You all deserve to die because of your
sins. Slay a lamb, put the blood on the doorposts, take shelter under the blood of that lamb,
and when the angel of death comes by, you wont be paying for your sins.
Jesus would put it this way: Do you really think that the holy God of the universe put
your sins away because of those sweet, wooly little lambs? I am the Lamb of God who takes
away the sins of the world. I am God come into this world to absorb in myself your debt so
that we can be together for eternity. Jesus is saying to you today through his Word that its
not about you or what you have to do. Its about him and what he has done. There isnt any
place for a cold, legalistic approach to life.
Look again at Luke 24:1332.
[Q] What is the stumbling block for the Emmaus disciples here? Talk about their view
of Scripture.
[Q] When has the expounding of Scripture left your heart burning within you, like the
Emmaus disciples in verse 32?
[Q] What do you think it means that a completely authoritative Bible is the
prerequisite for a warm, personal relationship with Godnot the enemy of it?
[Q] There are only two ways to read the Bible: (1) You can read it as if its all about you
and what you must do to be blessed; or (2) You can read every part of the Bible as if
its all about Jesus and what he has done for you. What would the life of reader #1 look
like? Reader #2? Which one are you?

Leader s Guide
Part 3
Apply Your Findings
The remake of the film The Stepford Wives tells the story of a group of wives in whom you
just stick a little microchip and they never argue with or contradict their husbands again.
But you see, if there is no conflict, you dont have a person anymore. You have a robot. If you
have a person, youre in a personal relationship where there will be contradiction and conflict.
If thats gone, one of you has stuck a microchip in the other person. Similarly, if you consider
the Bible and say, I like a lot of things in the Bible, but not this part, thats not a good
thing. Unless you have a completely authoritative Bible that can contradict you and come
after you, youve got a Stepford God. Youve put a chip in him. You have a god of your own
making. An authoritative Bible that you have to submit to whether you like it or not is not
the enemy of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and Godits the precondition.
The person who had the greatest relationship with God was Jesus. When he came as a human
being, he bled Scripture. He was always talking about it. When Peter challenged him, he
pointed to Scripture needing to be fulfilled. When he was confronted by the devil, how did
he respond? With Scripture. When he confronted hell on the cross, he quoted Psalm 22.
When you cut Jesus, he bled Scripture. Thats how he had this incredible relationship with
God. Jesus shows us the relationship with Scripture weve got to have.
Action Point: Do you want your heart to burn within you? Do you want the
deepest longings of your heart to find their rest in a personal encounter
with God? Go to a church where Scripture is expounded. Go to Bible
studies where, together in community, you figure out what Scripture says.
Make sure that you personally dig into it all the time. Whats one thing you
could do to dig deeper into Gods reliable Word this week?
Study by Timothy Keller with Kyle L. White

Pa r t i c i p a n t s G u i d e
P a r t i c i p a n t s G u i d e
Is the Bible Historically

Unreliable & Regressive?
We can trust th e Bi ble histor ically, cult urally,
an d p erson al l y.
There are many good things in the Bible, but

should we take it literally? Should we insist
that everyone believe and follow everything
in it? Arent there some things in the Bible that
are just wrongthings that are historically
unreliable? Isnt the Bible mostly legends? Many
have these questions and feel that much of the
Bible is culturally regressive and promotes certain
views that are best left behind. They admit there are
good things in the Bible, but dont think its entirely trustworthy
and completely authoritative in everything it says.
This study insists we can and should trust the Bible historically,
culturally, and most of all, personally.
S cr ip t ure: Luk e 1: 14 ; 2 4: 13 32
B ased On : Th e ser mo n Literal is m : Is nt the B ibl e H is to r ic al l y
U n reliable & R egressive?, by Tim o thy K el l er, Pre a chingTo d ay.co m
10

Part 1
Identify the Issue
One of the things that most troubles people about Christianity is that they perceive the
Bible to be historically unreliable and regressive. Many people today say that the Bible
especially the Gospel accounts of Jesus lifewas concocted by the political winners. There
are several reasons why you can trust what the Bible says about Jesus:
1. All the New Testament accounts of Jesus were written too early to be legends. At the
very beginning of the Gospel of Luke, Luke challenges his readers to check his sources to see
how accurate and truthful his account is. Paul wrote his letters only 1520 years after Jesus
ministry on earth, and in 1 Corinthians 15, he indirectly challenged his readers to seek out
resurrection witnesses. In an effort to promote the Christian faith, Paul could not possibly
have written in a public document that there were 500 people who saw Jesus at oncemost
of them still aliveunless that was really the case.
2. The New Testament documents are too counterproductive in their content to be legends.
If I were a church leader living about 7080 years after Jesus and concocting these stories,
would I record that in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus asked the Father if he could get out
of the events that were about to take place? If you were a leader of the early church, would
you make up stories that highlight unflattering features of the early church fathers like we
see in the Gospels and Acts?
3. The New Testament documents are too detailed in their form to be legends. One of the
problems with saying the Gospel accounts have to be legends is that we dont know much
about ancient fiction. The novel or the short story, in which you have realistic fiction written
almost like history, is an invention of the 18th century.
People these days seem to be more troubled by the cultural aspects of the Bible than the
historical aspects. They read things in the Bible that they consider offensive, primitive, or
regressive. Here are three ways to handle any text of the Bible that seems to offend you:
When you encounter a text that strikes you as offensive, consider the possibility that it
doesnt teach what you think it teaches. For example, in the text we examine in this study,
Jesus helps the Emmaus disciples see that they didnt really understand the Scriptures. They
were not patient with the passages in question.
Whenever you encounter something in a text that seems offensive to you, consider the
possibility that you are misunderstanding what the Bible teaches because of your cultural
blinders. The Emmaus disciples misunderstood the prophecies about the Messiah because,
as Jews, they were only thinking of the redemption of Israel.
11

Keep in mind that certain biblical texts might offend us because of an unexamined
assumption of the superiority of our cultural moment. Many of us read a certain passage of
Scripture and say, Thats so regressive, so offensive, not realizing that in other cultures that
passage might not come across as regressive or offensive. If youre offended by something in
the Bible, why should your cultural sensibilities trump everybody elses? If the Bible really
is the revelation of God, and therefore isnt the product of any one culture, wouldnt it
contradict every culture at some point?
It is often hintedand sometimes said outrightthat people who believe in the absolute
authority of the Bible, and therefore believe they should submit to its authority, have a cold,
legalistic kind of faith. On the contrary, a completely authoritative Bible is the prerequisite
for a warm, personal relationship with Godnot the enemy of it. When the Emmaus
disciples first encountered the authority of Scripture, they felt a love they had never
experienced before. The Emmaus disciples had been too busy reading Scripture as if it were
about themwhat they had to do for redemption and blessing. There are only two ways to
read the Bible: (1) You can read it as if its all about you and what you must do to be blessed;
or (2) You can read every part of the Bible as if its all about Jesus and what he has done for
you. If you read the Bible the first way, that is when an elevation of the Bible can lead to a
cold and legalistic lifestyle. Jesus is saying to you today through his Word that its not about
you or what you have to do. Its about him and what he has done. There isnt any place for a
cold, legalistic approach to life.
Part 2
Teaching Point One: You can and should trust the Bible historically.
Teaching Point Two: You can and should trust the Bible culturally.
Teaching Point Three: You can and should trust the Bible personally.
Part 3
Apply Your Findings
The remake of the film The Stepford Wives tells the story of a group of wives in whom you
just stick a little microchip and they never argue with or contradict their husbands again.
But you see, if there is no conflict, you dont have a person anymore. You have a robot. If
you have a person, youre in a personal relationship where there will be contradiction and
conflict. If thats gone, one of you has stuck a microchip in the other person. Similarly, if
12

you consider the Bible and say, I like a lot of things in the Bible, but not this part, thats
not a good thing. Unless you have a completely authoritative Bible that can contradict you
and come after you, youve got a Stepford God. Youve put a chip in him. You have a god
of your own making. An authoritative Bible that you have to submit to whether you like
it or not is not the enemy of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and Godits the
precondition.
The person who had the greatest relationship with God was Jesus. When he came as a human
being, he bled Scripture. He was always talking about it. When Peter challenged him, he
pointed to Scripture needing to be fulfilled. When he was confronted by the devil, how did
he respond? With Scripture. When he confronted hell on the cross, he quoted Psalm 22.
When you cut Jesus, he bled Scripture. Thats how he had this incredible relationship with
God. Jesus shows us the relationship with Scripture weve got to have.
Action Point: Do you want your heart to burn within you? Do you want the
deepest longings of your heart to find their rest in a personal encounter
with God? Go to a church where Scripture is expounded. Go to Bible
studies where, together in community, you figure out what Scripture says.
Make sure that you personally dig into it all the time. Whats one thing you
could do to dig deeper into Gods reliable Word this week?
13
How Does Sin Make Us Addicts?

Leader s Guide
How Does Sin Make

Us Addicts?
We n eed to l earn to re co gnize and ove rcome sin
by l etti n g G o d b e all he wants to b e for us.
Throughout the Bible, when God talks about

worshiping him (or anything else), he often
uses sexual imagery. Hes telling us that there
is an attraction going on at the spiritual level,
in your heart, thats every bit as powerful as
the sexual attraction that can happen at the
physical level. In the deepest recesses of your soul
when it comes to idol worship, you are laying down
with something spiritually. Youre putting yourself in the
arms of something spiritually. And your spiritual relationship with that
thing is every bit as powerful as a physical relationship, and a sexual
one at that.
This study will discuss the power of spiritual attraction.
S cr ip t ure: Jeremiah 2: 1 8 , 2 0, 23 32
B ased On : Th e ser mo n How S in M ak es Us Addic ts, by Tim o thy K el l e r,
PreachingTo day.com
14

Leader s Guide
Part 1
Identify the Issue

Physical attraction is sometimes overwhelming. But deep in your soul, there is a spiritual
desire even more powerful than physical desires, because you cannot produce your own
meaning in life. Your soul must run after things in order to be filled. New Age spirituality
pales in comparison to what God says about the soul; your soul doesnt just need to be petted
and told, There, there. Your soul needs love, rapture, and passion. If its not God who is the
lover of your soul, youre spiritually in bed with something else.
[Q] Tell us about your first crush or attraction. To what lengths did you go to win over
him or her?
[Q] When you hear the word idolatry, what comes to mind?
[Q] Why is it so difficult to overcome sin?
Part 2
Teaching Point One: We are driven by spiritual attraction.

Right now, there is something going on in your soul. In its deepest recesses, you are spiritually
lying down, putting yourself in the arms of something. And your spiritual relationship with
that thing is every bit as powerful as a physical relationship, and a sexual one at that. And so,
spiritually speaking, if its not God who is the lover of your soulif its not God in whose
arms you are spiritually, if its not God whose meaning is the source of your meaning, whose
affirmation is the source of your self-worth, and whose power is the source of your security
youre in bed with something else.
Read Jeremiah 2:18, 20.
[Q] After reading this passage, how would you describe God? His people? The human
soul?
[Q] What is your reaction to Jeremiahs words on idolatry in verse 20: under every
spreading tree you lay down as a prostitute? Has this been your understanding of
idolatry? Explain.
15

Leader s Guide
[Q] How has your soul at times been like empty arms or an empty heart?
[Q] God wants to be the lover of your soul. He wants you in his arms. What do these
truths do to any lover gods to whom youve opened yourself?
Teaching Point Two: Apart from God, we operate in spiritual addiction.

The second thing we learn here in Jeremiah is the dynamics of spiritual addiction. God is
telling us that if were not in his arms, were in someone elses arms, and were actually in an
addiction cycle. We take something inherently good and promote it to the top position in our
life, which leads to addiction. The best way to tell whether youre addicted to something is not
when things are going well, but when youre in trouble. You can tell what youre addicted to
when its taken away.
Look at Jeremiah 2:27. We take something good, such as wood or stone, and promote it
by saying, You are my father, you are my maker, you are my everything. Without you I have no
definition. Thats the first thing. But when you say, You define me, youre my meaning, without
you I dont have meaning, you make me feel Ive got worth, otherwise I have no worthyou have to
have those things, you are addicted to them.
Read Jeremiah 2:2328.
[Q] What picture does God paint of Israel in these verses?

[Q] Of what wood and stone does our culture say you are my father?
[Q] How is idolatry like addiction?
[Q] Before we go any further, lets take a few minutes of silence to ask ourselves: What do I
feel like Ive just got to have, or Im dead?
Teaching Point Three: We avoid fatal attraction through Christs

loving, spiritual restoration.
Look again at the honeymoon language in verses 23. God is depicting his relationship with
us as that of two lovebirds. On the one hand, he depicts us as a young bride who doesnt care
that shes marrying someone with no money, or that theyre going to go live in a little hole in
the wall someplace. It doesnt matter. And in verse 3, God depicts himself as a young man who
would deck anybody that even looked cross-eyed at his girl. Why in the world would God
use such an illustration? Because thats what his heart is like. The Bible is telling us that, even
though God is utterly holy, and utterly majestic, and in his being he does not need us, he has
voluntarily made himself vulnerable to us.
16

Leader s Guide
He cares for us. Hes bound up his heart with us. In a sense, hes given his heart to us. And
when we live for anything other than God, we are doing to himonly in a greater sense
what people do to their spouses when they walk out on them. Youre not just breaking his
law; youre breaking his heart. For some of us, the reason weve never really been able to
change is because all we ever do is scold our heart. But this understanding of sin will melt
your heart. You have to look until you see what God has donehes given his heart to us.
Read Jeremiah 2:18, 20, 2332.
[Q] What does this honeymoon and lovebird language from God do for you?
[Q] What is your definition of sinis your understanding of sin more like breaking
laws or divorce? Explain.
[Q] What has God done for you (vv. 67)? Take the next few moments to recall Gods
grace to you.
[Q] Look at verse 32. How much more does this mean to us, as the bride of Christ, than
it did even to Jeremiah? Explain. What does this imagery tell you about Gods thoughts
toward you?
Le a der s N ote: Lo ok at Ephe sians 5: 2133. J e sus Chr ist did not come
j u st to presen t us as f org ive n; he came to pre se nt us sp ot le ss and
ra d i an t, a bri de. He came to b e p e r fe c t for ushis b e autiful re cord is
p ut up on us. Th e reason that we go to love r go ds is t hat were t r y ing
to convi n ce oursel ves were spir it ually b e aut iful. G o d ac tually come s
s o far as to say, Im n o t just going to give you somet hing t hat mak e s
yo u spi r i tu a l l y a ccepta b le I am t hat somet hing.
Optional Activity:
Purpose: To remember what the Lover of our souls has done for us.
Activity: Distribute markers and copies of a wedding photo (Google old wedding photos to
find a classic image, then make enough copies for your whole group).Then tell the following story:
Theres a place in Lord of the Rings where a hobbit, Pippin, is standing at the gates of
the city and in comes the great witch king, the demon king. He comes through the gate
and is about to destroy the city when off in the distance Pippin hears hornsthe horns
of the cavalry, the horns of the riders of Rohan. They have come. And even though the
king of Rohan rides to his death that day, the city is saved. And were told that for the
rest of his life Pippin could never hear a horn off in the distance without bursting into
tears. Why? Because every time he heard a horn in the distance it re-awakened the
memory of his salvation and the memory of the one who died for him.
17

Leader s Guide
Ask: What are your distant horns? The sacrament when you take the Lords Supper? Christian
friends? Coming to worship? Note your distant horns on the wedding photo. Maybe it is a
Scripture passage, a quote, a sketched reminder of Christs work, or a line from a hymn. Take it
home as a reminder of Gods grace.
Part 3
Apply Your Findings
God says, If you look at yourself in the mirror, if youre willing to see what I have done for you, if
you understand how beautiful you are in my sight because of what my Son has done for you, youll
be free from those lover gods forever. Its like the lyrics of the old hymn: I will arise and go to
Jesus. / He will embrace me in his arms. / In the arms of my dear Savior, / Oh, there are ten
thousand charms. Youll learn what that means.
Action Point: Pray, Thank you, Father, for the profound analysis of my
soul, and for the complete program of renovation and restoration this
passage gives me. I thank you that its possible to have my heart melted
by the knowledge of your love for me, to have my heart maintained and
changed by the remembrance of your grace for me, and most of all, to be
completely changed by the knowledge not just of what your Son has done
for me but of what your Son is for me. Lord, these things are very, very
deep and wonderful. I pray that your Holy Spirit will help this truth become
active in me in a way that its never been before. Now, Father, give me what
you want to give me. Give me yourself. I pray this in Jesus name, amen.
18

How Does Sin Make

Us Addicts?
We n eed to l earn to re co gnize and ove rcome sin
by l etti n g G o d b e all he wants to b e for us.
Throughout the Bible, when God talks about

worshiping him (or anything else), he often
uses sexual imagery. Hes telling us that there
is an attraction going on at the spiritual level,
in your heart, thats every bit as powerful as
the sexual attraction that can happen at the
physical level. In the deepest recesses of your soul
when it comes to idol worship, you are laying down
with something spiritually. Youre putting yourself in the
arms of something spiritually. And your spiritual relationship with that
thing is every bit as powerful as a physical relationship, and a sexual
one at that.
This study will discuss the power of spiritual attraction.
S cr ip t ure: Jeremiah 2: 1 8 , 2 0, 23 32
B ased On : Th e ser mo n How S in M ak es Us Addic ts, by Tim o thy K el l e r,
PreachingTo day.com
19

Part 1
Identify the Issue
Physical attraction is sometimes overwhelming. But deep in your soul, there is a spiritual desire
even more powerful than physical desires, because you cannot produce your own meaning in life.
Your soul must run after things in order to be filled. New Age spirituality pales in comparison
to what God says about the soul; your soul doesnt just need to be petted and told, There, there.
Your soul needs love, rapture, and passion. If its not God who is the lover of your soul, youre
spiritually in bed with something else.
Part 2
Teaching Point One: We are driven by spiritual attraction.

Teaching Point Two: Apart from God, we operate in spiritual addiction.
Teaching Point Three: We avoid fatal attraction through Christs loving,
spiritual restoration.
Part 3
Apply Your Findings
God says, If you look at yourself in the mirror, if youre willing to see what I have done for you, if
you understand how beautiful you are in my sight because of what my Son has done for you, youll be
free from those lover gods forever. Its like the lyrics of the old hymn: I will arise and go to Jesus.
/ He will embrace me in his arms. / In the arms of my dear Savior, / Oh, there are ten thousand
charms. Youll learn what that means.
Action Point: Pray, Thank you, Father, for the profound analysis of my soul,
and for the complete program of renovation and restoration this passage
gives me. I thank you that its possible to have my heart melted by the
knowledge of your love for me, to have my heart maintained and changed
by the remembrance of your grace for me, and most of all, to be completely
changed by the knowledge not just of what your Son has done for me but of
what your Son is for me. Lord, these things are very, very deep and wonderful.
I pray that your Holy Spirit will help this truth become active in me in a way
that its never been before. Now, Father, give me what you want to give me.
Give me yourself. I pray this in Jesus name, amen.
20
Is the God of Christianity an Angry Judge?

Leader s Guide
Is the God of Christianity

an Angry Judge?
A n un derstan di n g of the do c t r ine of he ll is
c ruc i al to k n owi n g G o d.
One of the things that troubles people most

about Christianity is the teaching that God
is a judge who consigns people to hell. How
can we possibly reconcile the concept of
judgment and hell with the idea of a loving
God? They just dont seem to go together. What
do we say to their concern?
The Christian understanding of hell is crucial for understanding our own hearts, for living at peace in the world, and for
knowing the love of God. This study will discuss these seemingly
counterintuitive ideas.
S cr ip t ure: Luk e 16: 19 31
B ased On : Th e ser mo n Hel l : Is nt the G o d o f C hr is tianit y an Angr y
Judge?, by Timo t hy K el l er, Pre a chingTo d ay.co m
21

Leader s Guide
Part 1
Identify the Issue

C. S. Lewis wrote that Christianitys assertion that we are going to live forever is either
true or false. If I am only going to live 80 years or so, there are a good many things not
worth bothering about. But that changes if Im going to go on living forever. Perhaps my
bad temper or my jealousy is gradually getting worseso gradually that the increase in my
lifetime may not be noticeable. But it might be absolute hell in a million years. In fact, if
Christianity is true, hell is precisely the correct term for it. Hell begins with a grumbling
mood, always complaining, always blaming others, but you are still distinct from it. You
may even criticize it in yourself and wish you could stop it. But there may come a day when
you can no longer do so. Then there will be no you left to criticize or even to enjoy the
mood. It will just be the grumble itself, going on forever like a machine. You see, its not a
question of whether God sends us to hell. In every one of us, there is something growing
which will be hell unless it is nipped in the bud.
[Q] What do you say when people ask, How can God be loving if he sends people
to hell?
[Q] What struggles do you have with the doctrine of hell?

[Q] How does the doctrine of hell affect your day-to-day life and faith?
Part 2
Teaching Point One: Hell is crucial for understanding your own heart.
Read Luke 16:1931.
In verse 25, Abraham basically says to the rich man, The good things you built your life on
were the basis for your identity, and now that youre dead, they no longer existthere is no
you left.
If you take a good thing and make it an ultimate thing, you are placing your hope in
something other than God. This misplaced focus is what starts a spiritual fire in your heart.
The act of turning good things into ultimate things is like an addictionand all addictions
22

Leader s Guide
lead to internal and external devastation, isolation, and denial. This is the hell fire of which
the Bible speaks.
Every single person, religious or irreligious, moral or immoral, is addicted to grounding his
or her identity in something other than God, and the human soul goes on forever. What does
this mean for us in life and death? Its not a question of whether God sends us to hell. In
every one of us, there is something growing which will be hell unless it is nipped in the bud.
Commentators have long noted that the rich man in the parable is astonishingly blind. He
is in denial, filled with blame-shifting. Hell is a freely-chosen identity, based on something
other than God, that goes on forever. But even while you disintegrate, you refuse to admit
what hell is. There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, Thy will
be done, and those to whom God says in the end, Thy will be done.
[Q] Why was the rich man in hell? What might have been his identity in life?
[Q] Sren Kierkegaard, the great Danish philosopher, wrote a book called Sickness Unto
Death. In it he wrestles with the definition of sin, which he defines as building your
identity on anything but God. Is this a good definition of sin? Why or why not?
[Q] The act of turning good things into ultimate things is like an addictionand all
addictions lead to internal and external devastation, isolation, and denial. This is the fire
of which the Bible speaks. What are the fires of hell according to this passage and others
youve read in Scripture?
[Q] We think that it is God who casts a person into hell, but it is a self-chosen identity.
What does this mean? Is it true?
[Q] What is it that gives meaning to your lifeyour highest good? Do you have a
misplaced focus?
Teaching Point Two: Hell is crucial for living at peace in the world.
Verse 25 is intriguing: When Abraham looks down from heaven into hell and speaks to the
rich man, he calls him son. There is a real sadness, a sense of tragedy, in his words. Anyone
who believes the Bible looks with great sadness at people who are on their way to hell.
There is no sense in which we would disdain those who are goingnot if we understand
what hell is like. Consider what Miroslav Volf shares in his book
. As a Croatian, Volf had first-hand experience with the terrible violence in the Balkans.
He saw people locked in a cycle of vengeance and retaliation for years and years. But in his
book he says that the cycle of retaliation was not fueled by a belief in a God of judgment.
It was fueled by a lack of belief in a God of judgment. He writes: If God were not angry
at injustice, that God would not be worthy of worship. The only means of prohibiting all
23

Leader s Guide
recourse to violence by ourselves is to insist that judgment is legitimate only when it comes
from God. My thesis, that the practice of nonviolence requires a belief in divine vengeance,
will be unpopular with many, but it takes the quiet of a suburban home to believe that
human nonviolence results from a belief in Gods refusal to judge. In a land soaked in the
blood of the innocent, it will invariably die with other pleasant captivities of the liberal
mind.
[Q] Give an example of a great injustice that you wished would be judged.
[Q] There are many people who are afraid that if you believe in a God of judgment and
the doctrine of hell, you will have disdain for certain classes of peoplethat you will be
oppressive. What would you say to this?
[Q] How does verse 25 inform our interactions with the lost?
[Q] What is your disposition toward unbelievers around you?
[Q] How does your faith in a God of ultimate judgment affect your words and actions?
Are you a peacemaker or a retaliator?
Teaching Point Three: Hell is crucial for knowing the love of God.
Fear of hell and damnation will never change the fundamental structures of a human heart.
When you scare people with thoughts of hell, they wont end up being good for goodness
sake or for Gods sake, for his pleasure. Theyre just going to be good for their own sake.
Its just more selfishness! So what will change the fundamental structures of the heart?
Love. Radical, unconditional love is the only thing that will take our mistrustful, in-denial,
conniving little hearts and shock them into a whole new way of living and being.
But where are we going to get the kind of love that changes our heart? Jesus points out that
the key is knowing why he diedwhich is shown in the writings of Moses and the Prophets.
The Lord made him a guilt offering, and by the results of his suffering, God is satisfied. You
do not know how much Jesus loves you unless you know how much he suffered.
[Q] How can we say that God is loving if hell exists?

[Q] Why, in verses 2731, does Father Abraham say that a risen dead man would not be
enough to motivate the rich mans family toward saving faith? What do they need?
[Q] Isnt hell just Gods means to scare us straight? Explain.

[Q] What do Moses and the Prophets tell us about Gods plan of salvation?
[Q] How does hell help you appreciate Gods love for you in Christ?
24

Leader s Guide
Optional Activity:
Purpose: To consider how the doctrine of hell affects our discipleship.
Activity: The doctrine of hell should lead us to worship, to peacemaking, and to compassionate
evangelism. Take an extended time as a group to pray for friends and family who need to hear of
Christs radical, unconditional love. Discuss together what might be the next step for each person
to share their faith. Maybe its a cup of coffee with a co-worker, or reading one of the Gospels with
a neighbor. Encourage each other to take the step by continuing to follow up with one another in
upcoming meetings.
Part 3
Apply Your Findings
Spend an extended time of prayer thanking God for your identity in him and for his love for
you in Christ. Then, pray for those around you whose identity is not focused on Christ and
who may be in danger of hell.
Action Point: Who are you really? Is your core identity based on what God
has done for you in Jesus? Is it based on being a child of the King, in the
mission of getting to the new heavens and new earth? Or are you just a
businessman or businesswoman? Are you just an artist, a mother, a father?
Take time to think about your identity this week.
25

Is the God of Christianity

an Angry Judge?
A n un derstan di n g of the do c t r ine of he ll is
c ruc i al to k n owi n g G o d.
One of the things that troubles people most

about Christianity is the teaching that God
is a judge who consigns people to hell. How
can we possibly reconcile the concept of
judgment and hell with the idea of a loving
God? They just dont seem to go together. What
do we say to their concern?
The Christian understanding of hell is crucial for understanding our own hearts, for living at peace in the world, and for
knowing the love of God. This study will discuss these seemingly
counterintuitive ideas.
S cr ip t ure: Luk e 16: 19 31
B ased On : Th e ser mo n Hel l : Is nt the G o d o f C hr is tianit y an Angr y
Judge?, by Timo t hy K el l er, Pre a chingTo d ay.co m
26

Part 1
Identify the Issue
C. S. Lewis wrote that Christianitys assertion that we are going to live forever is either
true or false. If I am only going to live 80 years or so, there are a good many things not
worth bothering about. But that changes if Im going to go on living forever. Perhaps my
bad temper or my jealousy is gradually getting worseso gradually that the increase in my
lifetime may not be noticeable. But it might be absolute hell in a million years. In fact, if
Christianity is true, hell is precisely the correct term for it. Hell begins with a grumbling
mood, always complaining, always blaming others, but you are still distinct from it. You may
even criticize it in yourself and wish you could stop it. But there may come a day when you
can no longer do so. Then there will be no you left to criticize or even to enjoy the mood. It
will just be the grumble itself, going on forever like a machine. You see, its not a question of
whether God sends us to hell. In every one of us, there is something growing which will be
hell unless it is nipped in the bud.
Part 2
Teaching Point One: Hell is crucial for understanding your own heart.
Teaching Point Two: Hell is crucial for living at peace in the world.
Teaching Point Three: Hell is crucial for knowing the love of God.
Part 3
Apply Your Findings
Spend an extended time of prayer thanking God for your identity in him and for his love for
you in Christ. Then, pray for those around you whose identity is not focused on Christ and
who may be in danger of hell.
Action Point: Who are you really? Is your core identity based on what God
has done for you in Jesus? Is it based on being a child of the King, in the
mission of getting to the new heavens and new earth? Or are you just a
businessman or businesswoman? Are you just an artist, a mother, a father?
Take time to think about your identity this week.
27
Can Lust Be Idolatry?

Leader s Guide
Can Lust Be
Idolatry?
Un ti l G o d i s th e l ove r of your soul, you are not
goi n g to b e a f i t l ove r of any b o dy e lse.
If you read Matthew 5:2730, and thats all you

know about what the Bible says about sex, you
might say, This confirms everything I always
thought. The church is uptight about sex. Look
at this: Youre going to hell if you lust. What a
negative view of sex. That is a reasonable response to this passageon the surface. On the
surface, one of the most unattractive things about
Christianity is its view of sex. But if you look underneath the surface and
get a better grasp on what is really taught, its view of sex is actually one of
the most attractive things about Christianity. When you look deeper, youre
actually going to see that the Christian view of sex is one of the evidences
for Christianitys truth. There are four things Jesus is saying. First of all,
were taught that there is such a thing as lust. Then were taught what its
not, what it is, and how it can be healed.
S cr ip t ure: M at t h ew 5 : 2 7 3 0
B ased On : Th e ser mo n Love, Lu s t & Liberatio n, by Tim o thy K el l er,
PreachingTo day.com
28

Leader s Guide
Part 1
Identify the Issue

Brokenness results from societys view of sex not because the world has too high a view of
sex, but too low a view of it. The word for hell that Jesus uses in verse 30 is a word that also
referred to the garbage dump outside Jerusalem (Gehenna). If you treat sex like an appetite or
just another part of life, youre going to be ambushed by it.
The Bibles attitude toward sex is one of such barefaced, exuberant, direct rejoicing in the
glory of sexual pleasure that it even makes New Yorkers blush. For instance, Genesis 2:2225
and Song of Solomon 5:1316; 7:78. The Bible does not tell us to squelch our passions, nor
does it say to follow our passionsit says to channel them.
Jesus is not just talking to married people. If you want to have sex with someone but dont
want to marry them, there is a splitting of body and soul. John White has said that sex can
be profoundly symbolic and powerfully healing, but only within the correct context. When
we misuse sex, we undo its power to cement and renew our commitment to our spouse;
therefore, lust is impersonal. The word Jesus uses for lust is a word that means idolatrous
desire. This idolatry affects traditionalists and atheists alike. Until God is the lover of your
soul, you are not going to be a fit lover of anybody else.
Once you believe in the gospel, Jesus becomes your lover. To the degree that you believe in
that love, youll understand and deal with sex.
[Q] What have you learned from the church, or Christian culture, about sex and lust?
[Q] What is it that turns people off to how the church addresses sex?
[Q] Why does the church seem to have the same struggle with lust control as the rest of
the culture? Are we any different?
Part 2
Teaching Point One: Lust can lead to sexual brokenness.

Read Matthew 5:2730.
29

Leader s Guide
Jesus is saying that what accounts for the sexual brokenness in the world is not that the
world has too high a view of sex, but too low a view of it. Hes saying that we do not
recognize its power.
In verse 30, Jesus uses the word Gehenna. Gehenna was a word for hell, but it also referred
to the garbage dump outside Jerusalem. It was the place where things that were rotting and
decaying were burned. And that is an aspect of what hell is. So Jesus is saying that sex is so
mysterious, so awesome, so unique, so untamable, that unless you learn to deal with it, its
going to spread all sorts of decay and destruction in your life. Your whole life is going to
break apart. Hes telling us this is serious. And the reason we dont respect sex is we dont see
what it really is. We have an improper view of it.
The world tells us sex is just another appetite; its no big deal. But thats just not true. This
is not just an appetite or another part of life. We are not in control. This is tearing us apart.
Jesus said that unless you get control of it and learn how to deal with it, its going to spread
disintegration into all parts of your life. Your life is going to burn up.
[Q] Why would our culture need to be convinced that lust can lead to brokenness? How
is that evidenced in our culture?
[Q] If sex is not just another appetite (like the one we might have for sweets), what is it?
How does our culture show that its more than just another appetite?
[Q] How is lust like a garbage dump?

[Q] How would you summarize Jesus view of lust in this passage?
[Q] What is a proper view of sex, according to Jesus?
Teaching Point Two: Lust is not the same as sexual desire.
On the one hand, the Bible says that if you follow your passions wherever they point, you
are not respecting the power of sex. You have too low a view. But, on the other hand, if
youre prudish and say that sex is defiling and dirty, youre not respecting the goodness of
sex. Therefore, you still have too low a view of sex. The prudish viewwhich says sex is bad,
so squelch your passions, and the pagan viewwhich says sex is just an appetite, so follow
your passions, are both low views of sex. One doesnt respect the power of sex; one doesnt
respect the goodness of sex.
Jesus doesnt say squelch your passions. He doesnt say do not look at a woman with any
sexual desire. But the Bible does not equate sexual desire with lust. God invented sexual
30

Leader s Guide
desire. The Bible does not say squelch your passions, nor does it say follow your passions. It
says channel them.
[Q] Why does Jesus use such strong language here?

[Q] What is the difference between sexual lust and sexual desire?
[Q] Read Genesis 2:2225 and Song of Solomon 5:1316; 7:78. What value does
Scripture place on our sexuality (think about what is implied too)?
[Q] What would it look like to channel our passions?

Teaching Point Three: Lust is impersonal and inordinate desire.
Jesus is actually saying that until God is the lover of your soul, you will not be a fit lover
of anybody else. Youll want to get out of romantic love that which only God can give you.
Youre going to try to get self-acceptance out of it. Youll think sex will heal you: Finally Ill
have somebody. Finally Ill have security. If a beautiful person thinks Im beautiful, then Ill know
Im somebody.
Jesus is saying that theres only one person beautiful enough. Theres only one person who can
love you unconditionally and satisfy what your heart needs. And if you try to get that from
anybody else, your life is going to be distorted by lust.
[Q] How can Jesus make the jump that if someone only looks at a woman with lust, then
he has already committed adultery in his heart?
[Q] What do you think makes for a lustful look?

[Q] How might lust shape our view of people? How might relationships be distorted?
Teaching Point Four: Lust can be healed.
If lust is impersonal, idolatrous, and inordinate desire, then how can it be healed? Theres a
principle and a practice. The principle of healing from lust is realizing Jesus is the lover of
your soul. The practice is avoiding places of temptation.
Jesus Christ says in a number of places, Im the bridegroom. What an amazing statement.
Of course he also says, Im the king. But if hes your king, then youre trying to obey him.
And as long as youre just trying to obey him and hoping that if you live a good enough life
hell accept you, you can never be confident that hes finding you beautiful. But God, through
Jesus Christ, who lived the life I should have lived and died the death I should have died,
31

Leader s Guide
gives me a righteousness that I receive by faith. And the moment I become a Christian, Im
beautiful in his sight.
Once you believe in the gospel, Jesus becomes not only your king, your forgiver, and your
example, but also your lover. He is your bridegroom, who stands at the end of the aisle and
looks at his bride and finds her absolutely radiant and beautiful. To the degree that you
believe that, youll understand and deal with sex. It wont run your life. It wont scare you to
death if you put on some weight. It wont make you bitter. If youre married, it wont make
you crush your spouse under your expectations for him or her.
Only Jesus has really become vulnerable for you. Only he is completely committed to you
and loves you perfectly. Only he is infinitely beautiful. Only the way in which he beholds you
is going to satisfy your life. Hes the only one who literally can say, Longer than there have
been stars up in the heavens, Ive been in love with you.
[Q] Why does Jesus say its better to lose one part of your body here?
[Q] How does the picture of Christ as bridegroom and lover affect your struggle with
lust?
[Q] The principle of healing from lust is realizing Jesus is the lover of your soul. The
practice is avoiding places of temptation. How does one develop this principle and
practice?
Optional Activity:
Purpose: To develop a picture of Jesus as lover of your soul.
Activity: Remember writing love notes? Write a love letter to God, the only satisfying soul lover.
The leader will write Dear God, at the top of a piece of paper, and then write one sentence
declaring his or her love for God. Then he or she will fold that line under so the next person cant
read it. The next person adds a line, folds the paper, and so on. People can use lines from psalms,
or think of qualities of God, or recall blessings to help them with their portion of the letter. When
its gone around once or twice, spread out the paper and read it as a letter to God from your group.
Youll be surprised at the beauty of what your group comes up with.
Part 3
Apply Your Findings
When Potiphars wife says to Joseph, Come to bed with me, what does he say? He says: Think
of what your husband has done for me. Think of what God has done for me. I cannot do this
32

Leader s Guide
wicked thing. Joseph looked at adultery in its true colors. And if you want to get over lust,
youre going to have to think about what lust really is. You have to think, This is worship. I
am seeking God. I am seeking closure. I am seeking acceptance. I am seeking beauty. But this will
never give it to me. Im like a man who is thirsty, and is eating pretzels to deal with it.
Action Point: When Jesus says that its better to lose your eye or your hand,
he means you do have to be concerned about your behavior and about
where you are. That means, avoid places of temptation. Dont put yourself
in the way of temptation. If you only think behaviorally and dont work
on your thinking cognitively, youre going to fail. On the other hand, if
you only work on the cognitive and dont take yourself out of the way of
temptation, youre going to fail too. Pluck out the eye and cut off the hand,
or the fire will spread to everything. Make a list of places or situations you
need to avoid in order to resist the temptation of lust. Share this list with a
Christian friend, so he or she can ask you about your progress.
33

Can Lust Be
Idolatry?
Un ti l G o d i s th e l ove r of your soul, you are not
goi n g to b e a f i t l ove r of any b o dy e lse.
If you read Matthew 5:2730, and thats all you

know about what the Bible says about sex, you
might say, This confirms everything I always
thought. The church is uptight about sex. Look
at this: Youre going to hell if you lust. What a
negative view of sex. That is a reasonable response to this passageon the surface. On the
surface, one of the most unattractive things about
Christianity is its view of sex. But if you look underneath the surface and
get a better grasp on what is really taught, its view of sex is actually one of
the most attractive things about Christianity. When you look deeper, youre
actually going to see that the Christian view of sex is one of the evidences
for Christianitys truth. There are four things Jesus is saying. First of all,
were taught that there is such a thing as lust. Then were taught what its
not, what it is, and how it can be healed.
S cr ip t ure: M at t h ew 5 : 2 7 3 0
B ased On : Th e ser mo n Love, Lu s t & Liberatio n, by Tim o thy K el l er,
PreachingTo day.com
34

Part 1
Identify the Issue
Brokenness results from societys view of sex not because the world has too high a view of
sex, but too low a view of it. The word for hell that Jesus uses in verse 30 is a word that also
referred to the garbage dump outside Jerusalem (Gehenna). If you treat sex like an appetite or
just another part of life, youre going to be ambushed by it.
The Bibles attitude toward sex is one of such barefaced, exuberant, direct rejoicing in the
glory of sexual pleasure that it even makes New Yorkers blush. For instance, Genesis 2:2225
and Song of Solomon 5:1316; 7:78. The Bible does not tell us to squelch our passions, nor
does it say to follow our passionsit says to channel them.
Jesus is not just talking to married people. If you want to have sex with someone but dont
want to marry them, there is a splitting of body and soul. John White has said that sex can
be profoundly symbolic and powerfully healing, but only within the correct context. When
we misuse sex, we undo its power to cement and renew our commitment to our spouse;
therefore, lust is impersonal. The word Jesus uses for lust is a word that means idolatrous
desire. This idolatry affects traditionalists and atheists alike. Until God is the lover of your
soul, you are not going to be a fit lover of anybody else.
Once you believe in the gospel, Jesus becomes your lover. To the degree that you believe in
that love, youll understand and deal with sex.
Part 2
Teaching Point One: Lust can lead to sexual brokenness.

Teaching Point Two: Lust is not the same as sexual desire.
Teaching Point Three: Lust is impersonal and inordinate desire.
Teaching Point Four: Lust can be healed.
35

Part 3
Apply Your Findings
When Potiphars wife says to Joseph, Come to bed with me, what does he say? He says: Think
of what your husband has done for me. Think of what God has done for me. I cannot do this
wicked thing. Joseph looked at adultery in its true colors. And if you want to get over lust,
youre going to have to think about what lust really is. You have to think, This is worship. I
am seeking God. I am seeking closure. I am seeking acceptance. I am seeking beauty. But this will
never give it to me. Im like a man who is thirsty, and is eating pretzels to deal with it.
Action Point: When Jesus says that its better to lose your eye or your hand,
he means you do have to be concerned about your behavior and about
where you are. That means, avoid places of temptation. Dont put yourself
in the way of temptation. If you only think behaviorally and dont work
on your thinking cognitively, youre going to fail. On the other hand, if
you only work on the cognitive and dont take yourself out of the way of
temptation, youre going to fail too. Pluck out the eye and cut off the hand,
or the fire will spread to everything. Make a list of places or situations you
need to avoid in order to resist the temptation of lust. Share this list with a
Christian friend, so he or she can ask you about your progress.
36
What Does Marriage Teach Us About Christ?

Leader s Guide
What Does
Marriage Teach
Us About Christ?
Leah and Jacobs story teaches us about Christianity.
Genesis 29 shows us that the Bible can be the

most unsentimental of books when it comes to
the subject of marriage and family. It is utterly
realistic about thisthat it can be hard and
sometimes devastating to not be married, and it
can be hard and sometimes devastating to be
married. Keeping this biblical understanding is difficult,
because theres almost no support for it institutionally and structurally. Outside
Christian circles, theres a tremendous amount of fear and cynicism about
marriageand with good reason, because of the difficulty and possible
devastation which the Bible talks about.
On the other hand, inside Christian circles there is a tendency to say, Ah,
marriage, thats what lifes about. Marriage, family, kids, the white picket
fence. And the Bible says both of these attitudes are utterly wrong, because the
Bible does not show us Jesus Christ pointing to marriage and saying, This is
what you need. Rather, the Bible shows us marriage both in its strengths and
in its tremendous difficulties pointing to Jesus Christ as the thing we need.
S cr ip t ure: G en esis 29: 15 3 5
Based On : Th e ser mo n The G ir l N o bo dy Wanted, by Tim o thy K el l er,
PreachingTo day.com
37

Leader s Guide
Part 1
Identify the Issue
Note to l eader : Provi de e ach p e r son w ith t he Par ticipant s Guide inc lud ed
a t th e en d of th i s study.
The story of Genesis 29 holds good and bad news for the Christian. Jacobs family was chosen by
God to bear the messianic seed, to be the ancestors of Jesus Christ. Jacobs family was also filled
with suffering because of their wrong choices. Isaac, Jacobs father, ignored Gods instruction
in favoring Esau over Jacob, and the character of both sons was compromised as they grew
up. Jacob was forced to run away as a consequence of deceiving his father and stealing Esaus
blessing. Jacob had literally nothing when he arrived at his uncle Labans home.
Jacob worked for Laban for seven years so that he could marry Rachel, but then Laban
substituted Leah for Rachel on the wedding night. Labans plot was doubly rewarding for him, as
he ensured both Jacobs continued labor and the marrying-off of his oldest daughter. As a result
of her fathers deceit, Leah was thrown into hell on earth: the man she was married to not only
didnt love her, he loved someone else, and that someone was her sister. Leah kept hoping that
bearing sons would secure Jacobs love and give her meaning in life, but that never happened.
[Q] What do you know about the story of Jacob and Leah?
[Q] When have you not gotten what you wanted? What was your response to that situation?
[Q] When have you felt rejected? How did you deal with it?
Part 2
Teaching Point One: You never do sin; sin does you.

You never commit sin. Sin commits you.
People think that when you break Gods law, when you lie, when you use somebody, when you
trample on somebody, when you sin, thats just an event or action. The Bible says that when you
sin you dont just do the act and then continue on. You create and release a devastating power
that careens around your life indefinitely. Hell begets hell. Lie begets lie. Sin begets sin. You
never sin and walk away. Sin is like a boulder, not a stone; sin is like dropping a boulder into
water. The shock waves go out forever. You never get away with sin.
Read Genesis 29:1535.
38

Leader s Guide
[Q] What are examples of the reality that sin does you throughout this passage?
Make a list.
[Q] What examples of this reality have you seen in your own life?
Teaching Point Two: In the morning its always Leah.
Writer Derrick Kidner puts it this way: But in the morning, behold, it was Leah. This is
a miniature of our disillusionment experienced from Eden onwards. You know what hes
saying? No matter what your hopes for a project, no matter what your hopes for marriage,
no matter what your hopes for love, no matter what your hopes for a career, no matter
what you have hope in, in the morning it will always be Leah. No matter what you think is
Rachel, it will always be Leah.
C. S. Lewis wrote: Most people, if they really learn to look into their own hearts, would
know that they do wantand want acutelysomething that cannot be had in this world.
There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never keep
their promise.
There are only four ways to approach life:
1. Blame the things I have and attempt to get better ones (better woman, better man,
better job, etc.).
2. Blame and hate myself.
3. Blame life and harden myself so Ill never hope for anything at all.
4. Understand that if nothing in this world will ever satisfy me, that means I am made
for something beyond this world.
[Q] How have you seen these different responses in people you know?
[Q] There are only four possible responses: one makes you a fool; one makes you a
self-hater; one makes you an utterly hard cynic; and one makes you a Christian. What
responses have you had? How did you get to your current response?
Teaching Point Three: We make our lives worse by idolizing family.

This may sound strange, but what we have here is a form of idolatry where you put your
hope in something to give you a sense of being loved, of being valuable, and to give your life
meaning. These are not idols of the liberal world. These are idols of the conservative world.
39

Leader s Guide
Jacob thought, If I get this gorgeous wife on my arm, if I am married, then I finally will have
happiness. But it didnt work. And poor Leah thought, If I have a child, if I have children, if I
have sons, if I have this wonderful family then Ill be worth something. Then Ill be loved. But it
never works.
The Bible never tells us to build our lives on a white picket fenceon being married and
having a perfect family. That has become a conservative idol.
[Q] How do you see Leahs idolatry of family in this passage?

[Q] How did this make her disappointment with the world worse?
[Q] In what ways might you have traditional value idols?
[Q] Why will such idols disappoint us?
Teaching Point Four: God works with and through weak people.
Look at what the people in our story haverevelation from God, miracles in their lives
they have all kinds of incredible things happen to them, and yet they screw up again and
again.
The Christian God is not a God who stands at the top of the ladder, but one who sent his
Son down to be the ladder. Hes not a God who tells us to perform. Instead he says, My Son,
Jesus Christ, will come down and live the life you should have lived and die the death you should
have died.
Thats the reason Bible stories do not give us role models to emulate; they are stories of weak
people like you and me whom a strong God had to come down and become weak and die on
the Cross to save. God works with weak people.
[Q] What weaknesses do you see in this passage?

[Q] Why is this particularly good news for you?
Right now theres a Laban in your life. Instead of screaming, Why in the world, Lord, have you
put this Laban in my life?, realize that God not only works with weak people, but he works in
your life through weak people.
[Q] How did God work in the lives of Jacob and Leah through despicable, weak Laban?
[Q] How did they change because of Laban?
40

Leader s Guide
[Q] How does this affect your outlook on your current circumstances?
Teaching Point Five: God rewards weak people.
Leah kept turning to her husband until the very end. At the very end, something changed
radically. Throughout this story, she said, Now my husband will love me. But finally she
said, This time I will praise the Lord. What happened?
Through this suffering she stopped turning to her husband, stopped looking to her
children, stopped looking to anything else, and decided to praise God. At that moment,
Laban and Jacob and all the people who had used and abused her fell away; at that point
she stood up and got her life back.
And more than that, Judah was the child that caused her to finally praise God. Whos
Judah? Jesus came from the line of Judah. That meant that Leah, the rejected, was an
ancestor of Jesus.
[Q] What does this episode with Leah tell you about God? About his disposition
toward you?
[Q] What personal stories do you have that illustrate this truth?
[Q] What situations are you facing now where you need to say, This time I will
praise the Lord?
Optional Activity:
Purpose: To reflect Gods love for the weak.
Activity: The Old Testament shows us what the New Testament tells us: God loves those
whom others dont love. God is attracted to the weak because of his gracious nature, and he
wants the ones that no one else wants. How can your group reflect this truth about God to
those who are weak and broken around you? Take time as a group to plan a way to serve the
marginalized in your community. Who and what? Babysitting for single moms? Tutoring kids
in low-income housing? Visiting the elderly? Feeding the homeless? And beyond a service project,
how could your group establish ongoing, relational ties to your neighbors in need?
41

Leader s Guide
Part 3
Apply Your Findings
If youre a person whos still searching for God, you need to understand this: God is not
standing at the top of the ladder; he sent his Son to be the ladder. Second, if youre a person
who gets very upset by weddings because youre so angry that youre not married, or if youre
still just incredibly desperate to be married, youve missed the point. In the morning, its
never what you thought.
You cannot look to anything but Jesus. In heaven we have a Father who will deal with all of
our imperfect fathers here. In heaven we have a Brother who will deal with all our imperfect
families. In heaven we have a Spouse who will deal with all our imperfect spouses. And until
we make him the One, until we say, This time I will praise the Lord, well never be able to
deal with all the imperfection around us.
If you feel like somebody else has ruined your life, look at Leah. Leah got her life back. She
didnt have to be bitter. She didnt have to hate. She didnt have to deceive in return. She said,
This time I will praise the Lord. I wont look to anything else to give me what only Jesus Christ
can give me. I will not add anything to Jesus Christ as a requirement for being happy. Do that,
and youll get your life back. Thats the only comfort that cant be quenched.
Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us, is the Bridegroom. Hes not just the King and were the
servants. Hes not just the Shepherd and were the sheep. Hes the Bridegroom, and were the
bride.
Jesus Christ came to earth and gave up his true beauty to live the life we should have lived
and die the death we should have died, so that when we believe in him we become his bride.
Though we may look like Leah, to Jesus Christ we look like Rachel. Thats the gospel. We
might look like Leah in ourselves, but to Jesus Christ we look gorgeous. God chooses the
foolish to shame the wise, the weak to shame the strong. God chooses the things that are
despised so that we might understand his grace. This is good reason to worship.
Action Point: Set aside an extended time of worship this week. Re-read this
story. Pray. Sing. Rejoice. Rest in Gods love for you!
42

What Does
Marriage Teach
Us About Christ?
Leah and Jacobs story teaches us about Christianity.
Genesis 29 shows us that the Bible can be the

most unsentimental of books when it comes to
the subject of marriage and family. It is utterly
realistic about thisthat it can be hard and
sometimes devastating to not be married, and it
can be hard and sometimes devastating to be
married. Keeping this biblical understanding is difficult,
because theres almost no support for it institutionally and structurally. Outside
Christian circles, theres a tremendous amount of fear and cynicism about
marriageand with good reason, because of the difficulty and possible
devastation which the Bible talks about.
On the other hand, inside Christian circles there is a tendency to say, Ah,
marriage, thats what lifes about. Marriage, family, kids, the white picket
fence. And the Bible says both of these attitudes are utterly wrong, because the
Bible does not show us Jesus Christ pointing to marriage and saying, This is
what you need. Rather, the Bible shows us marriage both in its strengths and
in its tremendous difficulties pointing to Jesus Christ as the thing we need.
S cr ip t ure: G en esis 29: 15 3 5
Based On : Th e ser mo n The G ir l N o bo dy Wanted, by Tim o thy K el l er,
PreachingTo day.com
43

Part 1
Identify the Issue
The story of Genesis 29 holds good and bad news for the Christian. Jacobs family was chosen
by God to bear the messianic seed, to be the ancestors of Jesus Christ. Jacobs family was
also filled with suffering because of their wrong choices. Isaac, Jacobs father, ignored Gods
instruction in favoring Esau over Jacob, and the character of both sons was compromised
as they grew up. Jacob was forced to run away as a consequence of deceiving his father and
stealing Esaus blessing. Jacob had literally nothing when he arrived at his uncle Labans home.
Jacob worked for Laban for seven years so that he could marry Rachel, but then Laban
substituted Leah for Rachel on the wedding night. Labans plot was doubly rewarding for
him, as he ensured both Jacobs continued labor and the marrying-off of his oldest daughter.
As a result of her fathers deceit, Leah was thrown into hell on earth: the man she was married
to not only didnt love her, he loved someone else, and that someone was her sister. Leah kept
hoping that bearing sons would secure Jacobs love and give her meaning in life, but that
never happened.
Part 2
Teaching Point One: You never do sin; sin does you.

Teaching Point Two: In the morning its always Leah.
There are only four ways to approach life:
1. Blame the things I have and attempt to get better ones (better woman, better man,
better job, etc.).
2. Blame and hate myself.
3. Blame life and harden myself so Ill never hope for anything at all.
4. Understand that if nothing in this world will ever satisfy me, that means I am made for
something beyond this world.
Teaching Point Three: We make our lives worse by idolizing family.

Teaching Point Four: God works with and through weak people.
Teaching Point Five: God rewards weak people.
44

Part 3
Apply Your Findings
If youre a person whos still searching for God, you need to understand this: God is not
standing at the top of the ladder; he sent his Son to be the ladder. Second, if youre a person
who gets very upset by weddings because youre so angry that youre not married, or if youre
still just incredibly desperate to be married, youve missed the point. In the morning, its
never what you thought.
You cannot look to anything but Jesus. In heaven we have a Father who will deal with all of
our imperfect fathers here. In heaven we have a Brother who will deal with all our imperfect
families. In heaven we have a Spouse who will deal with all our imperfect spouses. And until
we make him the One, until we say, This time I will praise the Lord, well never be able to
deal with all the imperfection around us.
If you feel like somebody else has ruined your life, look at Leah. Leah got her life back. She
didnt have to be bitter. She didnt have to hate. She didnt have to deceive in return. She said,
This time I will praise the Lord. I wont look to anything else to give me what only Jesus Christ
can give me. I will not add anything to Jesus Christ as a requirement for being happy. Do that,
and youll get your life back. Thats the only comfort that cant be quenched.
Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us, is the Bridegroom. Hes not just the King and were the
servants. Hes not just the Shepherd and were the sheep. Hes the Bridegroom, and were the
bride.
Jesus Christ came to earth and gave up his true beauty to live the life we should have lived
and die the death we should have died, so that when we believe in him we become his bride.
Though we may look like Leah, to Jesus Christ we look like Rachel. Thats the gospel. We
might look like Leah in ourselves, but to Jesus Christ we look gorgeous. God chooses the
foolish to shame the wise, the weak to shame the strong. God chooses the things that are
despised so that we might understand his grace. This is good reason to worship.
Action Point: Set aside an extended time of worship this week. Re-read this
story. Pray. Sing. Rejoice. Rest in Gods love for you!
45
How Should a Christian Think About Money?

Leader s Guide
How Should a
Christian Think
About Money?
With Jesus as our treasure, we break the power of money.
The Sermon on the Mount talks about what it will

look like if we take the essential message of Jesus
Christ and live it out. Jesus tells us three things
about money and possessions. He tells us how
money exercises power over us, why money exercises
power over us, and how we can break that power.
S cr ip t ure: M at t h ew 6: 19 2 4; Lu k e 1 1: 33 36 ; 1 2: 13 34
Based On : Th e ser mo n Treas u re vs. M o ney, by Tim o thy K el l er,
PreachingTo day.com
46

Leader s Guide
Part 1
Identify the Issue

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses the illustration that the eye is the lamp of the body;
good eyes fill a body with light, and bad eyes fill a body with darkness. Materialism can blind
you to an immoral workplace, a job you dislike, or a frivolous lifestyle. Jesus says, Where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Your treasure is the thing that you feel makes
everything worth it; for Jesus, we were the treasure that made his death on the cross worth it.
You have shaken moneys power over you if you no longer resent wealthy people. You have
shaken moneys power over you if you respect poor people and dont look down on them. You
have shaken moneys power over you if you become generous.
[Q] When you hear theres going to be a sermon about money, what buttons does that
push in you?
[Q] What did your parents communicate to you, verbally and nonverbally, about money?
[Q] What kind of relationship do you have with money?
Part 2
Teaching Point One: Money exercises power over us by blinding us to

greed.
Read Matthew 6:1924; Luke 11:3336; 12:1334.
The Matthew passage sums up and connects the two Luke passages. In Luke 11, Jesus uses
the illustration that the eye is the lamp of the body, and if your eye is dark, your whole body
is dark. And in Luke 12, he tells us to watch out for greed. Hes saying that materialism (an
inordinate desire or dependence on money and material things)
has the peculiar effect of blinding you spiritually, of distorting the way you see things.
When we spend money, we dont want to think, Did I really have to do that? We dont want to
talk to other people about it. We dont even want to talk to ourselves about it. We just want
to do it. Thats Jesus whole point about greed. Money has the power to keep us from asking
questions about how we spend and make our money.
47

Leader s Guide
Is there anybody in this culture who would dare say, I couldnt give any more away, I
couldnt live any more simply, I couldnt be any more generous with my money? The rest of
the world knows better. There are so many things we could be doing in this world if we didnt
think we had to have that gadget. Its astounding that we live in the place we live, in the
time we live, and dont think about the possibility that were greedy. That shows the power of
greedthe power of money.
[Q] Why does Jesus talk about treasure and blindness in the same passage?
[Q] What does Jesus mean by warning us not to store up . . . treasures on earth?
[Q] At what point does someone commit the sin of greed?
[Q] Are you greedy? Explain.
[Q] Who are you accountable to? Who have you gotten together with and said, Lets
talk about how were spending our moneyhow much were giving away, how much
were keeping?
Teaching Point Two: Money exercises power over us because it gives

us significance and security.
Why does money have this power? The answer is in Matthew 6:21. Jesus means that the place
where our heart rests is revealed by our attitude toward money. For many of us, money is a
way of gaining significance.
One of the reasons we need so much money, why we spend it on ourselves and dont give it
away like we should, is because money is our significance. The fact that were able to live in
a certain place, eat at certain places, move in certain social circles, and dress in a certain way
makes us feel were important.
You dont have to be very well off. Middle class people in general feel superior to the poor. We
give money and were sorry for and pity the poor, but we feel superior to them. And theres
no good reason to: if you started at the same place they did, with the same parents they had,
with the same situation they had, do you think youd do better?
Some people make money their security. Some people use money for approval; other people
use money for control. Thats what Jesus is saying here. He says money seems like it can give
you significance. But actually, it can make you an arrogant person that nobody likes. And
money cant possibly stop death, or tragedy, or broken relationships
[Q] What does Jesus mean by the word treasure in Matthew 6:21?
48

Leader s Guide
[Q] Do you view money as significance? Security? Neither? Both? Explain.

[Q] How do you honestly view those who are wealthier than you? More impoverished?
[Q] If were not giving our money away in eye-popping proportions, if we find it difficult,
if were not so radically generous that the worlds amazed at us Christians, why not?
Teaching Point Three: We can break the power of money over us by

understanding the gospel.
How do we break the power of money in our lives? Look at Matthew 6:1920. Jesus says to
treasure heavenly treasure, not earthly treasure.
Everybody, at the center of their soul, has something they treasure. What does it mean to
treasure something? It means to fill your heart with the beauty and the value of it. To treasure
something is to say, If I have this, everything is worth it. In other words, everybodys got
something. It might be money. It might be career. It might be status. It might be romance. It
might be family. Its your treasure.
The gospel puts you in a place where you dont care about money anymore. The gospel is that
youre more sinful than you ever dared believe, and youre more loved than you ever dared
hope. The more sinful keeps you from feeling superior to poor people; the more loved
keeps you from feeling inferior to rich people. One of the ways you know money has lost its
power over you is that you have no trouble loving rich people. And you also have no trouble
loving poor people. But the third sign money no longer has power over you is that you become
really generous.
[Q] What does Jesus mean by telling us to store up . . . treasures in heaven? How would
one do that?
[Q] Jesus treasures us sacrificially. Thus, we love others sacrificially, with the Cross in
mind. How might you live out the cross of Jesus Christ financially?
[Q] How has the gospel motivated you to love the rich more? To love the poor more? To
be more generous?
Optional Activity:
Purpose: To consider the value we place on money.
Activity: Consider this story: Professor Addison Leitch knew a couple of young women who
became Christians in college. They went back to their parents and said, Weve become Christians,
and we want to be missionaries. And each of the parents said, Now, dear, you had a religious
49

Leader s Guide
experience. How wonderful. But you need some security. Before you go off to have your missionary
experience, which is fine, we want you to have a masters degree. We want you to have taken a job
or two so youve gotten your career off the ground. And we want you to have some money in the
bank for some security. The women came back to Dr. Leitch and said, What do we say about
that?
[Q] What would you say to a son or daughter who decided to go on the mission field after
college instead of using his or her degree? What about a kid who drops out of college to pursue
ministry? Or skips college altogether for the same reason? Are your responses informed by
economics or faith?
Heres the rest of the story: Dr. Leitch said, Heres what I would say to your parents. Tell them were
on a little ball of rock spinning through space. Its called Earth, and who knows if were going to
run into something. But even if we dont, some day under each one of us is going to open a trap
door, and everybodys going to fall off. And underneath will be the everlasting arms or nothing at
all. And you think a masters degree is going to give you some security?
[Q] What do you think of Leitchs response?

[Q] What significance and security issues do you struggle with when it comes to money?
Pray for each other as a group to not be blind to greed.
Part 3
Apply Your Findings
If Jesus is your treasure, youll love the rich. If Jesus is your treasure, youll love the poor. If
Jesus is your treasure, youll be giving your money away joyfully, deliberately, and happily.
Thats the reason the early church was so successful.
We have an old letter from Diognetus, who told why the early Christians stunned people.
He says, We share our table with all, but we do not share our bed with all. He said, in
other words, that pagans are promiscuous with their bodies but stingy with their money.
And Christians are stingy with their bodies and promiscuous with their money. A city filled
with that kind of person is going to be a healthy city. A neighborhood filled with that kind of
person is going to be a healthy neighborhood. There are tremendous public ramifications of
the Sermon on the Mount. Lets live it.
[Q] How would it affect your neighborhood to live the life described above? Your family?
Your church?
50

Leader s Guide
Action Point: If you give money but it doesnt cut into the way you live, if
it isnt a sacrifice, if theres no cross in your economic life, if you dont give
away enough money that it makes a difference in your lifestyle, then youre
not responding to Jesus as he responded to you.
For most people, the tithe is the goal. The Bible says to give away ten
percent, and thats a good figure to think about in terms of your giving.
Thats a good way to tell whether the gospel is working in your heart,
because if the gospel is working in your heart and you see what Jesus
Christ has done for you, ten percent doesnt seem like much. Jesus went
way past the tithe. However, for most people it does mean a sacrifice. But
increasingly in America, there are people for whom ten percent would not
make a dent. And ten percent is not the point. Ten percent is just a rule of
thumb. Its a good way to get started, but the Cross is the standard. Is the
Cross in your economic life? Take an hour this week to pray and evaluate
your giving. Ask yourself:
[Q] Is my current giving sacrificial? Have I practiced the discipline of the

tithe? What would have to happen for me to give more?
51

How Should a
Christian Think
About Money?
With Jesus as our treasure, we break the power of money.
The Sermon on the Mount talks about what it will

look like if we take the essential message of Jesus
Christ and live it out. Jesus tells us three things
about money and possessions. He tells us how
money exercises power over us, why money exercises
power over us, and how we can break that power.
S cr ip t ure: M at t h ew 6: 19 2 4; Lu k e 1 1: 33 36 ; 1 2: 13 34
Based On : Th e ser mo n Treas u re vs. M o ney, by Tim o thy K el l er,
PreachingTo day.com
52

Part 1
Identify the Issue
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses the illustration that the eye is the lamp of the body;
good eyes fill a body with light, and bad eyes fill a body with darkness. Materialism can blind
you to an immoral workplace, a job you dislike, or a frivolous lifestyle. Jesus says, Where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Your treasure is the thing that you feel makes
everything worth it; for Jesus, we were the treasure that made his death on the cross worth it.
You have shaken moneys power over you if you no longer resent wealthy people. You have
shaken moneys power over you if you respect poor people and dont look down on them. You
have shaken moneys power over you if you become generous.
Part 2
Teaching Point One: Money exercises power over us by blinding us to

greed.
Teaching Point Two: Money exercises power over us because it gives
us significance and security.
Teaching Point Three: We can break the power of money over us by
understanding the gospel.
Part 3
Apply Your Findings
If Jesus is your treasure, youll love the rich. If Jesus is your treasure, youll love the poor. If
Jesus is your treasure, youll be giving your money away joyfully, deliberately, and happily.
Thats the reason the early church was so successful.
We have an old letter from Diognetus, who told why the early Christians stunned people.
He says, We share our table with all, but we do not share our bed with all. He said, in
other words, that pagans are promiscuous with their bodies but stingy with their money.
And Christians are stingy with their bodies and promiscuous with their money. A city filled
with that kind of person is going to be a healthy city. A neighborhood filled with that kind of
person is going to be a healthy neighborhood. There are tremendous public ramifications of
the Sermon on the Mount. Lets live it.
53

[Q] How would it affect your neighborhood to live the life described above? Your family?
Your church?
Action Point: If you give money but it doesnt cut into the way you live, if
it isnt a sacrifice, if theres no cross in your economic life, if you dont give
away enough money that it makes a difference in your lifestyle, then youre
not responding to Jesus as he responded to you.
For most people, the tithe is the goal. The Bible says to give away ten
percent, and thats a good figure to think about in terms of your giving.
Thats a good way to tell whether the gospel is working in your heart,
because if the gospel is working in your heart and you see what Jesus
Christ has done for you, ten percent doesnt seem like much. Jesus went
way past the tithe. However, for most people it does mean a sacrifice. But
increasingly in America, there are people for whom ten percent would not
make a dent. And ten percent is not the point. Ten percent is just a rule of
thumb. Its a good way to get started, but the Cross is the standard. Is the
Cross in your economic life? Take an hour this week to pray and evaluate
your giving. Ask yourself:
[Q] Is my current giving sacrificial? Have I practiced the discipline of the

tithe? What would have to happen for me to give more?
54
Does God Want Us to Be Happy?

Leader s Guide
Does God Want

Us to Be Happy?
No matter the circumstances, our joy can be constant.
If youre a Christian, you know that Christianity

is supposed to be about joy. The Bible clearly
teaches that joy is available, and that should
make us happy no matter the circumstances.
Theres a joy that the deepest trouble cant put
out, and if properly nourished and nurtured, it
can even overwhelm the greatest grief. But we
often wrestle with that concept. We have to ask
ourselves: Why do things affect me so much? Why
is my joy not relentless? Do I have that kind of impervious
joy? Maybe we dont understand the nature of this joy.
S cr ip t ure: R o man s 8:18 39
B ased On : Th e ser mo n The C hr is tians Happines s, by Tim o thy K el l e r,
PreachingTo day.com
55

Leader s Guide
Part 1
Identify the Issue

Happiness is something we all pursue, but most of us have trouble grasping. There is just
too much trouble in our lives. Romans 8 is all about living in a suffering world marked by
brokenness. Paul talks about how Christians are supposed to live in a world of trouble and
persecution and nakedness and poverty. In verses 2830, he offers three principles for finding
joy in suffering. Paul tells us that if we follow Christ, our bad things turn out for good, our
good things cannot be lost, and our best things are yet to come.
[Q] When you hear the word joy what comes to mind?
[Q] What circumstances have sought to rob you of your joy recently?
[Q] Who is the most joyful person you know? What is his or her secret?
Part 2
Teaching Point One: Our bad things turn out for good.
Read Romans 8:1839.
One thing Romans 8:28 tells us is that the Christians circumstances are no better than
anybody elses. Many Christians explicitly teachand most Christians implicitly believe
that if we love and serve God, then we will not have as many bad things happen to us.
Earlier in Romans 8, Paul discusses how things fall apart because the world is burdened with
evil and sin. Verse 28 tells Christians to get rid of the saccharine, sentimental idea that things
ought to go right, that things do go right, and that its normal for things to go right. This
verse does not promise that those who love God will have better circumstances. Nor does this
verse say that bad things are actually good things. Rather, it acknowledges that circumstances
are bad, but promises that God will work them to good effect in your life. The promise is not
that we will see immediately how every bad event works out for our good. The promise is that
all the bad will work together for good in your life in its totality.
The story of Jesus standing before the tomb of Lazarus (see John 11) is an endless source of
insight. As he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, Jesus was not smiling. He was angry.
56

Leader s Guide
He was weeping. Why? Because death is a bad thing! Jesus wasnt thinking, They think that
this is a tragedy, but no harm done! Im about to raise him from the dead. This looks like a bad
thing, but its not. Its really a good thing! Its a way for me to show my glory. Its really exciting! I
cant wait! No, Jesus was weeping at the tomb, because the thing he was about to work for
good was bad. The story of Lazarus does not give you a saccharine view of suffering, such as
saying bad things are really blessings in disguise or that every cloud has a silver lining. The
Bible never says anything like that!
God will give bad things good effects in your life, but theyre still bad. Jesus Christs anger at
the tomb of Lazarus proves that he hates death. He also hates loneliness, alienation, pain, and
suffering. Jesus hates it all so much that he was willing to come into this world and experience
it all himself, so that eventually he could destroy it without destroying us.
[Q] How have you heard Romans 8:28 misused in the past (or how have you misused it)?
What trouble does a misinterpretation of this promise bring to the reader?
[Q] What does Paul mean, in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose? What are the practical implications?
[Q] How have you seen this truth in your own life?
[Q] What current difficult situations make you cling to this truth?
Teaching Point Two: Our good things can never be lost.
Our adoption into Gods family means we are loved as Christ is loved. We are honored as he
is honoredevery one of usno matter what. Your circumstances cannot hinder or threaten
that promise. In fact, your bad circumstances will only help you understand and claim the
beauty of that promise. The more you live out who you are in Christ, the more you become
like him in actuality. Paul is not promising you better life circumstances; he is promising you
a far better lifeone that goes on forever.
People use Romans 8:28 to assure themselves that when bad things happen, then surely good
things will happen. They think, I didnt get into the grad school I wanted to get into, but thats
because theres a better grad school for me somewhere. Or, I didnt marry the girl or guy I wanted to
marry, but that means theres a better one for me somewhere.
Thats not the promise. Theres the little word for at the beginning of verse 29, which
indicates the verses go together. God does not promise you better life circumstances if you
love him. He promises you a better life. Grad school and marriage are circumstances. Were
talking about a joy that goes beyond circumstances.
57

Leader s Guide
Jesus Christ did not suffer so that you would not suffer. He suffered so that when you suffer,
youll become like him. Romans 8:29 tells us the goal toward which all our circumstances are
moving us. Paul uses the word predestined. Something that is predestined is fixed. What Paul
means is that if you love God, you can count on a promise that is absolutely fixed, no matter
what. What is it that is predestined? That we will be conformed.
In Romans 8:29, Paul calls Christ the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. That means
we are all adopted into the family. Adoption changes a relationship from formal to intimate,
from temporary and conditional to permanent and unconditional. Paul is not promising you
better life circumstances; he is promising you a far better life. Hes promising you a life of
greatness, joy, and nobility, forever.
[Q] What are all the promises of good things in this passage? Write them down. What do
they mean? What do they mean for you?
[Q] What does it mean to you that all of these promises are past tensedone deals?
[Q] Believers are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ (v. 29). How have
you seen this promise at work so far in you? What hope does it give you?
[Q] Christ is the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. How does this identity
encourage you?
Teaching Point Three: The best things are yet to come.

Why can you be joyful no matter what? Your bad things turn out for good, your good things
can never be lost, and the best is yet to come. If you understand what is to come, you can
handle anything here.
It is amazing that even Ivan Karamazov, the atheist character in Dostoevskys The Brothers
Karamazov, understood how knowing what is to come helps a person endure present
circumstances. He said: I believe that suffering will be healed and made up for, that in the
worlds finality, at the mo
ent of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all
hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity,
of all the blood thats been shed, that it will make it not just possible to forgive, but to justify
all thats happened.
God promises to change our inner essence into the very inner essence of Jesus Christ. Its
guaranteed. One of the most astounding things in Romans 8:30 is that the word glorified
is in the past tense. Because the apostle is so absolutely certain God is going to make you as
beautiful as Jesus, he writes of the glorification as an accomplished fact.
58

Leader s Guide
If you understand what is to come, you can handle anything here. This talk about glory and
heaven does not trivialize suffering. Our souls are so great and our suffering is so deep that
nothing but this promise can overwhelm it. Glory does not trivialize human brokenness.
Its the only thing that takes it seriously. What else could possibly deal with the hurts of our
hearts? Your soul is too great for anything but this.
[Q] What do you imagine Pauls word glorified means in verse 30?
[Q] What obscures your view of glory?
[Q] How has the promise of glory affected your day-to-day living? What does it do for
your joy?
Optional Activity:
Purpose: To spread the reason for our joy.
Activity: In this grief-stricken world, your group can think of lots of people who need an
encouraging word. Distribute some pens, paper, stamps, and envelopes. Take some time as a group
to write letters to those who need to hear the joy-giving truths of Romans 8. Maybe its someone in
a nursing home, or someone struggling with illness, or someone who is unemployed. Pray for the
recipients before you collect the letters to be mailed.
Part 3
Apply Your Findings
Paul tells us that if we follow Christ, our bad things turn out for good, our good things
cannot be lost, and our best things are yet to come. Those are the reasons for our joy.
Action Point: Spend time worshiping God for these joyful truths. Write on
a piece of paper those things that are stealing your joy right now. When
you are done, write Romans 8:2830 across your paper. Thank the Lord that
these truths are a done deal.
59

Does God Want

Us to Be Happy?
No matter the circumstances, our joy can be constant.
If youre a Christian, you know that Christianity

is supposed to be about joy. The Bible clearly
teaches that joy is available, and that should
make us happy no matter the circumstances.
Theres a joy that the deepest trouble cant put
out, and if properly nourished and nurtured, it
can even overwhelm the greatest grief. But we
often wrestle with that concept. We have to ask
ourselves: Why do things affect me so much? Why
is my joy not relentless? Do I have that kind of impervious
joy? Maybe we dont understand the nature of this joy.
S cr ip t ure: R o man s 8:18 39
B ased On : Th e ser mo n The C hr is tians Happines s, by Tim o thy K el l e r,
PreachingTo day.com
60

Part 1
Identify the Issue
Happiness is something we all pursue, but most of us have trouble grasping. There is just
too much trouble in our lives. Romans 8 is all about living in a suffering world marked by
brokenness. Paul talks about how Christians are supposed to live in a world of trouble and
persecution and nakedness and poverty. In verses 2830, he offers three principles for finding
joy in suffering. Paul tells us that if we follow Christ, our bad things turn out for good, our
good things cannot be lost, and our best things are yet to come.
[Q] When you hear the word joy what comes to mind?
[Q] What circumstances have sought to rob you of your joy recently?
[Q] Who is the most joyful person you know? What is his or her secret?
Part 2
Teaching Point One: Our bad things turn out for good.
Teaching Point Two: Our good things can never be lost.
Teaching Point Three: The best things are yet to come.
Part 3
Apply Your Findings
Paul tells us that if we follow Christ, our bad things turn out for good, our good things
cannot be lost, and our best things are yet to come. Those are the reasons for our joy.
Action Point: Spend time worshiping God for these joyful truths. Write on
a piece of paper those things that are stealing your joy right now. When
you are done, write Romans 8:2830 across your paper. Thank the Lord that
these truths are a done deal.

61
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Great Teachers of the Bible

on a study title youd like to see q

how TO USE THIS RESOURCE FOR A GROUP STUDY

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How to use this resource for a group study

How to use this

Make sure your group agrees to complete confidentiality. This is essential

When working through the questions, be willing to make yourself

Begin and end the session in prayer.

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Is the Bible Historically Unreliable & Regressive?

Is the Bible Historically

There are many good things in the Bible, but

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com

Is the Bible Historically Unreliable & Regressive?

Identify the Issue

Note to l eader : Provi de e ach p e r son w it h the Par t icipant s Guide

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com

Is the Bible Historically Unreliable & Regressive?

Jews, they were only thinking of the redemption of Israel.

[Q] Why would such a me-centered reading of Scripture be dangerous?

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com

Is the Bible Historically Unreliable & Regressive?

Discover the Eternal Principles

[Q] How might you relay this defense to a doubting friend?

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com

Is the Bible Historically Unreliable & Regressive?

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com

Is the Bible Historically Unreliable & Regressive?

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com

Is the Bible Historically Unreliable & Regressive?

Apply Your Findings

Study by Timothy Keller with Kyle L. White

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com

Is the Bible Historically Unreliable & Regressive?

Is the Bible Historically

There are many good things in the Bible, but

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com

Is the Bible Historically Unreliable & Regressive?

Identify the Issue

as Jews, they were only thinking of the redemption of Israel.

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com

Is the Bible Historically Unreliable & Regressive?

Discover the Eternal Principles

Apply Your Findings

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com

Is the Bible Historically Unreliable & Regressive?

Study by Timothy Keller with Kyle L. White

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com

How Does Sin Make Us Addicts?

How Does Sin Make

Throughout the Bible, when God talks about

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com

How Does Sin Make Us Addicts?

Identify the Issue

Note to l eader : Provi de e ach p e r son w it h the Par t icipant s Guide

Discover the Eternal Principles

Teaching Point One: We are driven by spiritual attraction.

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com

How Does Sin Make Us Addicts?

Teaching Point Two: Apart from God, we operate in spiritual addiction.

[Q] What picture does God paint of Israel in these verses?

Teaching Point Three: We avoid fatal attraction through Christs

2011 Christianity Today International | ChristianBibleStudies.com