Difficult People (Part 2)
In the series, “Difficult People”, we are exploring the challenge of relationships through the story of Jacob and Esau.
Read Genesis 25:29-34. Discuss your initial thoughts on this situation between Esau and Jacob. If you’re familiar with this story, how has it been framed for you in the past?
After listening to this week’s podcast and/or sermon, how has your view of Jacob and Esau here shifted? What is Esau’s role in the exchange of his birthright and what is Jacob’s?
In this week’s sermon, Pete introduced the term “relational value system” to mean how we ascribe value to our relationship with others, saying that our relational value system is often “When we engage in relationship with others on the basis of the value they bring me.”
If you feel comfortable doing so, in your group discuss a time or situation when your relational value system has looked like this.
Have you ever felt like you were in relationship with someone who valued primarily what you could offer to them? If you feel comfortable doing so, describe this relationship. How did this make you feel? How did this impact your relationship?
Read Philippians 2:1-4. How does Paul in this letter flip a self-centered relational value system upside down? Based on this, how would you describe God’s relational value system?
In his sermon, Pete said that God’s relational value system is when “we engage in relationship with others on the basis of the value God pours out on us.” How does reflecting on, and living our lives out of, our God-given value free us to be with and for others?
Discuss the potential for evangelism to a hurting world that we might have as followers of Christ if we were to adopt God’s relational value system.
(*Video available after Sunday services)
