Prayer and Conversation Guide #2 of 8
Based on sermon: “Sex, Lies, and the Finger of God”
1. Have you ever been singled out for doing something wrong and felt public humiliation? Or
have you ever felt like the Far Side cartoon of God with finger poised over the Smite button?
Share.
2. Read John 8:1-6. How was this woman being used by the Pharisees? Is it ever right to treat
people as objects or cases? Is it difficult for you to believe God knows you by name and loves
you as if He had no other child but you? Explain.
3. Who is the greater sinner—the woman or her accusers? How does Jesus’ response in verse 7
address this question?
4. What’s the significance of Jesus writing in the dust?
5.
Did you grow up believing God to be vengeful, angry, and eager to catch sinners in the act,
and just as eager to punish them? Where did that picture come from? If Jesus is God, how does
this incident with the woman and the Pharisees affect that earlier image? What does this story tell
you about God?
6. Is Jesus soft on sin? Does he disregard the law? Explain.
7. How do our own actions and response to Jesus’ words judge us? (See John 12:47, 48)
8. Have you ever avoided genuine repentance (turning away from sin)? How and why?
10. Have you truly experienced grace? Have you given that grace to others? If not, how healed
can you be from the guilt and emotional scars you carry?
