Date: July 23, 2023
Set Apart by Christ
The Point: In Christ, we are dead to sin but alive to God.
Get Into the Study
As you recap the content in “The Bible Meets Life,” share the following.
Teach companies sometimes attempt to limit the spread of viral content online. But as with sin’s spread, halting the spread of internet content can be challenging. Twitter was the latest company to learn that when it imposed a daily cap this month on the number of tweets users can view per day.
Unverified accounts can view 1,000 tweets per day while registered accounts (which require an $8-per-month subscription fee) can view 10,000. Initially, Twitter announced caps of 600 and 6,000 tweets for the two types of accounts, respectively. But the totals increased following user backlash.
Twitter owner Elon Musk said the limits are an attempt to prevent unauthorized culling of data by bots and artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT. The company added that only a small percentage of users are affected by the limits. Critics say the move could backfire by driving away users.
“The joke on Twitter is that people are going to go outside instead, but the reality is that they’re going to go to another app,” said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst with Insider Intelligence. “By sending users elsewhere, Musk is killing the main proposition Twitter has had for advertisers—a highly engaged user base, especially around news and events.”
Perhaps viral content can’t be stopped after all.
https://apnews.com/article/twitter-elon-musk-rate-limits-04380c0a90528edcd7441d2f0b47549e
Get Into the Study [Option from Adult Leader Guide, p. 97]
Play this video as an example of something going viral. Then ask Question #1.
Study the Bible
Share the following after discussing Question 5.
Several NHL hockey players used their position as professional athletes to stand for Christ this season as weapons of righteousness. The occasion for their stand was the league’s support of Pride nights promoting the LGBTQ agenda.
At least seven players refused to wear rainbow-colored Pride warmup jerseys on Pride nights. Some pointed to Christian beliefs as the reason. In March, San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer sat out pregame warmups rather than wear a Pride jersey, citing his religious beliefs. “In this specific instance, I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal convictions, which are based on the Bible, the highest authority in life,” Reimer said.
In January, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov said his Russian Orthodox beliefs led him to sit out a pregame skate that featured Pride warmup jerseys. Sales of Provorov’s jersey soared following the incident.
Retired NHL defenseman Noah Welch advised current players to “put on the full armor of God first and foremost. The same way that pro athletes put on body armor every day to go and complete … read your Bible every day.” Then “pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you the right words to say.”
The Christian players’ stand and ensuing controversy over Pride jerseys led the NHL to rethink themed warmup jerseys altogether. The league announced in June that no such jerseys will be worn next season.
The week’s writer for Extra is David Roach. David is pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Alabama. He and his wife Erin have three children.
Study the Bible [Option from Young Adult Leader Guide]
After talking as a group about life before Christ, show this video clip as an example of victory over sin and death. This clip will give the group an opportunity to discuss the power of believing and receiving Christ—living dead to sin and alive to Christ.
Live It Out [Option from Adult Leader Guide, p. 102]
Play this worship song that helps group members reflect on the life we have in Christ.
Additional Questions
Icebreaker
- How did the Covid pandemic change your social interaction?
- What’s something you’ve missed out on because you weren’t feeling well?
Roman 6:5-7
- If we are freed from sin, why do we continue to struggle?
- What has it meant in your life, to be “united with” Jesus?
- How have you experienced freedom from sin?
- If we have died to sin, why do we still struggle with the temptation to sin?
- In your own words, what is required to be “united” in Christ?
- How have you experienced freedom from sin in a way that changed your everyday life?
- When have you seen someone really set free from sin’s grip?
Romans 6:8-11
- How does the promise of living with Christ in the next life encourage you to face the challenges of this life?
- What are the benefits for the Christian of seeing eternal life as having already begun?
- In your own words, what does it mean to “live with” Christ?
- How would you describe a person who is alive to God?
Romans 6:12-14
- How could your brain, ears, or mouth be a weapon for unrighteousness?
- How could your brain, ears, or mouth be a weapon for righteousness?
- What steps are you taking to actively participate in growing toward spiritual maturity and holiness?
- What do you think it means to present the members of your body to God or to sin?
- Based on these verses, how would you describe your life before Christ?
- Based on these verses, how is your life different now that you are alive in Christ?
For Those in Your Group
Send the following link to your group members as either a teaser before the group meets or as a follow-up thought:
Podcast
Click here for a 20-minute podcast for both the group member and the leader.
Podcast (adultsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
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