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sermon-based study guide

This guide is designed to guide a group discussion around the weekend sermon. You can also use this as an individual, but we highly recommend finding a friend and inviting them to discuss with you. Menlo Church has Life Groups meeting in-person and online using these guides. We’d love to help you find a group.
What you will find in this guide: A discussion guide for groups and individuals. If you are using this as an individual be sure to engage with each question in a journal or simply in your mind as you prayerfully consider what you heard in the sermon and seek to discover what God is inviting you to know and do.

Study Guide: Death or Life

CONNECT

Have you ever felt pressure to conform to a certain gender stereotype?

ENGAGE

Read Matthew 19:4-6, what is the significance of God creating humans as male and female?

Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, while it was written in a specific historical context, how can we apply the timeless principles about honoring God with our bodies to our lives today?

Read Romans 12:1. This passage talks about offering our bodies as a living sacrifice with God's mercy as a motivation for this offering. How does reflecting on God's mercy in your life change your desire to serve him?

APPLY

The core Christian teaching emphasizes loving your neighbor (Mark 12:31). Imagine a transgender friend or family member who feels deep discomfort with their assigned sex at birth. How can we show Christ-like love and compassion while staying true to our beliefs about biological sex?

Many transgender people experience significant emotional distress, known as gender dysphoria.

  • Discuss how individuals might feel when they don't conform to stereotypical expectations of masculinity or femininity.
  • How can we cultivate empathy and understanding for this experience, even if it differs from our own?
  • Share personal experiences (if comfortable) or hypothetical situations to illustrate the negative consequences of adhering to strict gender roles.
  • Discuss how our actions and expressions should flow from our identity as men and women created by God, not imposed stereotypes.
  • Analyze examples of how gender stereotypes can be perpetuated within the church (e.g., language used in sermons, and events targeted towards specific genders).

PRAYER

  • Pray for wisdom and discernment in navigating the complexities of gender identity.
  • Pray for those struggling with their gender identity or facing societal pressures.
  • Pray for the church to be a place of love and acceptance for all.

GOING DEEPER:

Menlo Midweek Podcast—Tune in every Wednesday for a conversation with the previous week’s speaker. It’s a deeper dive into the message and an engaging time to learn, reflect, grow.

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