Series Resources

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: Smear Campaign, June 9

SMEAR CAMPAIGN | June 9, 2024

CONNECT

Think about a recent conversation you had, online or inperson. Did someone say

something that left a positive or negative impact on you?Share a brief story about it.

ENGAGE

Read James 3:5-6 and discuss:

● How does Jamescompare the tongue to a fire? What does this metaphor tell us

about the power of words?

● Have you everexperienced the negative impact of someone's words? How did it

affect you?

● The passage says thetongue "can cause great damage." Can you think of any

examples from your own life or the news where words havecaused significant

harm?

APPLY

● Considering the powerof words, how can we be more mindful of what we say to

others, both online and in person?

● Ashlee Eiland, in herbook "Say Good," encourages us to use our words to build

others up. How can we intentionally use our words tospread kindness and

encouragement in our daily lives?

PRAYER

Invite everyone to take a moment in silence to reflect onthe power of our words and

how we can use them for good.

Close in prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of language.Forgive us for the times we

have used our words to hurt others. Help us to be moremindful of the impact our

words have and guide us to use them to build others upand spread Your love.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

‍