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, May 26
CONNECT
Imagine you could invite two people to dinner - one with whom you completely agree politically, and another with whom you completely disagree. What would you discuss? How would you approach the conversation?
ENGAGE
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and discuss:
- How does this passage define love?
- In what ways can this be difficult to practice, especially for those with opposing political views?
- Why do you think the opposite of love is fear, according to the sermon?
Read Matthew 22:36-40 and discuss:
- In this passage, Jesus mentions two great commandments: loving God and loving your neighbor. How are these two commandments connected? Can you truly love one without the other?
- How can we apply this concept of loving our neighbor in today's world, where our communities are more diverse and geographically spread out?
- Who would you consider your neighbor?
APPLY
- How can we identify fear-based responses in ourselves when it comes to political discussions?
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- How can we cultivate a more loving approach to political conversations, even with those we disagree with?
PRAYER
Pray together for a community that reflects Christ's love, even amidst political differences. Ask for volunteers to share prayer requests related to the discussion topic (unity, navigating political conversations with love, etc.).
Resources for a deeper dive
Works Cited in the sermon:
- Bird, Michael F. & Wright, N.T. Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies.
- Gallup Research
- News Bias Website Infographic
- Pew Research
- Packer, George. How America Fractured into Four Parts. The Atlantic, July/August 2021 Issue
Explore on your own:
BOOKS:
- Butler, Joshua Ryan. The Party Crasher: How Jesus Disrupts Politics as Usual and Redeems Our Partisan Divide.some text
- Eiland, Ashlee. Say Good: Speaking Across Hot Topics, Complex Relationships, and Tense Situations.some text
- Gitsham, Denise Grace. Politics for People Who Hate Politics: How to Engage without Losing Your Friends or Selling Your Soul.some text
- Moore, Russell. Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America.some text
- Packer, George. Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal.some text
- Schiess, Kaitlyn. Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here.some text
- Schiess, Kaitlyn. The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor.some text
- Sprinkle, Preston. Exiles: The Church in the Shadow of Empire.some text
- Wear, Michael R. The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life.some text
PODCASTS:
- The Church Politics Podcast (Justin Giboney & Chris Butler)some text
- Truth Over Tribe Podcastsome text