Friday, May 12, 2006

DQ's for Chapter 8

This Sunday school class has opened up all sorts of conversations for Charles and for others in the class. It is great to hear them share during the prayer and share time on Sunday nights about the joy of being stretched by God's Word and Dr. Meadors. These testimonies are so much better than "Great Aunt Myrtle's bunion problems"! :)

Here is the next wave of questions to help you engage with us!
  1. Define conscience; think about its formation, development and role in a person’s life. Is your definition a psychological, philosophical or Biblical one? (ref. Meadors p. 155)
  2. Discuss the ramifications of Jiminy Cricket’s advice, “Always let your conscience be your guide.” What worldview does Walt Disney’s cartoon portray by using this character? Is it “just cartoons”?
  3. How reliable or limited is your conscience? What are its limitations? How can these limitations be overcome? What is the role of good or bad feelings to decision making? (c. Meadors, pp.157, 164)
  4. Read Romans 2:12-15. Who has the “advantage” with regard to conscience? What does an increased understanding do to their hearts? How then should this affect our reading of pharaoh’s response in Exodus 7-9?
  5. Why can our consciences not be trusted as the final judge for making decisions? Why do people try to silence their consciences?
  6. Consider the stronger/weaker brother conversation in 1 Corinthians 8:7-13. Why was the stronger brother strong? How could he be wrong too?
  7. “The function of conscience always lags behind [conviction], because a change of mind takes time.” (Meadors, p.161) Share a personal illustration of this principle from your own life.
  8. In the cartoons, how is the conversation of conscience depicted? Who are those little voices in our heads? How does the “conscience conversation” change when making decisions in areas of clear commandments, community standards, or personal standards?
  9. What is the secret to maximizing the helpfulness of the assistance given by conscience?

Why not start a conversation of your own today about conscience, worldviews, or values sets? I look forward to hearing how it turns out!

Molding and shaping young people into a focused worldview,

Mike

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