Bible Talk
Topic: Character
Topic Name: The Christian Reputation
Opening Question/Activity:
The Bible details the behaviors of how a Christian ought to behave in various situations. These behaviors create the reputation placed on them. Rather than an opening question, I want to play a word association game. Going around (this way), please say your name and then draw a name. What “personality trait” based on their reputation first comes to mind when you hear the name selected.
Name Bank:
Napoleon Bonaparte, William Shakespeare, Josiah Smith, Abraham Lincoln, Nikki Minaj, George Washington, Katt Williams, Hitler, Aristotle, Alexander The Great, Henry the 8th, Darwin, Karl Marx, Julius Caesar, Michael Jackson, Stalin, Einstein, Christopher Columbus, Tom Brady, Isaac Newton, Wolfgang Mozart, Kingston, Plato, Leonardo Davinci, Charles Dickens, George Bush, Edgar Allan Poe, Elvis Presley, Aladdin, & Beyonce. [ Add more as needed ]
Preface:
You see, all these people had a set of behaviors or achievements that defined your feelings toward their personality. If you followed the Biblical standard of behavior, what will strangers view your personality as? At this time, I want to dive into a few scriptures to illustrate my point.
Scripture#1- Luke 7:36-39
Q: What kind of reputation did this woman have? (You can use more than one word)
Q: What do you think she might have done to get this type of reputation?
Q: How do you think the Pharisee (Simon) would have described himself?
Q: How would the woman have described him?
Scripture#2- Mark 1:40
Q: How would the Pharisee (Simon) have described this man if he was there?
Q: What do you think it was like for him to have leprosy? What kind of challenges would he have had?
Q: Have you ever had a bad reputation for something? What kind of challenges does that bring?
Scripture#3- Luke 7:44-50
Q: What kind of reputation did Jesus have?
Q: How did His association with this woman effect His reputation?
Q: Do you think Jesus cared about His reputation?
Q: Why do you think Simon had such an attitude at the sinful woman?
Q: Eventually – Do you think the sinful woman’s reputation changed? How does the Bible see her?
Q: Do you think your reputation is important?
Challenge:
While we all need to be like-minded and relatable to reach people best, the only reputation that matters in the end is the one God has of you. If God were to describe you right now, what would he say? If you are unsure or wonder how the Bible can answer this question, I challenge each and every one of you to begin or continue to study the Bible to discover the answer to this question.
And that’s Bible talk……