The True Circumcision

Worship Folder

Intro: Stop looking OUT. Look IN instead. But don’t forget to look UP.

I. RELIGION: EXTERNAL FORM AND RITUAL
God judges according to works (Rom 2:6). Will Christians be judged too?

II. CHRISTIANITY: INTERNAL SPIRITUAL REALITY
What is true circumcision?

Discussion Questions:

1. Are you more prone to looking OUT at others and judging them or looking IN in self-condemnation? Either way, how can you begin to look UP more?
2. Is your faith prone to external form or ritual? If so, where? How does that differ from internal spiritual reality?
3. How does God fit into your solitude? Are there spiritual practices you do “in secret” (Matt 6)? How are you pushing back against the trend in our culture to do everything publicly?
4. What does Paul mean when he writes, “by the Spirit, not by the letter” (Rom 2:29)?
5. Are you living for the praise or men? If so, what kinds of behaviors does that lead you to? In contrast, what do you think it means for your praise to be from God? (Note: it doesn’t say you shouldn’t have praise, but that your praise should come from God not man. Wrestle with that.)