Segment 7: Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector
(Luke 18:9-14)
Looking Back
Care For One Another
Pray for one another
Share from your lives (health issues, family, finances, spiritual needs, sports, etc.)
Celebrate Together
With song, instrument, dance or testimonies
Cast vision For Your Group And Each Other
That we would be better followers of Jesus
That our community would draw closer to God
Giving and Sharing
Give something tangible from what God has given you to help others
Looking Up
Introduction
How do people typically approach God? There are primarily two ways: either by obeying a
list of rules or by having faith. Every religion except Christianity has a list or rules one must
follow in order to be right with God. Christianity, by contrast, is the only belief system that approaches God through faith...not by keeping rules to earn His favor. Christianity accepts what God has done for us in Christ as the only way to be right with God. In the segment we’re about to watch, a “Pharisee” is a religious leader in Israel who was responsible for teaching people about God. They had to keep many rules and laws. This made them feel superior to the people they were supposed to care for.
Step 1 Watch the segment twice
Step 2 Ask a member of the group to tell the story of the segment in their own words
Step 3 Allow the group to fill in any gaps in the story or make any corrections.
Step 4 Discussion questions:
1. What did you like the most about the story? What caught your attention?
2. Tax collectors were hated by the people of Israel because they worked for the
occupying Roman government and made the people pay high tax rates. Why do you
think Jesus chose a tax collector for this story?
3. What is the attitude of the Pharisee as he prays? Why does he look down on
other people?
4. What is the attitude of the tax collector? What does he ask God to do for him?
5. What do you think that the word “justified” means? (See Romans 5:1)
6. Which of the two men in the story do you think went home being right with God? Why?
Conclusion
Christianity does not require man to keep any set of rules to become right with God. Only
faith. Pride keeps people from God because they trust in themselves instead of trusting in God.
God gives mercy to humble people when they ask for it.
Looking Forward
Application
Share together in your group how you believe God would want you to respond
Practice
telling the story (from step 2) to each other
Share
today’s story with others and invite them to come to your next group time.
Prayer
Thank God for what we learned today.
Pray for others in our community.
Pray for one another in your group