WHAT’S THE POINT?

WORD UP:

INWARD PRAYER:

QUESTIONS:

1. What stood out to you tonight at youth, and why do you think that was important?
2. What is the craziest thing you have ever heard of someone doing because of jealousy?
3. How do people act out their jealousy? (Some possible answers: make fun of others, cause a distraction, over-dramatize situations in their own lives, downplay people’s achievements
4. In the Scripture of Matthew 12:22-32, how do the Pharisees act out their jealousy? What in particular do you think they are jealous for?
5. What do you think jealousy or envy reveals about a person’s view of themselves?
6. Fill in the blank, I feel jealous of someone when [BLANK]
7. What are some ways that you can deal with jealousy in your own life? How can you become a less jealous person?

OUTWARD PRAYER:

WHAT’S THE POINT?

WORD UP:

In most Bibles and in most sermons this story is titled with something to do with Blaspheming the Holy Spirit or the Unforgivable sin. You may want to mention something about that in this devo, but I would suggest spending more time on the main point. If someone is worried about the unforgivable sin, they probably don’t need to be. It is essentially is rejecting God’s offer to know Him.

This series is talking about learning from the mistakes that others make. The people who we are learning from here are the pharisees. This is the point in book of Matthew, where the jealousy of the Pharisees has grown into its outward ugliness toward Jesus. This jealousy causes them to erroneously declare that His miracle are the works of the devil and not God. Andy Stanley says at the heart of jealousy is the belief that God didn’t give you enough. That’s what is happening inside these pharisees.

They are watching the crowds follow Jesus. They are seeing Jesus do miracles and bring teaching with authority and they want that attention. It reveals how a jealous heart can distort people’s actions, and destroy their character.

What’s the lesson from the pharisees, how should they have responded? Instead of declaring that Jesus is from the kingdom of darkness, they should be celebrating the miracles and saying God’s kingdom is here and pointing towards Him.

WAKE UP:

1. Use a video like this one: https://youtu.be/MiWmZP0qwOg or another one that is cute/funny about jealousy. After watching it, or a portion of it, highlight the funny jealousy, but then talk about how jealousy in real life isn’t funny and it gets ugly really fast.
2. Share a story of when you were jealous and how it changed your thinking and maybe even found yourself acting in a way that you thought you wouldn’t
3. Share a story of when you could have been jealous of someone and you wrestled with that desire but then chose to celebrate them instead

WHY DO I CARE?

• When I am jealous I can deny who God created me to be and become the worst version of myself
• When I am jealous I can rob others of the encouragement that God intended me to give
• When I choose to celebrate God’s work in others I can see God at work around me more and more

WHAT DO I DO?

• Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any times in the last few weeks where I have been jealous of someone
• Invite Jesus to work in my heart
• Celebrate and encourage one thing I see someone do this week, or if too easy, every day this week