02.06.2022 | FORTUNE COOKIE WISDOM | Wk 5: “Your Best Friends Think & Act Like You”
Join the community and go deeper with this Bible study.
Breaking Ground
What setting makes you the most uncomfortable? Why? Keep it light – think of things like the dentist, principal’s office, etc.
The Dig
This week, we continue Fortune Cookie Wisdom by further exploring the role of diversity in pursuing wisdom. Specifically, reflect on the diversity that exists in our various communities.
Begin by returning to the final topic from last week’s Going Deeper. In Revelation 7:9-10 & 21, the ultimate image of God’s restored People includes, embraces, accepts, & celebrates diversity rather than erasing it. Diversity is a feature of restored humanity, not a bug in God’s design. Thus, the Church, as a foretaste of this renewed humanity, is meant to reflect this diverse, relational community in the present.
What does the Church (or really any human community) lose when it lacks diversity? What dangers does it face? How should this impact how we seek to build community in our present context?
Next, reflect on your own communities outside of church (friendships, workplace, school, civic organizations, etc).
Which community that you belong to has the most diversity? Which has the least? Why do you think that’s the case for each?
What attributes & characteristics come to mind when you think about the communities with the most diversity that you belong to?
What about those that have the least? How might you & these communities with low levels of diversity be inhibited by lacking more diverse perspectives & voices?
Finally, close by reflecting on the church & E3 specifically (if you call E3 your church).
Where do you perceive E3 to excel in the area of diversity? Why do you think that diversity exists & how has it been beneficial to your experience of E3?
Where do you perceive E3 to lack diversity? Why do you think that diversity exists & what might E3 be losing because of it?
How might E3 become more diverse? What changes do you think would need to take place for people of different backgrounds to feel more welcomed at our church?
Getting Out of the Hole
This week, we invited a panel of diverse E3ers to share their perspectives on diversity at E3 & what E3 could be if it became more diverse than it already is. Take time this week to reflect on the dialogue.
- Which perspective or experience struck you as being most divergent from your own? Had you considered that someone’s experience of E3 could be so different before?
- Which perspective or experience made you reflect the most on the nature of diversity at E3?
- Did any perspective or experience challenge or make you change your own perspective in a substantial way when it comes to the area of diversity?
- How might you be able to help E3 become a more diverse community in the coming season? What might it mean to be an agent of change in this area of our life together?
Journal & reflect on how God speaks to you through Sunday’s panel. Share your experience with your growth group next week!
Additional Resources*
The Wisdom Books by Robert Alter
The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job, & Ecclesiastes by Derek Kidner
TheBibleProject.com
Coming Up This Week:*
Sunday, February 13th: Join us next Sunday for week 6 of our new series Fortune Cookie Wisdom, where we will be diving into the Song of Solomon & exploring the importance of passion, love, & physicality in the human pursuit of wisdom!
* Please see mye3.org for details.