BUILDING A
HEALTHY FAITH
Study Guide
by David Chadwell

Lesson Eight

To place the class in my personal focus this week:

Read Matthew 7:1-5 at least once a day.
Find moments in the day when you can think about those verses.
Think about specific ways that condemning others tempts you to ignore what is happening in your own life.
Think of specific instances when you saw yourself as "good" because you contrasted your life with someone's life who made mistakes.

Questions:

State three reasons (more if you wish!) that it is easy, inviting to be a judge of those who fail, make mistakes, or do ungodly things.
1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
Why are we warned not to judge (critically condemn other people)?
Knowing only the "at that moment" facts, not the "afterward" repentance and redirection of life, would you have judged (condemned) the immoral woman Jesus forgave in Luke 7:36-50? the Samaritan woman in John 4? Peter when he denied Christ the third time? The thief on the cross? Paul the persecutor?
According to verse 3, what foundation problem occurs when we condemn other people?
How does passing judgment on those in God's family make us hypocrites?
Read the following scriptures and comment on the significance of each in regard to humans passing judgment (condemnation).
1. Jude 9: the angel Michael did not dare to pronounce judgment against the devil.
2. Romans 14:1-4: each Christian is the Lord's servant; no servant dare presume to be the judge of another servant.
3. Romans 2:1-4, 17-25: when unbelievers witness believers judging instead of "living the life," the unbelievers blaspheme God.

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