Drop the Stones: Only God Can Judge Me

John 8:2–11

Where will you lead your group? Pick and choose from these suggestions to create the right discussion for your group.


Discussion Questions:

- Do you ever feel a sense of satisfaction when people "get what they deserve" or "get what they have coming to them?"

- Is it good when bad things happen to bad people? How do you define "bad people?" Do you or have you ever fit that description or definition?

Read v. 2

Wide ranges of people were attracted to Jesus; however, people that were notoriously far from God seemed to be the ones most attracted to Jesus.
- What do Christians do in our culture today that makes people far from God want to avoid church and religious people? What are we doing different from Jesus?

Read v. 4

"This person has been caught in the act of ________." Every person on earth can fill in that blank with multiple words. Take a moment to think of a few words that could go in that blank for your life.
- Does personalizing that verse change your perspective of the woman, of Jesus, or of the religious people?

Read vs. 3-5

- Name some examples in our culture where people have held a public hearing for someone's private sin.
- Name an example of how you've responded that way about someone in your life or sphere of influence.
- What does it say about a person that is desperately seeking the condemnation of others when they make a mistake? Is it even possible for a Christian to act like that after all that we have been forgiven of in our lives?

Read v. 7

- What is your reaction to Jesus' response?
- Do you ever find yourself making your sins seem more palatable to God than the sins of others?

Read v. 10

Anytime people use religion to draw a line around people to keep them out, Jesus is always on the other side of the line.
- What are ways that churches/Christians draw lines today that push people away from church and away from Jesus?
- What would the response have been if the men actually cared about the woman's soul and spiritual freedom instead of being driven by their desire for her judgement?

Read v. 11

- What's the difference in Jesus not condemning her and Jesus not thinking it was a sin or that the sin was not a big deal?
- What's the danger in Christians thinking "Neither do I condemn you" to mean that we should not worry about what others are doing right/wrong, and just worry about ourselves?
- What's the danger in Christians wanting someone to "Go and sin no more" and then we will not condemn you?
- In this story, how are you like the adulterous woman? How are you like the religious man? How have you ever responded like Jesus?



Next Steps:

End with a challenge to make it real. Commit to a next step as a group and bring the discussion to life this week.

Think about your answer to the question, What is your sin? (You don't have to share specifics with the group if you don't want to.) What stands in the way of you deciding to leave that sin behind? What can this group do to help you make and follow-through on that decision?

Are you holding a stone to throw at a certain person or group? Drop the stone this week and partner with Jesus to lovingly help people leave their sin behind.

How will you learn from Jesus and help someone who has fallen?


Pray as a Group:

Ask the Holy Spirit to point out dark areas in your life where you need to trade condemnation for Jesus' mercy and light. Pray together as a group and invite Jesus to free you.