Leader Guide

Objective
Judgments about other people groups can be made with or without actual knowledge or understanding of those who are different. Today’s lesson will offer participants the opportunity to identify fears we experience and walls we build up to cope with our lack of understanding or compassion toward others. Also, your students will discover steps to love people as Christ does. 

Warm Up 
Hand out the Student Guide and have your group turn to the Picture of the Marginalized section. Have each group member find one to two other people and follow the directions in the guide. Encourage them to be okay with whatever level of art skills they possess! Give them about ten minutes to complete the exercise.

When everyone has finished, have everybody come back together. Let each group display their “artwork.” Use these questions to follow-up:

• Where do we get our “pictures” or “symbols” of these groups?
• How are these profiles reinforced for good and for ill?
• What fears do people experience in interacting with those in these different groups?

Transition
Say something like, “We live in a world where a lot of judgments about other people happen without really getting to know them. In today’s lesson, we are going to address some of the fears we have and the ways we keep others at a distance. Then we will look at the strategy of Jesus to love all of God’s people.”

The Video
Ask your group to go back to the Student Guide and turn to the Walls We Build section. Let your group know the video played today is by the artist Derek Minor. Check out more information on this video and the artist at the listed website. Encourage your group members to complete the exercise while they watch the video. 

When the video has finished, have different people share their observations. Follow-up with these questions:

• The writer says, “We build walls all around us, try to keep what we don’t know at a distance, we don’t listen.” Why do we want to keep what we don’t know at a distance?
• Why is it difficult to cease some of our attitudes and actions?
• Why is it challenging to initiate new attitudes and actions?
• The writer also says, “Made in His image, we are all His kids, so if I look down on you, I look down on Him.” How does this change the way you look at others?

Transition
Say something like, “We are called to love all of God’s people as He does. In some instances, this is easier than others. As we look to the Bible, Jesus gives us some pointed words on why we must listen and love.”

Bible Study
Direct your group to open their Bibles to Matthew 25:31-46. Have them take out their Student Guides and turn to the Seeing and Not Seeing section. Allow this to be a solo time. Give about five minutes to complete and then come back together.

When everybody has completed the study, give them the opportunity to share what they discovered. Follow with these questions:

• Why can reaching out to the people we see with the needs listed in Matthew 25 be difficult?
• How is caring for these people rewarding?
• What wisdom from God do we need in most effectively loving others as Jesus would love them?
• How does it help us to see Jesus in every person we encounter?

Wrap Up
Invite everyone in your group to turn to the final section of the Student Guide, Kicking Down a Wall. Invite them to share their action point. Pray for each person to live this out.