The problem of Evil

CELL MATTERS

HANG-UPS:  THE PROBLEM OF EVIL

OPENING QUESTIONS:

1. Why do tragedies in the news catch our attention?
2. Which do you think?...Tragedies happen more now than ever before. OR We just hear about them more often because of our news media.

DIGGING DEEPER:

1. READ Luke 13:1-9 together. 
2. What idea about these tragedies is Jesus rejecting? (see verse 2)
3. What does Jesus mean in saying “repent or you too will perish”?
4. In verses 6-9, who does the tree represent?
5. Who does the owner of the vineyard represent?
6. Who does the worker in the vineyard represent?
7. Why does the owner of the vineyard want to cut down the tree?  Is his reasoning valid?
8. How does Jesus’ story of the fruitless fig tree relate to the questions about these bad things happening? 
9. What advice is Jesus giving us for how to respond to bad news?

GETTING PERSONAL:

1. If you had one more year like the fig tree to turn your life around, what would you do?
2. How do you typically respond to bad news?
3. From what we learned in this passage, how would Jesus want you to respond to bad news?

PRAYER

1. Close by praying for one another and for your friends who do not know Jesus yet.