Matt Mikalatos Matt Mikalatos is a Christian author, speaker, and missionary. He is based out of the Portand area and is the author of the comedy theology novels Night of the Living Dead Christian and My Imaginary Jesus, as well as the fantasy novel The Sword of Six Worlds.
Passage | Genesis 1:27, John 8:1-12
Genesis 1:27 ESV
[27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
John 8:1-12 ESV
[1] but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. [2] Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. [3] The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst [4] they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. [5] Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” [6] This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. [7] And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” [8] And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. [9] But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. [10] Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” [11] She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]] [12] Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Discussion Questions
Who was instrumental in leading you to begin a relationship with Jesus? What was it about their approach that helped you take that step?
What does it mean to you that every person is made in the image of God?
Matt said that, “If every single human being on earth is made in the image of God. we can learn something about who God is from them.” What characteristics of God do you see in the people in your life? What can you learn from them about who God is?
Are there people in your life that you fail to see the image of God in? What do you need to do to change that view of them?
Matt said, “To think about people being made in the image of God moves us away from condemnation and towards restoration.” How can you treat your friends with respect when you are dealing with core beliefs and issues on which you disagree? How might a focus on restoration change the way we approach people when we share our faith? What are things they look to to quench their thirst apart from Jesus? Why do those things fail to quench their thirst?
Everyone desires to be restored to the image of God, even if they don’t know it. As we share the good news of Jesus, we must remember that we’re also growing in it. When you first came to Christ, what about the gospel was good news to you? What is good news for you even now? Take a moment to think about verses that bring hope to you and remind you of good news.
Who in your life have you been wanting to share good news with? As you think about them, what do you know about Jesus that is good news specifically for them?
People want to be known and we want to know them. Pray together that God would give you a heart that sees the image of God in everyone and that we would move towards knowing them with restoration in mind.