Mitigating the Effects of Sin

This week we will consider some difficult laws in Deuteronomy. We will see how these laws reflect the grace and mercy of God toward sinful humanity in that they aim to minimize the misery of life in a world under the curse of sin. And in the midst of these depressing scenarios, we will discover a ray of hope that one day the curse of sin will finally be removed and laws that mitigate the effects of sinful hearts will no longer be necessary. Join us!

Sermon Outline:
I. Law mitigating the effect of power imbalance
II. Law mitigating the effect of partiality in the home
III. Law mitigating the effect of rebellious children
IV. Law mitigating the effect of capital crimes

Sermon Discussion Questions:
1. Consider the four laws in this passage. Where do you see the love and mercy of God on display in each of them?
2. How is the biblical vision for sexual relationships better than alternative visions? Why do you suppose we resist that biblical vision?
3. For those who have children still in the home, how can you instill in them a sense of honor for you as their parents as well as for authority generally? How can the church as a covenant community help to instill a proper sense of honor for authority?
4. The effects of the curse of sin are evident all around us. What has God done to ultimately bring about an end to the curse, and what are the implications of that for how we live today?