Discussion Questions:

1. Consider the two false narratives: 1) All sexual desire is good, 2) All sexual desire is evil. In what ways are we taught to view sexual desire as evil? In what ways is sexual desire promoted as good? How do these narratives create conflict?
2. Read Mathew 5:27–30. In Jesus’ culture, it was common for men to have multiple sexual partners. Jesus was speaking directly to a group of men in the Sermon on the Mount. He raises the stakes on the traditional prohibition of adultery. How might this be seen as radical teaching for the day?
3. What are some of the positive and negative reactions someone could have to this teaching?
4. As you look at our media today, what examples of dehumanizing portrayals of the opposite gender do you see?
5. Rather than physical body parts, what could we “cut off” to help keep our sexual desires in check?
6. The word that translates as “lustfully” (epithumia) is used in Luke 17:22 and Luke 22:15 in very different contexts. What does this teach us about desire, in and of itself?
7. Read Colossians 2:21–23. How could knowing our Kingdom identity affect the character of our hearts and relationships?
8. What would demonstrate to your partner that you value her or him as a sacred being?