By Michael C. Mack

1. Jesus said, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34). How does what you say—or fail to say—reveal who you really are on the inside?

Read Romans 3:9-20.

2. Identify all of the absolutes (such as all and no one) in the passage. What messages about humankind do those words send?

3. What is the general condition of our spiritual lives?

4. How is the state of each of the following described: our mind? our heart? our will?

5. What is the true purpose of the law in our lives?

6. Repentant individuals humbly stand silent before God (Romans 3:19) rather than trying to defend themselves or claim they haven’t sinned. People who claim they have not sinned do not have the truth in them (1 John 1:8). This reveals the vitality of confessing our sins to God (v. 9) and to each other (James 5:16). Break into subgroups. Honestly and humbly confess your sins and then pray for one another.

Michael C. Mack leads church training events and consults with churches through his ministry, Small Group Leadership (www.smallgroupleadership.com).