Table of Contents
PRAYER
Our main goal in this time together is to build relationships and learn to walk alongside one another in all that God has called us to be and do. Let’s start by praying for each other.
Does anyone have prayer requests or personal stories of how God has been moving in your life that we can celebrate together?
RETURN TO ME TOPICS
A Love That… :: A Mercy That… :: A Justice That…
THIS WEEK
We’re in a new series called Return to Me: The Heart of God Through the Minor Prophets.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at the bold messages of 12 prophets—names you might not know, but words that clearly show God’s deep love and concern for His people.
This week, Bria Lacour shares a message from Amos called “When Justice Gets Personal,” showing us three key ways authentic worship shapes our lives and challenging us with this truth: God cares more about how we live than how we appear spiritually.
To begin, let’s reflect on these questions:
When you hear the word “worship,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind, and how has that changed over time?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SCRIPTURE
Have someone read Amos 5:21, 24 aloud. As you listen, notice any words or phrases that stand out, and ask the Holy Spirit to highlight something for you.
Amos 5:21, 24
21 I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me...
24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
True worship of God should lead to justice, righteousness, and loving our neighbor.
What is Justice?
True worship should lead to justice.
In Amos 5, God isn’t just calling His people to sing songs or go through religious routines. He’s calling them, and us, to let justice roll like a river. The people of Israel had turned from God. They were still showing up to worship, but their lives didn’t match what they claimed to believe. They were ignoring the poor, mistreating others, and chasing after things that couldn’t give life.
From Sunday’s message, we talked about how mishpat, the word for justice, means taking real action to make things right, especially for those who are hurting or left out. It’s not just about our personal morality. It’s about how we treat others.
That means real worship should change how we live in the everyday ebbs and flows of daily living. It should shape how we use our voice, our money, our time, and our relationships to honor God while loving and serving others well.
So, Amos reminds us: worship that honors God doesn’t stop at the altar. It spills over into justice that looks like love in action, where we live, work, and play.
When you think about the phrase “let justice roll like a river,” what comes to mind?
In what ways can worship drift into being more about routine than real life? Have you ever noticed that in your own life?
What does it look like to “seek God and live” in the middle of your everyday responsibilities?
Are there areas around you, where you live, work and play, where injustice is easy to ignore? What makes it hard to step in?
How might your relationship with God lead you to care differently for people who are often overlooked or mistreated?
What is Righteousness?
True worship should produce righteousness.
Amos doesn’t just call us to justice. No, he ties true worship to righteousness, too. Not just personal holiness, but integrity in how we live and treat others.
The Hebrew word tsedaqah speaks to equity, even across social differences. In other words, if our worship is real, it should show up in how we carry ourselves, publicly and privately, with fairness, compassion, and moral integrity.
God wasn’t impressed by Israel’s songs, festivals, or offerings, because their lives didn’t match their worship. And the same goes for us. If we say we follow God, it should be seen in how we live where we work, serve, and spend time.
Can you think of a time when your actions didn’t line up with what you said you believed? What did you learn from it?
How can we distinguish between genuine worship and going through the motions?
What are some practical ways we can live with more integrity, both when people are watching and when they’re not?
Where might God be inviting you to grow in compassion or fairness toward others right now?
What is Loving Our Neighbor?
True worship should result in loving our neighbor.
By now, we’ve seen that true worship isn’t just about what we do on a Sunday. It should lead to justice, produce righteousness, and show up in how we love our neighbors.
In Amos, God confronts His people with a crystal clear message of truth that is draped in grace and love: real worship transforms our hearts and lives in how we treat others.
Loving God must include loving people. Jesus Himself said the two go hand in hand. If our worship doesn’t result in mercy, compassion, and kindness in real life, then it’s just unjust noise.
What stood out to you about how Israel treated others in these verses, and why do you think God took it so seriously?
In what ways can we be tempted to overlook or mistreat people who are vulnerable or in need?
Is there a difference between being passionate about worship and living out God’s heart for people? What does that tension look like in real life?
Who might God be calling you to notice, include, or care for right now, where you live, work, and play?
What’s one way your love for God could become more visible in how you treat others this week?
CLOSING THOUGHT
Amos 5 isn’t easy to sit with, but maybe that’s the point. God doesn’t just want our songs, our church attendance, or our spiritual talk. He wants our lives.
Real worship moves us toward justice. It produces integrity. It is evident in how we treat people, especially those who are often overlooked.
The hard truth is that it’s possible to be loud in our worship but silent in the face of injustice. But the hope is this: God still invites us to return to Him. And when we do, He reshapes us into people who love Him sincerely and love others well.
So as we go, let’s daily ask ourselves honestly:
- Does my worship talk the talk and walk the walk?
- And if not, where is God calling me to return so that His justice, righteousness, and love can flow through me like a mighty river?
Let’s close in prayer: God, thank You for loving us enough to not allow our worship to be empty. Help us not just to worship with words, but with our lives in spirit and truth. Show us where we need to healing and transformation, where we need to care more, and where You’re calling us to act with justice and love. Open our eyes to what’s broken around us where we live, work, and play, and give us the courage to do something about it. Teach us to live in a way that reflects Your heart and love others as Jesus does with our whole lives. Amen.
Alvin Brown, the Lead Pastor of Mosaic Church Fort Worth, brings over a decade of pastoral ministry experience and more than 20 years of operational and technical leadership expertise. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications Management from DeVry University and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. He enjoys spending quality time with his wife, Mallary, and their three children and contributing as a writer to various media outlets.
