Who Can Stand Before God?

Opening: Read Psalm 15 Together

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right, and speaks truth in his heart, who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend, in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord, who swears to his own hurt and does not change, who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15:1-5)

Question 1: The Impossible Standard

Look at the list of requirements in verses 2-5. Be honest: How many of these do you consistently keep? Why does this Psalm feel impossible for us to live up to?

Question 2: Who Really Qualifies?

The sermon said this Psalm is not actually about us — it's about Jesus. Read Psalm 24:3-10. Who is the 'King of glory' who can truly stand in God's holy place? What does this tell us about how we approach God?

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart... Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! (Psalm 24:3-4, 10)

Question 3: Covenant Promises

Psalm 15:4 talks about someone who 'swears to his own hurt and does not change.' The sermon explained how God made a one-way covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15 — only God passed through the sacrificed animals, meaning God alone took responsibility for keeping the promise. How does Jesus fulfill this kind of unbreakable promise for us?

Question 4: Our Response

If we can't earn our way into God's presence through good behavior, what should our response be? How is 'putting your faith in Christ alone' different from 'trying harder to be good'?

Question 5: Application

Jesus said in John 14:6, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' What does it look like practically for a teenager to trust in Jesus alone rather than in their own performance?

Debate & Discussion: The Unmovable Life

The Psalm ends with 'He who does these things shall never be moved' (v. 5). The sermon's big idea is that only Jesus meets these requirements, and we stand before God by faith in Him.

Discuss: If our standing before God depends entirely on Jesus and not our behavior, does that mean our behavior doesn't matter? Why or why not? How should knowing that Jesus has made us righteous change the way we live day-to-day?