Session 1.1: The Beautiful Self

This session aims to help the participants see that they have the potential to be beautiful people, that they are beautiful in the eyes of God and that they can learn to accept the beauty that is within themselves and make life beautiful for others like Jesus did.

Introduction to the topic

People nowadays are obsessed by physical appearance.  Everyone wants to look beautiful.  But beauty is rather subjective. What is beautiful to one person is often ugly to another, and vice versa. If something is regarded as beautiful by a person, it must fulfill his definition and concept of beauty. Regardless of other's opinions, it is ugly if it does not fit his concept of beauty.

How do you define beauty?  What do you considered as beautiful?  How do you measure beauty?  What makes us beautiful?  What destroys beauty?

We are going to talk about beauty today, about what is beautiful for God and how we can all be beautiful people.  If we cannot overcome our desire and obsession for physical beauty, how can we make other people beautiful?  We will look at what really makes us beautiful people for God and for other people.

Scripture Reading:            Matthew 5:1-12

Discussion Questions

• ‘Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’.  How do you understand this idiom?
• What do you find beautiful/ugly about yourself?  Share some qualities.
• How does God see beauty?
• State and describe some beautiful qualities Jesus mentioned in the Beatitudes.
• List some qualities which are "ugly" to God.
• Explain this statement: every person has the power in Christ to change totally his spiritual appearance. How can this be done?
• Why should Christians be concerned about being beautiful in God's eyes?
• Why is it easy to believe that outward appearances are more important than inward being? What will this belief do to a Christian?
• How can a person increase his/her beauty in God's eyes? Be practical and be specific.
• Do people who are "ugly" to God know it? Explain your answer.
• How can you help others see the beauty that is in them?