It's what you do that defines you - Batman Begins

This is a clip from the movie "Batman Begins". If you haven't seen this movie, it's the story of how Bruce Wayne came to become Batman. This scene begins with Bruce Wayne and his lady friends exiting a large hotel restaurant after making a huge scene and swimming in the decorative indoor pond. Bruce is rich and arrogant, or so it seems, and he writes a check for the price of the hotel in order to not get kicked out of the hotel’s restaurant. On his way out he runs into Rachel, his childhood friend who has some interesting things to say about his actions. Let’s take a look at this scene.





In this scene it was obvious that Bruce was embarrassed by his actions when he saw his good friend Rachel. He tried to explain himself, but it was too late. There would be no sweet talking out of this one. His actions had been noted.

Here are a few of the questions we discussed after watching the clip:

• In the scene we just saw, it was obvious that Bruce was embarrassed by his actions when he saw his good friend Rachel. Have you ever seen someone doing something they shouldn’t have been doing and get caught in the act? What did they do?
  
  
• Share a time you were doing something you shouldn’t have been doing and got caught in the act. How did you react?
  
  
• Why do we try to explain ourselves in these situations?
  
  
• But do our outward actions speak loudly as to who we are inside? Why?
  
  
• How do our actions define us even more than our words?

James 2:14-17 (NLT)

What's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, "Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well"—but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all—it is dead and useless.

• What is it that proves our faith?
  
  
• How do actions prove what someone believes? If someone says “I’m trustworthy,” but lies repeatedly, they aren’t trustworthy. If someone says “I’m reliable,” but doesn’t show up when they said they would, they aren’t reliable.
  
  
• “Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all.” Likewise, good deeds are important because they show who we really are!
  
  
• Think of an “action” in your life that is wrong and might be embarrassing for all to see. Do these actions match our words? What can we do to make this right? Should we make this right?
  
  
• In the movie clip, Bruce’s friend Rachel said that “it’s not who you are underneath, it’s what you do that defines you.” How do you think others look at you by your actions—in other words, how do your actions define you? How do people see you? Do people see Christ in you?

What are you going to do this week to start making your actions match your words?

(Thanks to "The Source for Youth Ministry" for this topic!)