Week 3: Chapter 2
Ice Breaker:
Challenge Review:(groups of 2-3)
Share your reflections on who God is from Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4
Prime the Pump:
Discussion/Prayer
Read James 4:13-14
- Do you really believe you could vanish at any minute, that your life could end today?
- How would you live life differently if you held on to the perspective that this could be your last day on earth?
Read Philippians 4:4-9
“When I am consumed by my problems-stressed out about my life, my family, and my job I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God’s command to always rejoice. In other words, that I have a right to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities. Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives. Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control.”
- How does what Francis say about stress and worry “reeking of arrogance” resonate with you?
- What does Francis suggest we do to put our worries and anxieties in perspective?
- How does your prayer life reflect your tendency towards being arrogantly self-centered?
- How does the way you select a church or interact with people at church reflect your selfish misguided perspective on life?
Read Psalm 73
- What parts of Psalm 73 do you see in your expectations and attitudes towards God and others?
- What does the Psalmist say brought him perspective? How can you cultivate a habit of seeing your life in light of the perspective of the psalmist?(17)
- What did the Psalmist do after re-framing his perspective? (28)
Read 1 John 2:3-6
- How has what you've read influence what you know about growing in your intimacy with God? How can someone grow in their knowledge of God if they do not know His commands? What is the key to growing in our knowledge of God/His commands?
Read Matthew 10:32-33
- How does this Matthew 10 change your view of what it means to be ready to die?
- How does the story of Stan and Brooke in “Crazy Love” change the way you view the purpose of your life?
“Friends, we need to stop living selfish lives, forgetful of our God. Our lives here are short, often unexpectedly so, and we can all stand to be reminded of it from time to time. That’s why I wrote this chapter, to help us remember that in the movie of life, nothing matters except our King and God.
Challenge Activity:
Write your own obituary. If you were to die today would you be satisfied with the life you’ve lived? Are you satisfied with the direction your life is headed? What do you want people to remember you for? What kind of legacy do you want to have? What is missing from your life? What do you need to do in order for your “obituary” to be complete? Be prepared to share with your group next week.
