October 1/2 Navigating Desire
October 1/2 Navigating Desire

Oct 1/2 Navigating Desire

October 1/2 Navigating Desire


THREE THINGS TO KNOW

DON’T MISS THIS

Two topical short-term groups are launching soon. One is for blended families, and the other is Financial Peace University. Please let your group know about these opportunities and encourage your group members to share the opportunities with anyone who might benefit from the groups. For more information, click the links for the blended families group and for Financial Peace University.

GROUP VALUES

This month we’re focusing on the value of Formative Conversations. Formative Conversations happen when God’s truth and our true selves meet. Now is a great time to have a conversation as a group about how you can make sure formative conversations are regularly occurring in your group. Consider what might stop them from happening and how you can overcome those barriers.

GROW AS A LEADER

Have you had a 1-on-1 with your staff contact lately? Now that your group is hopefully in a fall rhythm, it’s a great time to talk about goals, challenges and opportunities to grow. Reach out to your staff contact this week to set something up.


DISCUSSION GUIDE

Welcome to the final week of our new series, NAVIGATING EMOTIONS. This week we look at navigating desire.

What’s one of your favorite warm drinks for the fall season?

NAVIGATING EMOTIONS TOOL

Throughout this series, we’re using a Navigating Emotions tool to help us evaluate our emotions and invite God to grow the fruit of the Spirit in us. Talk as a group about how it went incorporating this practice into your lives this past week.

Take a moment to share your responses to the questions on the tool with your group.

  • Today I am feeling _______________ (mad, glad, sad, excited, afraid, ashamed).
  • Do I know why?
  • I am asking God to give me an extra measure of ________________ (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control).

 

THE FLESH

Have someone read Galatians 5:13-26 aloud. What words or phrases stand out to you?

What does Paul mean when he uses the word “flesh”?

Paul isn’t saying the physical world is bad. How does the Bible present the physical world?

 

THE ACTS OF THE FLESH

When we read a list like the one Paul gives in Galatians 5:19-21, how is it easy to focus on the ones other people do and not the ones we do?

One way to summarize the acts of the flesh is: Any behavior in a relationship that falls short of what Jesus taught us. How does this summary help us better understand which desires are good and which are of the flesh?

What’s the difference between feeling a desire and gratifying that desire?

How is Paul’s instruction about not gratifying the flesh different than what our culture might tell us?

 

THE WAR WITHIN

Have someone read Galatians 5:22 aloud. Which life is actually more fulfilling: a life characterized by the fruit of the Spirit or a life where all our fleshly desires are met? Why?

How is that different than what our culture tells us about happiness and fulfillment?

Pastor Aaron Buer talked about how we sow seeds now through our decisions. How have you experienced this in either a positive or negative way?

 

VICTORY OVER THE FLESH

Paul writes about how we can have a life characterized by the fruit of the spirit. What does he say to do in Galatians 5:16?

What image did Pastor Aaron Buer use to illustrate what it means to do what Paul says?

What habits have you developed to stay connected to the Spirit?

How can our group help encourage each other to do practical things to stay connected?

 

WRAP UP

Today we talked about navigating the emotion of desire. What part of the conversation challenged you the most, and what does that mean for you going forward?