THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS
Baptisms are coming to a campus near you! Baptism is an opportunity for us to take a step in obedience and publicly declare our devotion to Jesus to our community. For more information, visit adabible.org/baptism.
GROUP VALUES
As we move toward launching groups at the end of this month, we expect to welcome many people into brand new groups. Pray together as a group for all who will take this step into a small group. Then talk as a group about who God might have you invite to join your group.
GROW AS A LEADER
Have you checked out the online leader trainings lately? We have some great tools for you to grow as a leader and have revamped the site a bit. Visit learning.adabible.org to check it out.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Welcome to the second week of our new series, NAVIGATING EMOTIONS. This week we look at navigating sadness.
What’s one of your favorite fall memories?
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).
EXPRESSING SADNESS
Have someone read Psalm 6 aloud. What are some of the words David uses to describe his sadness?
When have you experienced sadness in that way?
Our culture can often push us to ignore sadness. This can lead us to try to numb away our sadness. What are some things we might use to numb our sadness?
What’s the danger of numbing away our sadness instead of expressing it?
MORE THAN SADNESS
Have someone read Psalm 31:9, 14 aloud. What two emotions does David express in these verses?
How do you think David can express both those things at the same time?
It can be easy to just focus on our sadness and miss the good things God is doing around us. In what ways can we intentionally focus on the good things God is doing in the midst of our sadness?
NOT ALONE IN SADNESS
Jesus lived the full human experience. What are some times Jesus experienced sadness or sorrow in the gospels?
How does it make you feel when you think about Jesus experiencing sadness?
When we pray to God about our sadness, we can be confident Jesus has experienced sadness similar to ours. How does that give us confidence that God knows what we are going through and cares about us?
What are some ways remembering Jesus experienced sadness might change how we pray to God about our sadness?
AN END TO SADNESS
Have someone read Revelation 21:1-5 aloud. What’s going on in these verses?
Some types of sadness seem more temporary, and some seem like they will be with us forever. What kinds of sadness might be the kind that stick around with us our entire life?
How can keeping the promises of Revelation 21:3-4 in mind offer hope during that type of sadness?
WRAP UP
Today we talked about navigating the emotion of sadness. Which of the four things to remember when navigating emotions resonated with you the most, and how will that change how you navigate sadness?