DIscussion Questions for Week of Feb 24th

Soul Care 101 Part 2 Questions:


1. For the last two weeks Doug has been asking what we have done to care for our souls. Were you able to be more intentional about your “soul care” this week? If so what did you do?

2. This week we looked at what it looks like to follow God’s plan for spiritual nourishment. If sheep aren’t led to “healthy” water they will look to quench their thirst anywhere they can. What are some “unhealthy” places that we can find ourselves looking for “nourishment”?

Read these verses: Matt. 5:6, John 7:37, John 6:35 & Rev. 22:17. What do they tell us about where we can find “true nourishment”?

3. In Ps. 42:11, David says, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Doug shared about what the term “cast” means to a shepherd.

Have you ever been in a place where you had a “downcast” soul?

We learned how one of the shepherd’s jobs is to watch for sheep that are in this “cast” state. What are your thoughts about the Great Shepherd caring for us when we are “downcast”?

4. Re-read Psalm 23:2-3 and reflect on the Great Shepherd’s responsibility to lead and our responsibility to follow. How are you doing following His lead in your life?

5. We concluded this week looking at what it means to pursue God’s path for my life. We talked about 3 ways the shepherd guides his sheep.
-He guides us to health.
-He gently guides those that stray.
-He lovingly guides those that are stubborn.

Have you experienced the Great Shepherd guiding you in these ways? How?

Read Psalm 119:67-68. Talk about how this verse applies to your life.

Discussion Questions for week of Feb 18

1- This week we started off our message talking about the story of the sheep named Shrek. The analogy was that if we aren't careful we can neglect "care for our souls". Why do you think that taking care of ourselves spiritually tends to get pushed to the "back burner" in our lives?
2- Doug asked us the question, "What have you done this week to care for your soul?". How did you answer that question?
3- Re-read the Mike Yaconelli quote and share your thoughts about his brutal honesty concerning his spiritual life...
“I knew what it meant to believe in Jesus, I didn’t know what it meant to be with Jesus. I knew how to talk with Jesus, I didn’t know how to sit still long enough to let Jesus talk to me. I found it easy to do the work of God, but I had no idea how to let God work in me. I understood soul-saving, but I was clueless about soul making. I knew how to be busy, but I didn’t know how to be still. I could talk about God; I just couldn’t listen to God. I felt comfortable with God’s people, but I felt uncomfortable alone with God. I was acquainted with the God ‘out-there’, but I was a complete stranger to the God ‘in-here’. I could meet God anywhere…except in my heart, in my soul, in my being.”
4- Doug talked about our need to SLOW DOWN. In his message he shared a prescription to R.E.L.A.X. Review each of these points and the verses together and share your thoughts.

1. REALIZE MY WORTH (James 1:18)
2. ENJOY WHAT I ALREADY HAVE (Ecc. 3:13)
3. LIMIT MY LABOR (Ex. 20:8-11)
4. ADJUST MY VALUES (Mark 8:36)
5. EXCHANGE MY PRESSURE FOR GOD'S PEACE (Isa. 26:3 & Eph. 2:8)

4- What are some things that you can intentionally do this week to prepare for Doug asking again this Sunday, "What I have done to care for my soul"?

Discussion Questions for week of Feb 10

Discussion Questions
“God’s Cure for Worry”
Sunday, February 10, 2008


1. Why do people tend to worry? What are some of your “pet” worries?

2. Gary said that worry is "unhelpful, unreasonable and unhealthy". How have you seen this lived out in people you know? Yourself?

3. The 3 Cures for Worry Gary shared on Sunday were 1) Believe my Shepherd will take care of me, 2) Talk to my Shepherd about everything and 3) Live one day at time. Why can “The Cure” bring hope to the one burdened by worry?

4. Which of these three “cures” is easiest for you to do? Hardest? Why?

5. Are some areas of “worry” easier/harder to give to the Lord? Do you sometimes “cast” your worries like you cast in fishing…you keep reeling them back in? Why?

6. Spend some time on each of these verses from the sermon notes (Psa. 23:1, John 16:33, Php. 4:19, Php. 4:6-7 and I Pet. 5:7). Ask: What does my Shepherd want me to know about His heart? How do my words, thoughts and actions demonstrate I believe Him?

7. Read Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-34. How does your heart respond to His words? Why does Jesus speak these words? What does Jesus want His followers to know?

8. Now that I know these things about worry and God’s cure for it, how will my life be different?

Discussion Questions for week of Feb 3

Hey Guys,
Here are the questions for this week...
1- What are some of your memories surrounding the 23rd Psalm?
2 - Doug's first point this week was that we need to know who is
LORD. What are your thoughts about David's use of the name Yahweh?
What did you learn about this Hebrew word that God used when asked what His name was? (Ex. 3:13-15)
3 - Doug also mentioned the Bob Dylan song, "You've Got To Serve Somebody". The reality is that we all have the tendencies to allow other things besides God to become "lords" in our lives. What do you find are the things that most easily become "lords" in your life?
4 - David uses the metaphor of a sheep and shepherd to describe our relationship with God. How accurate do you feel this is in your life?
5 - What stuck out in your mind the most concerning God's "shepherding" qualities?
6 - Read Ephesians 1:13-14. If Shepherds "mark" their sheep so that others will know they belong to a certain shepherd, what does God's mark look like on your life? Do you think that people who observe your life see the mark of God? Why? / Why Not? How?
7 - Can you like David say, "The LORD is my Shepherd"?
8 - What can you do to help that statement be more of a reality in your life?