WEEK 1 SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR GROUPS

Stress

Introduction:

Studies show personal stress is at near-record levels. Every day, you have to decide who will control your life: you or God. That choice is a battle. There are things in your life that you want to control. You want to make your own rules. But relieving stress always starts with letting God be God. It starts with saying, “God, only you can control the things that are out of control in my life.”Psalm 46:10 says, “Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth” (GW).

Bottom Line: How do I make stress my friend?

Something To Talk About:

James 1: 2-4 says, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

1. Troubles of any kind: James tells us that we don’t have to wait for suffering to end to have joy. Joy comes amid it, because our suffering isn’t pointless. God uses it to produce something worthwhile and eternal. As Paul says, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17).  Affliction doesn’t feel light or momentary. Heartache weighs heavy, and even when we make it through one trial, another is bound to be waiting for us. But James was no stranger to trials, and neither were his readers. James wrote during a time when the Christians had allowed the frustrations and annoyances of life to steal their optimism and joy. James acknowledged their suffering but also wanted to give them hope and encouragement. He told them inner joy could still be theirs if they deliberately chose to take control of their thinking and change their attitude. He encouraged them to pause and refocus on their faith. James’ instructions to the believers of His time can help us, too. 
2. Opportunity for great joy:  We live in a fallen world and know we’ll experience difficulties and disappointments.  But here’s the most intriguing part:  In the same verse, James says that when trouble comes our way, we should “consider it an opportunity for great joy.”  This verse doesn’t mean we should give high-fives if our house burns down. And we shouldn’t ask God to send problems to increase our joy.  However, difficult situations can be “an opportunity for joy” because God says there’s a purpose in our pain.  The question is, what is God trying to teach us through these experiences?  The very next verse gives us one answer, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” (James 1:3).  Paul echoes these words in Romans 5:3, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance” This is the biblical version of “tough times build good character.”  We can’t always control what happens to us, but no one comes out of adversity unchanged.  It’s easy to praise God after a big promotion at work, but how about when everything seems to be falling apart, when God seems silent, when our dreams are shattered, or when our hearts are broken?  Difficulties in life are an opportunity for us to trust in God’s faithfulness. 

Discussion Questions:

1. What are some of the biggest problems or causes of stress you are facing right now? At work? At home? At school? How have you been trusting in yourself to handle these trials? 
2. When someone tells you to “Do not be anxious about anything” and stops there, how does that make you feel when you are in the grips of anxiety?  
3. How confident are you in trusting God with your future in these stressful times? What practices or mindset shifts can help you grow in this trust and assurance?
4. What practices or habits continue to make you anxious and stressed? What does it look like to continue to pursue Jesus in these moments? 
5. What are things that you can focus on with gratitude when anxiety hits? What is going to build that strong foundation?  
6. Is there anything else you have found to help pray in times of stress?
7. Jesus had a very clear view of who he was by not losing sight of that central point.  He was able to deal with so much because He realized who others thought He should be didn’t matter. Why does knowing who you are at your core matter when dealing with stress?
8. When we lose the sense of who we are, we have no internal anchor to keep life from spinning us out of control. Agree or disagree and why?
9. How has giving your stress to God helped in your stressful times? What can you share with those who haven’t been able to do that yet?
10. How will you or your group put into practice what you’ve learned today?

Take one thing home with you:

Anytime you worry, it reveals a particular area where you have not given God first place. Any area of your life where God is not in control will be a source of insecurity and worry. The answer is to give God access to every part of our life. He already knows what’s in there. In fact, God knows your needs better than you do. You’ve got needs you don’t even know you’ve got.  “These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:32-33). Making Jesus Christ number one in every area of your life simplifies your priorities and gives you much less to worry about.