Week 3 Sermon Questions For Groups

A Better Way: When you’re too busy for what matters

Introduction:

Do you ever feel like you’re too busy for what matters? You’re always feeling rushed and are burned out by the busyness of life. There’s a better way to live.Week 3 Sermon Questions For Groups

Bottom Line: If we follow an unrushed Jesus, we should be living an unrushed life.

Something To Talk About:

It’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life. Being busy in and of itself is not a bad thing. People have busy schedules for any number of other reasons. We want to do our best for everyone who is counting on us to give our best effort. But in reality, when we start lacking proper priorities, we can get fed up with life. The writer of Ecclesiastes hated life because he experienced that being busy for the wrong reasons was just chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 2:17). He wanted to honor God with his time. We hit a wall when our busy schedules draw us away from God.
God created us to have a relationship with Him. When we allow ourselves to get too busy, we don’t take time to slow down and remember the relationship we have with God. In Psalm 46:10, God tells us, “Be still and know that I am God!” When we allow ourselves to get too busy, we don’t take the time to slow down and remember the relationship we have with God. God wants us to spend time each day to renew our relationship with Him. He wants to know about our failures and our victories, our strengths and our weaknesses, and our joys and disappointments. God doesn’t want us to just be busy; He wants us to take time out of our every-minute-has-something-in-it schedule and talk to Him. He also wants us to remember that He is the One we should be seeking to please. In doing so, our schedules will become God-centered because we have put Him first.
When we put God first in our schedules and make time for Him, we find that we look forward to that time, like meeting an old friend. If we make our schedule God-centered, we will find rest even in the busyness. Why? Because we know that we can give our worries to God (1 Peter 5:7). And when we put Him first, everything else seems to fall into place (Matthew 6:33).
Stop being too busy for what really matters. Stop over-scheduling and overcommitting. Instead, find peace that is found in Christ Jesus alone. The Psalmist said, “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is.” (Psalm 39:4). Because our days are short, we need to focus on the things that bring real happiness, peace and purpose to our life.
By staying focused on the big things in life, we will be better at protecting our time from the little things that creep in and make our lives crazy busy.

Discussion Questions:

Busyness has become a badge of honor and a cultural value. The truth is, we often feel one step behind, disorganized and overwhelmed. But “busy” just sounds better. Do you agree and why?
Is it easy or difficult for you to take time to be still? Why do you think that is?
What would the people who know you best say about your pace of life? Are you brave enough to ask them?
Have you come to a place where you substitute more activity for times of stillness in the presence of the Lord?
When you do attempt to get quiet before God, is your body still while your mind continues to race with thoughts of all you want to do or need to accomplish?
What intentional step can you take this week to be fully present in your most significant relationships? When life feels rushed, it’s usually because we are running from something or running to something. Share a time when you experienced this. What are you often tempted to run to or run away from?
What can you do to walk slowly enough to experience Jesus fully and love people deeply? How will you know when you’re doing this well?
For an important activity that needs more priority, where can you find the additional time?
What priorities need to be reordered at this point? How can we this week refocus on what matters most and to do those things first?
Share with your group any changes you want to make as a result of hearing this sermon?

Take one thing home with you:

Does God need to interrupt me and tell me to listen? Or will I be ready when the moment arrives? Being busy is not always a bad thing. Being fruitful is good, but it’s possible to get too busy and miss the peace God has given us. God already values us more than anything. We don’t need to earn it. So as we go about following schedules today, let’s listen for God’s voice.