Un/Broken - End of Week 1

END OF WEEK 1
The following guide is designed to serve as a potential framework for your discussion. Feel free to use it as is or adapt as the Spirit leads.

INTRO
As we begin this series, there are so many different places we could go in Scripture for this first study, but we wanted to begin by encouraging your connect group to share your own experiences.  We have also included two Psalms to help you think through our faith and mental health journey.

OPEN
What are some of the struggles or stigmas you’ve heard or been taught about faith and mental health?
Have you had your bouts with mental health struggles that you’re willing to share or have you been close to others in their journey?  Share as much of your experience as you’re comfortable with remembering the expectations of safety and confidentiality within your group.

HEAD
Read Psalm 22 together, then share any thoughts, ideas, or insights that you gain simply from the reading of the Word.

According to this Psalm/prayer, how did David feel about his relationship with God?
If we’re told God will “never leave us or forsake us” (Deuteronomy 31: 6) and He is “with us always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28: 20), were David’s feelings representative of reality?  
In verse 3, what does David do that changes the tone of how the Psalm started?

HEART
Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt that God abandoned you?  If so, what was that like and how did you deal with it?

David often shares his struggles in the Psalms.  He’s not afraid to cry out in anger or fear or share his questions.  But often, he brings his Psalms back to a place of worship.  What part does worship play in helping us establish healthier mental health practices?

When we’re in the thick of a struggle with maintaining good mental health, it can be tough to do the things that we know are good for our heads and our hearts.  David turned to worship as best as he could, even when it hurt.  What is one positive mental health practice that has worked well for you in the past and how can you keep it at the forefront of your thoughts?

HANDS
The Psalms are a beautiful picture of what it’s like to follow after God even with the roller coaster of life and all its emotions and challenges.  Through this series, one suggestion would be to read through a Psalm a day, and instead of Psalm 1, Psalm 2, and Psalm 3, read them as if it’s Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 journal entries in the life of a follower of God.  Make a note of what you identify with and don’t, but always note how David tries to turn his attention away from himself and his circumstances and back to God.

WORDS TO REMEMBER
“As the deer longs for the streams of water, so I long for you, O God.  I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?… Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart sad?  I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God!” Psalm 42: 1-2, 5