Everything's Possible - End of Week 5

INTRODUCTION
The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things. OPEN

QUESTIONS
What has been your favorite travel destination so far in life, and what is one you’d still like to visit?

HEAD
1. Read Philippians 4 together and share any wisdom, insights, or thoughts that come to you from the reading.
2. Why is it so easy for us to forget the gospel that first won us over to Christ? What kinds of things do we tend to let distract us from the simple yet powerful gospel?
3. Concerning v. 4, have you ever heard it said that if you are happy, tell your face? Why do you think so many Christians struggle to be “full of joy”?
4. In Paul’s admonition to not worry, he mentions prayer and gratitude. Why do you think he encourages us to be grateful when we are feeling worried or anxious?
5. In v 8, Paul actually continues his advice to not worry but tell you to instead, fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable. Why might this practice help us worry less? 6. When Paul says that he “learned” how to be content and “learned” the secret of living, what do you think he means? Do you think this learning happened quickly or over a lifetime?

HEART 
1. In v 6, Paul copies his Rabbi, Jesus, by saying not to worry. In the series guide, Pastor Tim talks about the reality of how hard that is but focuses on prayer as a way of releasing what’s worrying you. If you’re willing to share, are there things you need to release to God in prayer tonight that you’ve been worried about?
2. In the Scripture, we get the word peace from the Hebrew word, shalome, but peace really doesn’t do shalome justice. Shalome is a state of living in perfect harmony with God and His creation. It’s a state of being where nothing could bother you. If you could experience shalome today, what would it free you from and why?
3. Are there ways you can practice contentment? If so, share some. If you can’t think of any, spend some time meditating on the first line of Psalm 23 and see if anything comes to mind, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I have all that I need.” (don’t just read it once, read it through 3-5 times before responding).
4. Do you think there are times in our spiritual lives when we pray for what we need but later realize that we didn’t need what we thought we did; rather, our “need” was really just a “want”? How can we work at distinguishing between that which we need and that which we want?

HANDS
What is one thing you’ve been wanting? Maybe something you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about? What if you were to practice surrendering that want to God, and just imagining handing it over into His hands? Try it with one thing this week, and start small. Then review at the end of the week if you still want it, think you need it, or if your perspective has changed. Or even take note of whether your perspective on God has changed.

LIVING WORDS FOR YOUR WEEK
“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer me who lives, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 NLT