It's Complicated(S1) : WK 5 - GROUP GUIDE

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
Have you ever had a time in your life when you had no idea what God was up to, or if He was paying attention at all?  What was happening and how did you get through it (assuming, of course, that you’re not in that season right now)?

HEAD

1. Read 1 Samuel 18:5-16 and Psalm 131 together and share any wisdom, insights, or thoughts that come to you from the reading?
2. Saul became jealous of David very quickly, but he was also the one who put David in a position to be the hero when he wasn’t willing to do it himself.  Do you think Saul every blamed himself for David’s popularity?
3. We know David had his own struggles, but according to the Psalm, his heart was not proud.  How do you think David stayed humble amidst the victories and the praises of others?
4. What do you think the spirits were that Saul was wrestling with and what made him vulnerable to those spirits?  Was God causing his anguish or was something else at work?
5. In Psalm 131, DAvid admitted that there were certain things he chose not to spend time thinking about, recognizing that they were beyond him and maybe not worth the time trying to figure out.  In the journey of faith, what might be some things that fit into this category? Things “too awesome for me to grasp”?

HEART

1. In what ways does jealousy harm our relationship with others?  In what ways does jealousy show itself within the church and what does it do to a community, to a movement?
2. Can you think of any ways we can keep jealousy at bay within the church and do a better job of working together instead of on our own?
3. What is it about others success that makes us jealous, angry, or afraid?
4. Discuss how and why jealousy, anger, fear, and even shame, can all go together.  How do we navigate these emotions as a follower of Jesus and within the body of Christ?
5. Are there things you do that help you calm and quiet yourself when emotions are raging or complicated?

HANDS
Spend some time thinking through how you process your emotions.  What activities do you find helpful?  Do you have people in your life you feel safe enough to talk to and work through them?  If you don’t already, take some time to actually come up with an emotional management plan that includes activities to help you work through your complication emotions when they arise (journaling, exercising, praying, coffee with a friend, etc…).

LIVING WORDS FOR YOUR WEEK
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:5-6, NLT