MESSAGE NOTES AND INDIVIDUAL/GROUP REFLECTION QUESTIONS, 4/7/24

Our emotions act as a barometer of our soul and can lead us to God or away from Him. When we engage well with our feelings (glad, mad, sad, scared, shame, shocked), we come to a new understanding of ourselves, experience greater intimacy with God, and discover a healthy way of conveying them to others.

This week, our focus is on understanding the power of emotions, God’s desire to help us deal with how we feel and the importance of gratitude.

1. Take a moment to memorize the six core emotions. Note they are in alphabetical order. Glad, Mad, Sad, Scared, Shame, Shocked (see Feelings Wheel). Reflect on the last week, which of these did you feel and why?
2. Watch this video of the Elephant and the Rider. What does this tell you about the power of our emotions? How have you seen this play out in your life or the lives of others?
3. What do these passages (Psalm 62:5-8, Matthew 11:28-30, 1 Peter 5:7) tell you about how God wants to help you deal with how you feel?  Where else in the Bible do you see God helping others deal with their feelings?
4. Think about the Psalms as expressions of various emotions to God. How does the Psalms’ permission to express emotions resonate with your own experiences? What holds you back from sharing your emotions with God? Are there specific Psalms that have been particularly meaningful to you in times of emotional turmoil or joy?
5. When it comes to the emotion of being glad, what is Psalm 118:24 telling us about the source of our gladness? Why is this a better source than our circumstances? When we express gratitude (our gladness), the brain releases dopamine and serotonin, which make us feel ‘good’.  How has expressing gratitude changed your mood?
6. EMOTIONAL CHECK IN: Take a few minutes to identify why you are feeling “glad” and bring it to God.

   Name it! – “I am feeling glad.”

   Tame it! – “I am feeling this way because _______________________ .” (list at least 3-5 reasons)

   Claim it! – “Lord, I thank You for my feeling of gladness .  Grant me your perspective on it.”
   What perspective and truth did He reveal to you?

   Proclaim it! – Share with another or members of your group what came to mind.

7. PRAY  Psalm 62:5-8 over yourself or each member of your group. And each day, thank God for at least three reasons you are glad!

=>GET AN EMOTIONS JOURNAL (in lobby) TO CHECK IN WITH GOD DAILY<=