MESSAGE NOTES AND INDIVIDUAL/GROUP REFLECTION QUESTIONS, 4/28/24
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 how to deal with when we feel scared.
- How are you dealing with how you are feeling? Have you been taking time to reflect on your emotions and using the process of Naming, Taming, Claiming, and Proclaiming? If so, what have you gained? If not, what holds you back from doing so?
- If the universal trigger for being scared or afraid is a real or imagined threat (person, place, thing, event), how have you seen this play out in the life of yourself or another? Why do you think God would want to engage with us and free us from being scared, anxious, or worried?
- The BIG IDEA for this week is the following: Allow your fear to fuel your faith. Let’s relate this to a fire. How do you see your fear being like water that floods the fire of your faith or like kindling that fuels it? Ponder examples of both in your life. How does this Philippians 4:6-7 MSG support this imagery?
- Read 1 Kings 18:16-39, then read 1 Kings 19:1-21. How do you reconcile the courage and fear of Elijah from one moment to the next? Are you surprised? What caused him to go from one extreme to another? What does it take to restore his courage? How does this reflect our humanity and need for God?
- With over a 100+ verses about “not being afraid” in the Bible, reflect on these psalms (Psalm 27:1, Psalm 56:3), words from Jesus (Matthew 6:25,11:28, John 16:33) and Paul (2 Timothy 1:7). Which passages are helping you most to have a spirit of hope and courage, instead of a spirit of fear?
- EMOTIONAL CHECK IN: Take a few minutes to identify why you are feeling “scared” and bring it to God.
Name it! – “I am feeling _______________ .” (using feeling wheel – scared section)
Tame it! – “I am feeling this way because _______________________ .” (list at least 3-5 reasons)
Claim it! – “Lord, I give you my feeling(s) of… . Grant me your wisdom.”
What perspective and truth did He reveal to you?
Proclaim it! – Share with another or members of your group what came to mind.
Resources
ACC Support Group: Connected Hope – Cyndi Wolaver.