Key Passage: “He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength…” Psalm 23:2-3a NLT
We all go to something when our soul needs refreshment. When Jesus is first, we can enjoy the other parts of life; when he is not, they control us.
REVIEW: We all have a “watering hole.”
- READ: John 7:38 “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”
- DISCUSS: What do you typically turn to when you feel empty, alone or down-spirited?
REVIEW: Sin is when we turn to independence instead of God.
- READ: James 1:14-15 “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”
- DISCUSS: What makes living in humble dependence on God most difficult? What tends to get in the way or distract from living with him at the center?
REVIEW: Sometimes, the shepherd has to teach the sheep not to wander.
- READ: Hebrews 12:11 “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”
- DISCUSS: Have you ever experienced a closer relationship with Jesus through difficulty, hardship or suffering?
ASK:
What else did you get out of the sermon this week? What actions or next steps can you do to start applying it to your life?
PRAY:
Pray for the self-awareness to see where we are living independently, the humility to surrender to Jesus, and the fulfillment and satisfaction of his presence.