• What do you recall as a significant and positive life-changing event or circumstance from childhood?
• Why do most significant  and positive life-changing events or circumstances of adulthood occur beyond our control? (i.e., why don’t we choose to or willingly subject ourselves to life-altering situations, events, etc?)

Review the Message Slides

• If you could have any superpower which would it be?
• In what areas of life do you feel most competent? And least?
• Would you pick a life of peace or a life of productivity?
• What is the good news of Jesus? Is it good news for you?
• Do you know the joy of belonging to God? If so, what does that mean for you?

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• What sort of things do you see that are sad?
• What is something that has made (or still makes) YOU sad? What does that sadness look like when it’s expressed? (what do others see and experience when you’re sad?)
• Why does Jesus say that his followers will be sad when he dies, but soon joyful again?
• Why does Jesus say that many will be happy when he dies? (Why do so many think that it’s best for them if they push Jesus away?)
• How can you embrace the unique, rich, and healing human reality of experiencing both grief and joy at the same time this week?

Review the Message Slides

• Recount a fun or urgent time when you had to try to communicate with a person who was deaf or who spoke a different language. Can you remember some of what had to happen in order to communicate?
• If you were to actively try to listen for the Holy Spirit (or God’s voice), how would that look?
• And how would you know if you did hear from the Holy Spirit?
• Can you remember a time when you did (or had a sense that you might have heard God’s voice)?
• What questions do you have, or what guidance do you need from God?
• What would keep you from asking for those things…maybe even for a few months if necessary?
• If not a friendship or group you’re already a part of, who could you ask to walk with you on the journey listening for God?
• Consider these additional questions.

Review the Message Slides

1. What is one of your favorite memories from your past?
2. How does the idea of God redeeming/restoring difficult things in your life relate to John 15:4-5?
3. What was a new or challenging concept, idea or truth God pressed upon you during the message?
4. Read Isaiah 61 together and share how you are looking forward for God to give you hope regarding your personal past.

Review the Message Slides

1. What do you absolutely love doing? (i.e. what kind of activities in your life feel as though it would be impossible to stop doing?)
2. Why?
3. If you were to critique your “Christianity,” what would be the categories of evaluation? (In other words, what would the “pie chart” of the good Christian life be?)
4. If you were to conclude (right or wrong) that your belief in, love for, confidence in Jesus was lackluster, what sorts of things would/could you do to increase them?
5. If your belief, love and confidence in Jesus deepened, what would be the evidence?

1 John 3:17-18 – “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?  Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”