Proverbs 9:10

The Wisdom of Fearing God

1. Describe your reaction or feelings about the idea of fear.  Are you comfortable or uncomfortable with fear, and why?

2. What things or situations in your life do you fear more than God?

3. Describe a time where you were so in awe or wonder over something, and how that affects the way you think about God?

4. In what ways does the fear of the Lord give us a base for wisdom?  Share an insight!

Serving Like Jesus
Mark 10:45

1. What was your first job (or a tough job) and what were some of the less desirable duties you have had to do?

2. What is something that someone else has done for you that has made your life better?

3. Read Mark 10:43-45; John 13:14-16; Luke 22:26; Mark 9:35; and Luke 9:48. Why do you think Jesus had to teach this lesson so many times?

4. What is the hardest part about serving others?

5. What are some of the ways you can personally serve others?

1. What does “doing the right thing” say to you?

2. Why is it so hard to know what’s right and how does the process of finding the right choices work for you?

3. When has receiving mercy really touched you? When has showing mercy really touched you?

4. What images come to your mind when you think of walking humbly with God.

5. What does it look like when someone walks pridefully with God?

1. What causes you the most anxiety?

2. What tactics do you generally use to alleviate your anxiety?

3. In what ways can prayer affect your view of the future?

4. Of the things we are told to meditate on in verse 8, which ones resonated the most with you as needing more attention in your thought life?

1. What does the idea of Jesus suffering for you do to affect your everyday life?

2. Of all the things Isaiah mentions (rebellion, twisted perspective, a lack of peace, a need for healing, a wandering heart, a selfishness) which are the ones that hit you the most personally, relative to the cross?

3. Why do you think we focus so much on heaven and the future, as the point of Christianity, when the Bible emphasizes our changed lives in the here and now?

4. What verses in Isaiah 53, other than verses 5 and 6, hit you the most?

1. What does the best rest look like for you?

2. What are the typical barriers that prevent you from getting the rest you need?

3. Have you ever had a “Eureka Moment” where you recognized your need for rest?

4. Do you need to schedule more strategic rest times in your life this week? What will that look like?

1. What kinds of things do you tend to trust other than the Lord?

2. How does trust sometimes disappoint you?

3. Can your thought processes sometimes paralyze you?

4. What does knowing God more look like for you?

5. How have you seen God directing your path to get you where you are today?

1. Take a moment to browse over the characters in Hebrews 11.  Which of these characters can you most relate to and why?

2. In what ways does Jesus give us something better in our faith than what the characters of the Old Testament had?

3. What have you endured because of your faith?

4. If you knew you could change one thing in this world by your faith, what would it be?

5. In light of Hebrews 11, how can your faith greater change how you are living your life?

1. What causes people to lose their passion in life?

2. Why do we often pretend we are fine when we really aren’t?

3. What do you try to get from people that you should really be getting from God?

4. What does fellowshipping with Jesus look like for you?

1. Why do you think Jesus didn’t say anything critical about the Church of Philadelphia?

2. What are some of the things that churches often substitute for the Word?

3. In what ways can we adopt methodology that misrepresents the character of Jesus?

4. What doors have been opened for you?

5. Why is “a little strength” actually a blessing?