This week we’re getting practical! Change is good. But change is also really hard! It’s easy to go listen to someone speak at Spark and feel empowered, but it’s a whole nother story to live out the change you felt empowered to make. It’s a daily decision. It’s hard. And sometimes...we fail. In fact, we probably will fail more than we’ll succeed. God can use our successes to bless us and give us reasons to praise Him. But the truth is, it’s in our everyday failures that God teaches us most. In our failure, we can experience His grace and compassion fully.
Here’s the question we want to keep coming back to:
HOW IS GOD CHANGING YOU THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE?
God wants us to have meaningful spiritual conversation with each other. And this week that means talking to each other about our progress.
SETTING UP FOR PROGRESS
On the first day’s practice section, we wrote down one small thing we’d like to change.
What is one small thing that you want to change (i.e. not leave dirty laundry on the floor)?
What are the “ingredients” to make that change a reality?
MY NEEDS
As a culture, we’re taught to be independent and not to need anything from anybody. We stuff our needs deep down and hope they don’t come back. Or, worse, we express we have a need and it is completely ignored by others. But what if ignoring those needs can actually hurt our own growth?
What’s one need you consistently feel you shouldn’t have when you are in the midst of failure and/or challenge?
Do you have any insight as to why you have that need?
SUCCESS Can be JUST AS HARD AS FAILURE
When you succeed, change, grow, etc., it can make others around you uncomfortable. It can hurt a friend when you got the promotion instead of her, or, when your friend has been trying to get pregnant and you aren’t sure how she’ll take it when you tell her you are pregnant.
Has it ever been difficult to celebrate your successes because of someone else?
Do you think it is possible to celebrate with a friend that may be sensitive to your success? How can you handle this situation well?
Have you ever handled someone else’s success poorly? What was the situation and how are you moving toward restoring that relationship now?
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
It’s so easy to let the enemy whisper lies to us.
What’s the lie that you hear most about yourself?
What are the two truths you could be speaking, two things God says are true about you, instead of the lie?
PRACTICE AND GROW TOWARDS LOVE
When we purposefully get close to God on a daily basis, it shows! People can see it through our actions and our love. Hebrews 10:24 says, “let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” But if we don’t allow God to change us by allowing God’s words to get into every corner of our lives, it actually stunts our growth.
Did you do any of the practices? What did you do and how did it impact your life this week?
Did you memorize (or attempt to memorize) any of the scripture verses this week? What did you memorize and how did it impact your life this week?
Make a plan together: how can someone else help you prioritize at least ONE of these practices over the next few days?