Sermon Discussion Time

• Have you ever been in a place in life or situation where you felt like you reached your limit? What was the situation and what did that look like for you? Are you in one of those places right now?

Read Exodus 18:13-27

• Moses was a good leader but this story tells us of a time when he needed someone to give him an outside perspective on how close he was to his limit. Often in our lives we don’t give ourselves margins, enough space between our load and our limit, but we’re reluctant to look for help or need an outside perspective. Where is an area in your life where you may be feeling close to your limit and could use an outside perspective? What would that help look like? Are there barriers to you receiving that help?

Read Acts 6:1-7

• The Apostles were spending much of their time working in areas that would have been better filled by others, to release the Apostles to do other work and to allow others to serve as they were gifted. Often we get caught in the same situation, serving or working in areas that we are able to but may not be at the core of what Jesus would have us do.
  • Take a couple of minutes to think about your commitments, your load, and ask Jesus if there is something missing that he would have you do. Maybe it’s time with him, maybe it’s working or serving in a way that better reflects your wiring and giftedness.
  • What is he saying to you about the ‘could do’s’ in your life vs. the ‘should do’s’?
  • Are there things in your life that you could release in order to make way for the life-giving ‘should do’s’?

• As we see in the story of Elijah (1 Kings 19), we all come to a place where we need to catch our breath, be it emotionally, spiritually, mentally, or physically. When you are feeling weary in any of these areas, what brings you rest?

• God has wired us for a balance between rest and work but we often have these in imbalance. Moving forward this week, what are ways we can be seeking God as we look to have less binge and more balance?

Going Deeper

• Leave space and time in your group to allow for some self-evaluation. You can use the back of your sermon notes if you have them or follow the guidelines below.

Where are you thriving and where are you surviving?

Look at each category below and evaluate how you are doing in each one of these areas.

Emotional – the space we need to feel experience, process, and deal with emotionally charged experiences – positive or negative.

Spiritual – the space to listen to God and learn from him. Do you have spiritual habits that draw you closer to God on a regular basis?

Physical – the space we have in our life for caring for our physical needs, our health, our rest, and our energy. Physical also includes the use of time. Do you have enough time for your commitments? Do you have enough margin to arrive on time or are you always late?

Mental – space between tasks or mental activities so that there is transition time for your brain to switch from one set of mental processes to another.

Social – your relational space and the health of your relationships with others. Is there unresolved tension or conflict? Do you have significant friendships with others? Do you have too many social commitments?