Satisfied in Stuff

Satisfied in Stuff

“Satisfied” Series

November 18/19, 2017

Note: NEXT weekend (November 25/26) will be the LAST weekend we provide Discovery Questions for 2017 as we anticipate many groups will begin to wind down for the Christmas season. Consider meeting one time in December for a Life Group Dinner / Christmas Party. We’ll resume Discovery Questions again for our first full sermon series in January of 2018.

Main Idea:

Giving thanks for what we have is a key to finding satisfaction.

Discovery Questions

1.What is a favorite Thanksgiving tradition of yours?

This week, we continue our series for the month of November entitled “Satisfied.” This series is based on the idea that God wants us to be satisfied and fulfilled in this life, but the route God suggests we take to find satisfaction is often very different than the route the world offers.

Today, in a special message to prepare us for Thanksgiving, we’lllook at the satisfaction that comes when we’re thankful for what we have, rather than focusing on what we don’t have.

2.Read Psalm 100. What do we learn about God in this passage and what are we told our response to God should be?

3.a. Why do you think it’s so hard for people to regularly be grateful for what they have?

b. How have you seen ungratefulness harm a person? How have you seen gratitude make a person happier or more satisfied?

4.a. In general, how grateful do you think you are? What makes you answer the way you do?

b. When was a time you were really grateful for something? What were the circumstances surrounding that time? What did it do for you?

c. How could you develop a heart of consistent gratitude for the things you have in life?

5.Spend some time in your group making a list of things that you’re grateful for. Go around and have each person share one or two things from theirlist and why they are grateful. Close with a time of prayer, thanking God for what you have.

Leader Guide Starts on Next Page

Leader Guide

1.What is a favorite Thanksgiving tradition of yours?

This is a “lighter” question designed to get the conversation going.Spend about 5-7 minutes on this question.

Today, in a special message to prepare us for Thanksgiving, we’ll look at the satisfaction that comes when we’re thankful for what we have, rather than focusing on what we don’t have.

2. Read Psalm 100. What do we learn about God in this passage and what are we told our response to God should be?

What we learn about God:

-God made us (v. 3)

-We are His people (v. 3)

-We are the sheep of His pasture (v. 3)

-God is good (v. 5)

-His love endures forever (v.5)

-His faithfulness is never-ending (v. 5)

What our response to God should be:

-We should shout to God with joy (v. 1)

-We should worship God with gladness (v. 2)

-We should sing joyful songs before him (v. 2)

-We are to be grateful when we come to Him (v. 4)

-We are to praise Him (v. 4)

Spend 3-5 minutes on this question.

3.a. Why do you think it’s so hard for people to regularly be grateful for what they have?

b. How have you seen ungratefulness harm a person? How have you seen gratitude make a person happier or more satisfied?

For part “a,” “comparison” is probably one of the key reasons it’s so difficult to be grateful for what we have; we live in a world where so many people have so much “stuff” that it’s literally impossible to keep up. Therefore, there’s a tendency to look at what other people have and want/desire that, rather than be content with what we have. There’s an “If/Then” belief out there that “IF only we had that… THEN we’d be happy.” That makes it hard to be grateful for the many things that we have.

Spend 7-10 minutes on this question in its entirety.

4.a. In general, how grateful do you think you are? What makes you answer the way you do?

b. When was a time you were really grateful for something? What were the circumstances surrounding that time? What did it do for you?

c. How could you develop a heart of consistent gratitude for the things you have in life?

For part “c,” a good starting place would actually be to read Psalm 100 every day! Simply reading this passage, and being reminded of the need for gratitude at the start of every day could remind us ofthe need to be thankful. In our prayers, it’s also good to regularly begin by simply thanking God for the many things He has given us, rather than with requests we have for Him. It may also require more extreme measures, like refusing to watch certain television shows or going to certain websites that make us constantly envious and long for what other people have.

Spend about 10-12 minutes on this question in its entirety.

5. Spend some time in your group making a list of things that you’re grateful for. Go around and have each person share one or two things from theirlist and why they are grateful. Close with a time of prayer, thanking God for what you have.

You may want to close by reading Psalm 100 over everybody at the beginning or close of your prayer as a reminder of the power of this passage of Scripture.

Spend 7-10 minutes on this question.