...Ok, that was the last humility-themed joke. (For good laugh, consider that Moses is assumed to have penned the book of Numbers, and read Numbers 12:3)
As we close this series, use this specific discussion time to not only dig around in the topic some more, but think of it as an anchor to come back in the life of your group. A LifeGroup without humility, or at least a desire to embrace it, is terribly difficult thing. You may want to ask the group if it would be willing to use what they have learned over the last few weeks as a way of holding each of them accountable. Don't let it fade in the rearview mirror, continue to walk with each other, making sure that we collectively keep our feet on the ground and our eyes up.
Thaw
- What most stuck with you from Sunday morning?
- How is it helping to shape you into the person God's wants?
- What's the take away, beyond the obvious, for this whole series?
- What are you up against when it comes to living humbly?
Read
- 1 Peter 5:1-7
- Thoughts?
- Considering Peter often had difficulty with listening to Jesus and, seemingly, being humble enough to let Christ be Master, how does these final thoughts of Peter sound to you?
- What's the significance of bringing up the shepherd imagery?
- How does shepherding sheep require humility?
- Why do you think he starts with an admonition to young men, then immediately widens the scope to everybody?
- Why does God humble proud people, and exalt humble people?
- Why does this section about humility include the phrase, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you"?
Leader note: You may want to point out that the actual phrasing can be interpreted, "Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you". A lack of humility is often an assumption that you're going to have to run your own PR firm if anyone is ever going to love you, respect, want to be exclusive with you, envy you, etc. Offloading those cares, obsessions and anxieties onto God, resting in his caring about what we care about, is a way of saying "God, will you exalt me so that it happens the right way, and not due to my own insecurities!"
Discuss
The band Switchfoot is a Christian rock band with wide appeal in the non-Christian music scene. Their music fills specifically Christian airwaves, but is also featured prominently on TV, college football, and by rock station who don't make it a habit to use Christ's name outside of a expletive. People of faith as well as people who aren't ready to categorize themselves that way admit to being inspired by Switchfoot's music; being drawn into the message. Discuss as a group this quote from lead singer, John Foreman.
“There’s a certain amount of humility that is attached to wonder, and a certain amount of pride attached to knowledge and I think the moment you say ‘we know beyond a shadow of a doubt this exists’, you can’t have faith that it exists. Faith is no longer possible. So faith is only possible when doubt is possible. Faith is only possible when humility and wonder is possible. And I feel like the musical world of humility and wonder is a much wider door to enter into than the narrow confines of epistemology and things like knowledge and these really narrow boxes. That’s kind of where our songs are… [those are] the worlds our songs are trying to explore"
John Foreman, Switchfoot
- Thoughts?
- How is this applicable to the kind of "music" our individual lives create on a day-to-day basis?
- Why is this such an important facet of who we are as people pursuing the Christ?
Discuss
- What are some examples of Unholy Deafness that you have experienced in your life?
- Were you rebelling, apathetic, or were you unaware of consequences? Explain the difference.
- What changed your thinking on this?
- What are some examples of Holy Deafness that you have experienced?
- What was/is the root of this?
Leader note: be sure and bring up that certainty feels like a Biblical mandate, but as John Foreman states, faith lives along side doubt. If there aren't doubts, there isn't faith. Frankly, if there isn't faith, however good and satisfying and powerful it might feel, it's not Christianity. As people share their Holy Deafness, make sure it's understood to some degree that this is rooted in a desire to have power (not maniacally, we all want to avoid leaving ourselves physically, emotionally and intellectually vulnerable!) and to mitigate the necessity for faith, surrender and, ultimately, humility.
Apply
- How might this group help itself remain a student, listening to and for the Christ?
- How do we remain students when we're not together, throughout the week?
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