Life is not meant to be lived out alone. God adopts us into His family, the local church. It's His idea and we love it. We call it City Groups which are small groups where the BeLoved Church family can do life and ministry together as well as grow deeper in faith under the direction and pastoral care of the leadership God has given us.
It can be easy to view happiness in the wrong way. This Sunday we learned that "Lasting happiness is found in a who, not in a what." So often we either make happiness our end goal or we view it as something that God takes away. It can feel like happiness and holiness are at odds with each other—but they’re not. When we live the lives God has called us to, we find happiness in ways we often don’t expect.
In this message series called "Missing the Mark" we are exploring why happiness is not God's highest priority for you. Pastor Chris offered some keys this past Sunday to help you to find freedom from the "Happiness Gospel" and to stop rationalizing sin by getting to know the truth from God. God wants you to experience happiness, but not at the expense of holiness. So, lean in, be real, open your Bibles, get your notebook out, and let's share what God might be saying to you through this series as we SOAP together.
Read aloud in your group, pause, reflect, and listen for what Holy Spirit migh be saying to you through the Word of God.
Key scripture from Sunday.
Additional scriptures
Q.1 - Which part of this past Sunday's message was most impactful for you and why?
Q.2 - As you read 1 Peter 1:14-16. What are some ways happiness is different than holiness? How can holiness lead to happiness?
Q.3 - What do you think you need to be happy? How might your view and God’s view of happiness be similar or different?
Q.4 - Where in your life have you pursued something that you thought was going to make you happy, but it didn't? What did you learn through that experience?
Q.5 - Pastor Chris raised the question on Sunday.
Identify one area of your life where you’re tempted to pursue happiness instead of holiness. This week, take a step to choose holiness instead.
Be intentional. Take a Step.
Lord, thank You for being our source of happiness and holiness. Show us where we are prioritizing happiness or comfort over holiness. Help us to have the wisdom and determination to put You first. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Our heart for you in taking a "Next Step" is to help you grow in becoming more and more like Jesus.