Sermon Discussion Questions | Garden Ridge Church

Love God; Love People; Follow Jesus--Lesson 1--The Balance in Loving God

Discussion Questions:

1. How have you seen things get out of balance in your walk with God?

2. What kinds of things help you maintain God as your 1st love?

3. How can one be intolerant of things while still being loving?

4. When is a church not a church? Do you see any areas where the church family at Garden

Ridge needs to remember their 1st love and repent?

5. How would the story of Martha and Mary be different if Jesus was invited into Martha’s

frustration? Why do we so often focus on what frustrates us instead of what brings

balance?

Discussion Questions:

1. How have you seen success cause a movement to become stagnate? How have you seen

failure cause a movement to stagnate? Why are both of these a danger?

2. God teaches Abram to see past his current circumstances to what He has planned for his

future. He offers promises and a picture of what He has planned for him. How has God

provided the same thing for us?

3. Why is Jesus able to speak “Peace” to a room full of those who have failed Him in many

ways? What does He do to show them they legitimately have reason to feel peace? How

does this assure you in the roles He calls you to play for His Kingdom?

4. Why do you think Jesus breathes on the disciples to give them the Holy Spirit? How does

this help you to see that God’s ways will prevail even through your failures and successes?

5. Describe why it is important for a leader to be connected to the past, dependent upon God

in the present, and looking forward to the future.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does our desire to be liked influence our leadership ability? What are some ways to

avoid falling into the trap of people pleasing?

2. What makes good people turn into saboteurs? Why are there consistently those who will

try to sabotage leadership?

3. How have you seen people lose their ears when people of God resort to the sword? How

do you avoid reaching a point of retaliation or violence when you are attacked? What

helps you to stay calm and focused on the mission?

4. How do we adapt to reaching our culture without change? What changes are you afraid of

seeing happen at Garden Ridge? Why do these changes scare you?

5. What makes receiving a present in different wrapping paper than you ask for acceptable?

How does God’s focus on mission and the fact that He does not waste anything help you

look beyond the wrapping paper that life comes in to the contents inside the box?