In the Workshop--Lesson 12--Silence & Simplicity--Mark 1 & 6

Discussion Questions:

1.  Why is it important to see the many perceptions of what Jesus should be as the Messiah?  How did He drown out the noise and stay focused on what His mission was?  What do you learn for yourself from His example?

2.  Are there different perceptions from the people around you, or from culture, of what you are supposed to be as a child of God?  How do you determine what is true and what should be your priorities?

3.  How often would you estimate that the pressing demands of other people cause you to miss out on accomplishing the mission the LORD has for you that day?  How do silence & solitude help you recognize and face distractions from noise and people?  How do silence and solitude assist in figuring out and setting priorities for your day?

4.  What struggle do you have with fickleness when it comes to your walk with the LORD and service to His Kingdom?  How does pressure from the outside noise influence this?

5.  How would a time of intentional quiet built into each day settle your mind, heart, & soul?  Why is it so difficult to filter out all the noise so that inner quietness can be heard?

6.  How are silence & solitude different from loneliness?  How could silence & solitude help with facing and overcoming feelings of loneliness?

7.  What does it mean to “be still and know that I am God”?  How do you see people fall into “be active and know that I am God”? 

8.  In connection to the previous sermon on simplicity, how does not having a margin of time hinder one from practicing silence & solitude?  How does practicing silence & solitude help one gain more control over their time management?

9.  One of the things that is clear from Mark’s portrayal of Jesus going to the “eremos” (wilderness) is that there will always be people and needs chasing after our time, energy and resources.  How does guilt play into not taking the proper time in the “eremos”?  How do we discern what is sent from God for us to minister to versus what is sent from Satan to fill us with stress and anxiety?

10.  How does “stepping away” help one avoid burnout?  What scheduled steps away do you have in your daily or weekly schedule?

11.  What struggle do you have with listening to respond rather than listening to hear?  Why is listening to hear so important, especially in our relationship with God?  What practices do you have to slow down enough to listen to God instead of just talking?

In the Workshop—Lesson 12 - Silence & Solitude — The Gospel of Mar

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is it important to see the many perceptions of what Jesus should be as the Messiah? How did He drown out the noise and stay focused on what His mission was? What do you learn for yourself from His example?

2. Are there different perceptions from the people around you, or from culture, of what you are supposed to be as a child of God? How do you determine what is true and what should be your priorities?

3. How often would you estimate that the pressing demands of other people cause you to miss out on accomplishing the mission the LORD has for you that day? How do silence & solitude help you recognize and face distractions from noise and people? How do silence and solitude assist in figuring out and setting priorities for your day?

4. What struggle do you have with fickleness when it comes to your walk with the LORD and service to His Kingdom? How does pressure from the outside noise influence this?

5. How would a time of intentional quiet built into each day settle your mind, heart, & soul? Why is it so difficult to filter out all the noise so that inner quietness can be heard?

6. How are silence & solitude different from loneliness? How could silence & solitude help with facing and overcoming feelings of loneliness?

7. What does it mean to “be still and know that I am God”? How do you see people fall into “be active and know that I am God”?

8. In connection to the previous sermon on simplicity, how does not having a margin of time hinder one from practicing silence & solitude? How does practicing silence & solitude help one gain more control over their time management?

9. One of the things that is clear from Mark’s portrayal of Jesus going to the “eremos” (wilderness) is that there will always be people and needs chasing after our time, energy and resources. How does guilt play into not taking the proper time in the “eremos”? How do we discern what is sent from God for us to minister to versus what is sent from Satan to fill us with stress and anxiety?

10. How does “stepping away” help one avoid burnout? What scheduled steps away do you have in your daily or weekly schedule?

11. What struggle do you have with listening to respond rather than listening to hear? Why is listening to hear so important, especially in our relationship with God? What practices do you have to slow down enough to listen to God instead of just talking?

In the Workshop--Lesson 11--Living a Simple Life--Matthew 6:25-34 + Various Passages

Discussion Questions:

1.  How would you define living a simple life?  What struggles do you have with keeping your schedule and your appetites simple?

2.  Why does it matter that Jesus’ teachings are statements of design for the universe instead of command language?  In what way is simplicity a truth that sets you free?

3.  What does it mean to leave margin in your life?  What are some practical ways you can create and/or maintain margin in your schedule?

4.  Do you agree with Paul’s list of what we need to be content (I Timothy 6:6-8)?   Where does contentment come from?  What is the difference between contentment and happiness? 

5.  How do possessions affect one’s time and focus?  Why should we consider the amount of time a possession requires before acquiring it?

6.  In what ways do you see people trade time for money?  Why is this a bad trade?  What kinds of things tempt you to gain the world at the cost of your soul?

7.  How is duplicity related to simplicity?  In what ways are the things Satan tells us duplicity?  How are Jesus’ sayings simplicity instead of duplicity? 

8.  Why is burnout so prevalent in our culture?  What are some ways you have experienced burnout?  How did you overcome it?