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The boisterous crowd cheered and waved as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Surely each of them imagined how this man might improve their lives and livelihoods. But in truth there was so much more going on than anyone could see. The time had come. The stage was being set. Centuries of prayers were being answered. And the crowd had no idea. DOWNLOADS Family Talk Discussion Questions Title: Good Friday // John 12:12-19 Quick Review: The boisterous crowd cheered and waved as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Surely each of them imagined how this man might improve their lives and livelihoods. But in truth there was so much more going on than anyone could see. The time had come. The stage was being set. Centuries of prayers were being answered. And the crowd had no idea. As a family, take time to discuss these questions and possible action steps you can take. Expecting Too Little As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, why were the people praising Him? What had they heard about Jesus? What had they seen him do? What did the crowds expect Jesus to do next? What did the disciples expect from Jesus? What did the Pharisees expect would happen if everyone followed Jesus? What were they afraid of? How was God’s plan for each of these people even better than they expected? Expectations Redefined What are some big (or small) things you expected to do this Spring? How is the reality different from what you expected? What words describe how you feel about all these changes? Do you believe that God could have something even better in store for you than what you were expecting? A Better Plan Look up some of these passages and talk about the promises in each one. Jeremiah 29:11 1 Peter 1:3-4 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 Matthew 6:31-33 Genesis 50:20 Let’s come up with some real action steps to stay focused on God’s promises instead of our expectations this week. (Ideas might include to choose a promise verse to memorize as a family, write out a verse and hang it in a place you will see it often, write out your biggest disappointment and pray over it, asking God to transform it into something amazing.)

As we conclude Paul’s story in Acts, we see that even with everything unexpected going on around him, Paul was not hindered because he had a relationship with the one true God. The kingdom grew and grew. And you know what? It’s still growing today. It’s carried forward by so many followers of Jesus who simply follow Jesus well and love their neighbors. But Paul remained steadfast, and it changed the lives of everyone he met. DOWNLOADS Family Talk Discussion Questions Title: The Unhindered Kingdom of God // Acts 28:7-31 Quick Review: As we conclude Paul’s story in Acts, we see that even with everything unexpected going on around him, Paul was not hindered because he had a relationship with the one true God. The kingdom grew and grew. And you know what? It’s still growing today. It’s carried forward by so many followers of Jesus who simply follow Jesus well and love their neighbors. But Paul remained steadfast, and it changed the lives of everyone he met. As a family, take time to discuss these questions and possible action steps you can take. What does hope mean? How would you define hope? When do people need hope the most? What would life be like if you didn’t have hope? Where does your hope come from? Read Psalm 33:18 – “The Lord looks with favor on those who respect him. He watches over those who put their hope in his faithful love.” How does knowing Jesus give you hope? How are you staying connected to God during this time? Is it harder or easier to find time to connect with God these days? What’s one change you can make this week to carve out more time for Jesus? Where is your simple opportunity? Talk about one way you got help or gave help last week. What are the needs of the people in your community? (neighbors, healthcare workers, police officers, truckers, delivery people, teachers, etc.) What’s one super creative way you can help or encourage one of these people this week?

“Out of the frying pan, into the fire” is a phrase we sometimes use to talk about situations that seem to go from bad to worse. In the Book of Acts 27-28, the phrase would be something more like “out of the shipwreck, into an island full of snakes and sickness.” But whether we are talking about frying pans or shipwrecks, our current global crisis from COVID-19 raises all sorts of questions. Will it get worse? How much worse? And what is God doing through all of it? DOWNLOADS Family Talk Discussion Questions Title: What to Do When Things Get Real // Acts 28:1-11 Quick Review: Paul heard a promise from God in the middle of his storm. (“Don’t fear. You will speak to Caesar in Rome.”) And he believed it. He clung to that promise, so he didn’t worry when his situation seemed wildly out of control. In dire times, people are often more open to hearing a message of faith. In Acts 27, the desperate passengers aboard Paul’s ill-fated voyage were eager to grasp Paul’s message of hope. Just as God promised, the raging sea didn’t claim their lives. But now they found themselves on an inhabited island, rife with sickness and danger. But Paul remained steadfast, and it changed the lives of everyone he met. As a family, take time to discuss these questions and possible action steps you can take. How has this disruption become “real” to you? A few weeks ago this was just a story on TV. How has it become personal? What are the biggest changes in your daily life? How do the changes make you feel? How are you responding? When are you taking time to listen to God’s voice? What Bible verses are an anchor for you in this storm? How do they change your mindset or your actions? How do you see other people responding? How can you share your faith with someone else? How will people see that you have an unexpected response? What is one thing you can do this week to encourage (give courage to) a neighbor, friend, or family member? How could your hope change someone else?

It’s been a strange, troubling, and disrupted week. The President of the United States has declared a national state of emergency, and the Gwinnett County Health Department recommends that as a community faith-based organization we implement social distancing measures to limit the potential spread of COVID-19. In response and after prayerful discussion with our staff, elders, and the other leaders across the Grace Family of Churches, we decided to worship online-only (Sunday, March 15, 2020) at our usual times (9am and 10:45am). Together, we will worship, hear the Word, and pray. I’ll be taking a brief break from our Psalms series to teach from Acts 28, an amazing passage that not only shows us how we can respond personally but also how we might be a blessing to those who are alongside us through threat, sickness, and uncertainty. Our prayer and hope is that as a community we will be the (clean) hands and (healthy) feet of Jesus, and that he will be glorified through these uncertain days. DOWNLOADS Family Talk Discussion Questions Title: The Power of Faith in Times of Crisis // Acts 27 Quick Review: In Acts 27, Paul was on a ship with a bunch of soldiers, sailors, and passengers who got caught in a storm that disrupted their plans, drove them far off course, and was so frightening that they “abandoned all hope of being saved” (v. 20). But as the story of the storm keeps developing, we find an amazing picture of what happens when at least one person has faith in what God has promised–it transforms the expectations, relationships, and results of everyone on the ship. How can we be like Paul? Well, we each have space in our minds where we think about what is yet to happen–next year, next week, or even tomorrow. We’re calling it our “Future Bucket.” Sometimes we fill that space with fear/worry about what might go wrong or what might not happen. But when we hear God’s word, it’s an opportunity to dump out the fear and fill it with faith. As a family, take time to discuss these questions and possible action steps you can take. What size is your Future Bucket? Do you spend lots of time thinking about the future, hardly ever think about it, or somewhere in between? How much time do you spend worrying about the future? Does it keep you up at night? Does it affect how you live? Bonus activity: Each family member, quickly go grab a container to represent how big your own future bucket is! What’s in your Future Bucket? What do you spend the most time thinking about when it comes to the future? Is it fear, worry, hope, optimism, or a mix? List specific fears or worries that tend to rattle around in that space. What would you like to have in your Future Bucket? Confess your fear. Take time to tell God about the things you want to dump out of that space, and fill it with God’s promises. For each source of anxiety, together, try to pinpoint the underlying fear, then find a promise in God’s word that counters that fear. (We have a handy Dump and Fill page to get you started.) How can you truly fill your Future Bucket (mind) with God’s promises? As a person who trusts God’s promises, how can you bless people around you? In our current situation, who can our family bless now? Who might have some simple needs we can help with? What can we do to help a neighbor? When are we gonna do it?

Even a rapid reading of Psalm 104 reveals that not only the author of the poem but also the Author of Creation delights in the wonder of the world around us—“May the glory of the Lord endure forever, May the Lord rejoice in his works!” (v. 31) But what does it mean to delight in God’s world these days when we hear all kinds of reports about environmental crisis and calamity? What does God’s Word say to us about the world in which we live? Perhaps we would be wise to read Psalm 104 afresh! DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Psalms: For the Earth // Psalm 104 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so catching up and socializing with one another. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes Even a rapid reading of Psalm 104 reveals that not only the author of the poem but also the Author of Creation delights in the wonder of the world around us—“May the glory of the Lord endure forever, May the Lord rejoice in his works!” (v. 31) But what does it mean to delight in God’s world these days when we hear all kinds of reports about environmental crisis and calamity? Psalm 104 gives us meaningful guidance in renewing our minds regarding our role in the care of creation. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. The way we steward God’s creation is a way we can love God. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): Why is the psalmist motivated to praise God? Who benefits from what God has made? In what ways do we see humans innovating and producing good things? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What parts of creation speak most to you about God? How have you seen or felt the presence of God in nature? How has your family benefited from prior generations maximizing earth’s resources? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Where are we as followers of Jesus cultivating and caring for creation as good stewards and where is there potential for exploiting earth’s resources? What more could you do to love God by stewarding his created world? How can you support or participate in innovation that honors creation? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes John 1 tells us that Jesus is the Word of God who has been present from the beginning. Read Psalm 104 from The Message paraphrase by Eugene Peterson slowly two or three times and listen for the wisdom of Jesus in creation. Ask God for the mind of Christ regarding your use and care of the resources he entrusts to you. Change IN // Group Activity 10 minutes Are you someone who has knowledge and experience with caring for outdoor spaces? Who in your neighborhood or community group takes good care of their outdoor space? Have a ten-minute intentional conversation with someone and offer to share in what you know or ask for help in what you don’t know. Commit to one way you can improve your space or help someone improve theirs. If it’s more relevant to your group, share lifestyle changes you have made as a response of loving God by caring for creation. Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 5 minutes What challenged you the most about our reading of Psalm 104? Have a conversation framed from a Psalm 104 perspective about practical barriers to understanding the role of climate change. Commit to interacting with one or more of these resources this week: Creation Care Blog – creationcaremissions.org; Skeptical Science – skepticalscience.com; World Evangelical Association Creation Care Task Force – weacreationcare.org/living-the-change Top ten things you can do about climate change –

Sermon by David Walker. My childhood was filled with songs. I can remember riding in my parent’s wood-paneled station wagon with my three brothers, listening to music my Dad loved at the time, artists like Steely Dan and Michael McDonald, to name a few. At that time, I had no idea who these artists were, much less the names of any of their songs. They served as background noise as we were on our way to Myrtle Beach for summer vacation. Almost 25 years later, every time I hear one of those songs, I’m placed right back in the wood-paneled station wagon as a 10-year-old kid with my family. I’m reminded of my three brothers, the fun we had, the sorrows we faced and the ways we walked together through our childhood. The songs that served as background noise then, now illuminate the beauty of moments that very well would have been forgotten This Sunday I’m thrilled to be preaching from Psalm 96. The Psalm starts with an invitation to “Sing to the Lord a New Song.” As we journey together this Sunday, my hope is that we’d be awakened to a “new song” that declares God’s promises over our future; or perhaps even a “renewed song” that reminds you of God’s faithfulness in your past. Whether it’s our past, present, or future, He is great and greatly to be praised! DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Psalms: Sing to the Lord a New Song // Psalm 96 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so catching up and socializing with one another. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes Book 4 of the Psalms (Psalms 90-106) are called the Enthronement Psalms and deal with the rule and reign of God, and Psalm 96 encourages us to SING IT, SPEAK IT, and SURRENDER IT. Verse 1 tells us to sing a new song. While this new song may not be original, it may be a song that we hear in a new way, a song that brings fresh wind into our soul. Why sing? To remind ourselves of the salvation of the Lord, a salvation that is not simply a one-time experience, but a daily occurrence. Verses 7-10 talk about speaking about the rule and reign of God, giving God credit for who He is, reminding ourselves of what He’s done. Finally, verses 11-13 show how the whole world—the heavens, the sea, the fields, and all they contain, sing for joy. They surrender to Who He is and proclaim His praise. This Psalm also reminds us of 2 Samuel 6 where David sings the praise of God as he brings the Ark into Jerusalem. Walking half-naked like a conquered slave and dancing wildly, David was proclaiming, “I am a conquered king. I am now being ruled by the King of all.” The example of nature and the example of David encourage us to also surrender to God’s rule, reign, righteousness, and faithfulness. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Sing a new song, speak of the glory of God, and surrender to His rule and reign. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What happens to us and others when we sing to the Lord a new song? Why should we ascribe to the Lord glory and strength? What changes for us when we speak it? Is that denying our circumstances? How is the story of David in 2 Samuel 6 an example of surrender? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): What songs do you sing when you need to be reminded of the goodness and faithfulness of God? What stories do you tell others (friends, children) about how God has worked in your life? What traits of God do you need to remind yourself of today—His goodness, His love, His compassion, His justice, His righteousness? What does the King need to conquer in your life today? (Fear of future, pain of past? Numbness of present?) Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Who do you know who is able to sing, speak, and surrender to God well, regardless of their circumstances?

Have you ever been around someone you would describe as deep? Usually, they’re people who have endured the extremes of life and emerged with richly seasoned souls. And they come across as deep without even trying… I can think of several times when I’ve had the privilege to pray with such people, and when they address God it seems to come from a profound place of knowing, trust, and peace. The world would greatly benefit from more people like these. In Scripture, Moses is one of the deepest people, and in Psalm 90 we are privileged to have “a prayer of Moses, the man of God.” As the church season turns toward Lent and Easter in the weeks to come, I can think of no better prayer or poem to launch us into the depths ahead. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Psalms: For Time // Psalm 90 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so catching up and socializing with one another. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes Psalm 90 challenges us to examine the way that we think about time. Moses, the author, begins by applauding the Lord for being the eternal dwelling place of His people. In recognition of how fleeting (vs. 3-6) and difficult (vs. 7-11) life is, Moses asks God to “teach us to number our days so that we may present to You a heart of wisdom” (vs. 12). The remainder of the Psalm, then, details the resulting priorities: a pursuit of the presence of God (vs. 13), satisfaction with the Lord’s love (vs. 14-15), noticing what God is doing (vs. 16a), passing on the power of God to our children (vs. 16b), asking for His favor to rest on us (vs. 17a), and requesting that He establish the work of our hands (vs. 17b). Moses demonstrates that as we number our days, we won’t have a frazzled sense to just “do a bunch of stuff,” but will first seek the presence and love of God, and as we are satisfied in Him, the work of our hands will be grounded in His love. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Numbering our days causes a shift in our priorities. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): Why is it significant that Moses is the one who talks of God being the “dwelling place” of His people? Does Moses encourage a “bucket list” approach after counting your days? What is the focus of 6/7 of the things he prays in verses 12-17? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): When you think of the number of days you have left, what emotions rise up in you? How do you want to spend your remaining days? How does this Psalm change your approach? Is your current work rooted in the love of God? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Where do you see God working in the lives of those around you? If you have children, how are you or how could you pass on to them God’s power? In other words, how can you help them to see what God is doing in you and the world around them? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes Spend a few minutes praising God for His presence and lovingkindness. Change IN // Group Activity 10 minutes Calculate the number of days you have remaining, based on an average of 78 years. (Your age x 365. Then subtract 28,722.) Talk about how seeing this number can cause you to take a sober look at your life. What is the difference between a bucket list and what Moses suggests? Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 5 minutes Whether we have 100 days left or 10,000, Moses does not encourage a frantic attempt to make our final days count. He starts with the presence, love, and satisfaction of God and so moves from a place of inward fulness to our outward work. With that in mind, share different ways that you can impact your own world with the love of God this week as you first allow God’s presence and ...

Mike Williams is the chair of our elder board, and one of his (many) wise counsels is that we make sure we don’t confuse our causes for our purpose. Now, to be completely transparent, the first few times he shared that with me, I would nod sagely as if I understood exactly what he meant (even though I didn’t). Years later, I think I’m beginning to figure it out. Generally speaking, a cause focuses on stopping something, whereas a purpose is rooted in the desire to start something. So, for example, feeding the hungry could be called a cause, whereas creating affordable food for all is a purpose. Of course, both causes and purposes are absolutely necessary. But these days, my sense is that there are so many people crusading for causes that we might get confused about our purpose as God’s people. Enter Psalm 67, and its bold petition that God “bless us.” But this centering Psalm doesn’t end there, and as Buddy Hoffman, the founding pastor of Grace who passed away three years ago this week, asked about this text, “Why does God bless us?” DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Psalms: Why Does God Bless Us? // Psalm 67 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes The questions in the drought can lead us to the deluge of truth. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes Likely sung by Jewish farmers during various festivals, Psalm 67 is a request for God to bless, and verse 7 answers the question of why He would bless His people: that all the ends of the earth may fear Him. Psalm 67 harkens back to the blessing that was promised to Abram in Genesis 12: that God would provide land, a child, a nation, a great name, protection, and ultimately the opportunity to be a blessing to all the families of the earth. Likewise, the blessing prayer that is repeated in Psalm 67 asks that God bless His people so that all the peoples, all the nations would praise Him—the great mission of the people of God. This multi-national praise will finally be realized when “every tribe and tongue and people and nation” will sing a song of praise to the Lamb who is worthy (Revelation 5:9-14). THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. God blesses us to be a blessing. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What’s the significance behind the fact that farmers were the likely singers of this Psalm? How does this Psalm encourage us to think beyond our own little world? What is the chief end of missions? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Where have you seen the blessings of God in your life? Where have you seen God use you to be a blessing to others? How would you rate your concern for the world knowing and praising God? How do you exemplify that concern? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Where does your life intersect with the unknowing world? What is your local mission field? How might you get involved in worldwide missions? (Read books on missionaries, support a Bible translation project, write letters to missionaries). BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes God loves to bless us. Jon talked about how God blesses us through the variety of foods He’s provided and the variation in landscapes. Take turns thanking God for His blessings. Be specific. Nothing is too small or too big. Change IN // Group Activity 10 minutes Spend time in prayer for the nations. Pray that there would be revival around the world as people from every tribe and tongue, people and nation would be drawn to the Savior. Pray for missionaries who are discouraged because they are not seeing the fruit of their labors. Pray for God to raise up Bible translators who can accurately translate the Word. Pray for the finances of those raising support to go to unreached peoples.

Aaron Keyes preaching through Psalm 51 King David was called a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13). He experienced heights–and depths–in his relationship with God that most can only imagine, and in Psalm 51 we see the key: David was a mighty sinner, but he knew God well enough to know that he had a mighty Savior. In this story of David’s colossal failure and desperate brokenness, we find incredible hope for our lives today. We too may have blown it, but none of us has gone as far as David. And if there’s hope for a mighty sinner like David, there’s hope for us too. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Psalms: For a Clean Heart // Psalm 51 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so catching up and socializing with one another. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes When David wrote Psalm 51, he was going to the Lord and seeking mercy for the decisions in his life. He had been confronted by the prophet Nathan about committing adultery with Bathsheba. In addition to this sin, David caused the death of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. Here, in Psalm 51, we see David’s attitude toward God as he deals with the guilt of his sin. David was a mighty sinner but he was also a mighty repenter. David does not seek to defend his actions for they are indefensible (as are our sins). Rather, David takes ownership for his sin and seeks mercy from a loving God. David admits his guilt and seeks the cleansing that only God can impart. David understands that his sin is a sin against God and that God’s judgment is right and just. David cries out not only for cleansing, but for renewal. So what do we do with our guilt, shame and fear and our brokenness? We were challenged today to be reminded that even in our sin, God has blotted out our past through Jesus to create a new future for us. That withholding confession is just delaying our own joy, and that the mistakes of our lives do not disqualify us from living the life God has dreamed for us. We can humble ourselves so God can bring the healing. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. Removal is the pathway to renewal. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): Sin deserves judgement and David needed mercy. Why did David need to repent? Where was his hope for repentance? What parts of Aaron’s message struck you the most? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Where are places in your life that are broken and need to be named? What are some things that are being covered in the Fog? Are there things you are projecting in your own life that is creating a certain perspective that skews the way you are perceiving your own reality and others around you? What would it look like for you to own your sin? How do you believe God views your sin? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Is there someone around you that is walking through brokenness that might need you to speak into their lives like Nathan did with David? What might you need to say to them? What might it look like to believe that God believes for the best for all of us no matter what we have done? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes Take some time to look into your own heart. Where are places of sin that you might need to name? Write them on a sheet of paper and then in an act of repentance bring them before God. Crumble the paper and throw it in the trash. Change IN // Group Activity 10 minutes One of the things we learned this week is that authenticity is important in creating community. We don’t need to struggle alone. Everyone needs people to help them in their struggles and successes. Share a struggle and a success you are walking in this season.

More than 1,600 years ago, St. Augustine famously wrote in his Confessions: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” And yet… If you’ve walked with God for more than a few years, you can likely remember times when your heart sought its rest in God only to discover that God seemed distant or even absent. (You might be in one of those times right now!) Sometimes, we know there are reasons for the distance, whether due to our own disregard or disobedience. But other times we can’t explain it. Why does it seem like God is far off? What does it mean? What do we do about it? If you’ve ever asked these kinds of questions, you’re not alone. In fact, Psalm 42/43 not only asks these deep questions of the soul but also suggests—surprisingly—that the way into the deeper waters of God may, in fact, go through drought. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: Psalms: For the Soul’s Deep Thirst // Psalm 42 and 43 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes The questions in the drought can lead us to the deluge of truth. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes More than 1,600 years ago, St. Augustine famously wrote in his Confessions: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” And yet… If you’ve walked with God for more than a few years, you can likely remember times when your heart sought its rest in God only to discover that God seemed distant or even absent. (You might be in one of those times right now!) Sometimes, we know there are reasons for the distance, whether due to our own disregard or disobedience. Mother Teresa is a telling example of someone who struggled through dry seasons but grew deeper roots in God. Psalm 42/43 not only asks deep questions of the soul but also suggests—surprisingly—that the way into the deeper waters of God may, in fact, go through drought. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. In the fear of God, we find freedom from the fear of all else. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What is making the deer thirsty? Why do you think the Psalmist is drawn to the metaphor of a panting deer? What do you think is happening in his soul as the picture goes from longing and thirst to the deluge of the breakers? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Have you ever thirsted for something like the deer in the Psalm? What awakens your awareness of the longings in your soul? How have you tried to get longings fulfilled? How have you found truth on the other side of drought? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What do you need to say to your own soul in response to God’s invitation to know him in a deeper way? Who around you needs direction to the source of living water? We can’t take someone’s longing so how can we share the burden? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes Read a Psalm this week and take at least 5 minutes to write down your feelings toward yourself and God. Think of a picture that represents your relationship with God and write about it. Change IN // Group Activity 10 minutes Share your longing. What are you believing God for that you haven’t seen answered yet? Pray for each other to find deeper roots in God while he deals with your longing. Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 5 minutes Ask God to bring to mind 8-10 people who you could be praying for this week. Or if you have an ongoing prayer list ask God who you need to add to it this week. If God gives you a burden for a particular person on that list, ask how you can help bear a burden for them either through prayer or meeting with them to offer encouragement or just a friendly conversation. CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes

Heights. Public speaking. Identity theft. Terrorism. Snakes. Hell. Bankruptcy. Death. God. Clowns. FOMO. The list of our fears is long and varied, ranging from the most trivial to the most dire. And in our day, people live with it, exploit it, and try to deny it. But what do you fear? In what order? And what do the Psalms tells us about our fears? This week, we’ll be reading Psalm 34 together, for fears. DOWNLOADS SEE IT // BE IT (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE) Title: For Fear // Psalm 34 ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also, find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out. SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes When David wrote Psalm 34, he was in fear for his life as he sought refuge in the city of Gath. Having more references to fear than any other Psalm, Psalm 34 describes two failing strategies for dealing with fear: the Way of the Lion (vs. 10) and the Way of the Lie (vs. 13). We often either strive to become strong enough or smart enough or wealthy enough to power through our fears, or we lie to ourselves, trying to deceive ourselves into thinking we’re not really afraid. In the end, we are still fearful. The only way to overcome our fears is by trading them for the fear of the Lord. Fear of the Lord involves taking God with the utmost seriousness as the foundation of our very lives. We seek Him (vs. 4) by seeking to know Him and His ways. We taste and see that the Lord is good (vs. 8) by giving up all sense of our own control and replacing it with surrender to God. We sing to the Lord, together (vs. 1-3) because we are not meant to face “many afflictions” (vs. 19) on our own. As we surrender to the fear of God, we experience God delivering us from all our fears. THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion. In the fear of God, we find freedom from the fear of all else. SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes Picture (What is the story saying?): What are the two ways that people try to manage their fears? What are we to replace our fears with? What does it mean to “taste and see that the LORD is good”? Why is community essential to living fearlessly? Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Which of your fears have you tried to manage through the way of the lion (being tough enough, smart enough, etc.)? Where have you deceived yourself into thinking you’re not afraid? How have you sought the Lord about your fears? How do you regularly taste and see that the Lord is good? Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Who around you seems to be in bondage to fear? How could you speak life into them and encourage them to trust in the goodness of the Lord? BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 5 minutes Sing together one (or both) of the following songs on Psalm 34—By Shane and Shane or Jenn Johnson/Bethel. Change IN // Group Activity 10 minutes Share how you’ve tasted and seen the goodness of God. Share specific examples of God’s faithfulness, goodness, kindness, and graciousness to you. Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 5 minutes Pray for anyone who came to mind in the Window Activity. Also, pray for our country and its leaders as they make decisions concerning many of the fears that consume our citizens (terrorism, school shootings, pandemics, etc.) Pray for God’s wisdom and peace to prevail and for people to seek the fear of the Lord. CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week.