Normal People (Week 8)
In our series Normal People: Living an Ordinary Life with Extraordinary Grace, we’ve looked at Paul’s words to the Thessalonians, receiving encouragement to embrace the normalcy of our lives, allowing the grace of God to do the extraordinary.
Warm-Up: Discuss the thought experiment Pete suggested in his sermon this week: What would you do if you were given $1,000 to spend in the next 24 hours?
We are awake for roughly 1,000 minutes each day. Do you value these minutes in the same way as you would $1,000 you couldn’t get back?
1. What part of your everyday routine is hardest for you to see as meaningful to God? Why?
2. In the sermon, Pete said: “There is no ideal place to serve God, except the place He puts you.” Where has God uniquely placed you right now, and how might He want to use you there?
3. In 2 Thessalonians 3:11, Paul warns against being “busybodies.” How do you understand the difference between being “busy” and being a “busybody”?
4. In his sermon, Pete said that time is a “precious Kingdom resource.” What tends to consume most of your time right now? What are some “urgent but unimportant” distractions that easily pull your attention away from what matters most?
5. Think about the following examples Pete mentioned: family dinners, date nights, serving others, getting to know neighbors, and investing in church. Which “important but not urgent” practice do you most want to prioritize in your current season of life? (feel free to use a different example that applies to you)
6. Have you ever experienced a time when you felt energized and fulfilled despite being were very busy? What made that season life-giving instead of draining?
7. What is one area of your schedule, attention, or priorities that you want to surrender to God this week?
(*Video available after Sunday services)
