Small Things, Big Difference Week 1 – Discussion Questions
MAIN POINT:
You are how you schedule your time.
ICEBREAKER:
Think of the people with whom you have a relationship—your close friends, your spouse, your parents, your siblings, your children, your co-workers. How would your day look if one of them scheduled your time?
INTRODUCTION:
Two items that you carry around most of the time can tell us more about you than even your friends know—your calendar and your checkbook/debit card. The checkbook is a separate lesson. For this study we are focusing on your daily planner.
Most people start their day with some kind of caffeine—coffee, tea or cola. Some read a newspaper, some watch a news program, others catch headlines on their computer screen. Would your day be different if you spent that same amount of time reading the Bible? If you want to be healthier, you know you should exercise. But if you only spend 45 minutes one day per week, how much healthier will you be? For exercise to be beneficial, you need to spend at least 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week.
Similarly, you cannot be who God wants you to be if you only read scripture on Sunday morning in church. In order to understand what God wants you to do, you must read His word daily. For most days, you schedule appointments, lunch dates and car pools. You may set aside time to make phone calls that are necessary to keep up communication. Likewise, if you expect to hear God give answers to your prayers or to tell you which decisions to make, you must schedule time to read His word and listen for His voice. The key is spending time with God daily and consistently. You need to schedule who you want to become.
ENCOUNTERING GOD THROUGH BIBLE STUDY:
Read Proverbs 8:34-35.
1. How often should you listen to God?
Read Luke 9:23
2. When should you follow Jesus?
3. What would your schedule look like if God were in control of your time? How would it change?
Read Matthew 6:11
4. How often do you eat food? If you are participating in the Faith Promise 21 day fast, how has changing your food schedule affected your prayer life? Remember, fasting without prayer is just dieting!
5. God’s word can also be considered our “daily bread.” Are you eating your daily bread of God’s word? There are many Bible reading plans available to break the task down into manageable chunks. Faith Promise is currently following a plan to read the entire Bible in a year. You can find the plan and read online here.
Read 2 Timothy 2:15
6. What are two reasons to read the Bible daily?
Read Psalm 119:11
7. How can the Bible help your daily life? Can you share an example of a time when you applied scripture to your life and it benefitted you?
Read Luke 4:16
8. What habit was part of each week of Jesus’s life? Are you attending worship services faithfully?
Read Ephesians 5:15-16
9. What does God instruct you to do with your time? How can we put this into practice?
10. Is your schedule working for you?
11. Pastor Chris shared how he now views setting his schedule as a “holy endeavor.” How much do you involve the Holy Spirit in your schedule? Do you pray about or ask God for wisdom in how to spend your time?
This week Pastor challenged us to take the “15 minute Chair Challenge.” If you do not already have a quiet time or devotional time, this challenge is for you! All you need is a chair, a Bible, and 15 minutes. Spend the time reading God’s word, praying, and listening for God’s voice. Do this for at least 2 weeks. The keys are to do this daily and consistently.
