Life Groups // Spring 2022 // Week 2
Posted April 29, 2022 — Lincoln Berean
A Heart of Contentment // Philippians 4:4-20
Introduction
This week Pastor Josh walked us through the challenges we face in our everyday lives, relating to conflict, circumstances, comparison, complacency and complaining. At times each of us may struggle with one or more of these issues. We experience conflict with others which causes insecurity, and our insecurity leads to discontentment. Or circumstances in our lives or the lives of others (to whom we compare ourselves) can lead to not being content and thus we complain. What is the secret to being content? How do we cultivate a heart of contentment?
To think through the main ideas in the sermon and prepare for your discussion together, we invite you to look over the questions below and write your thoughts down before you meet with your group.
Warm Up (Suggested time: 30 min)
Here are some suggestions to get your conversation started:
1. How would you summarize the highs and lows of this past week?
2. Share about a time when you experienced contentment despite your circumstances. (Remember that contentment can be cyclical—most of us regularly have to ask the Spirit to bring us back from places of discontentment)
Getting Started
Transition into group discussion.
1) Open group discussion with prayer. Here are a few potential prayer items:
a. For the Spirit of God to lead you in truth
b. For the fruit of the Spirit to be cultivated in your lives
c. For grace to hear and apply what the Spirit says to you
2) Due to the lengthy passage of Scripture this week, try reading the narrative in large segments as guided by the discussion questions.
Study Questions (Suggested time: 40 min)
1) What did you resonate with from this week’s message?
2) Read Philippians 4:10-13. Based on the scriptures and the sermon, in your own words, what has Paul learned about the secret to being content in every circumstance?
Read Philippians 4:14-19. How do these verses relate to the secret of being content?
3) In Philippians 4:19 Paul states, “And my God will supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Do you live in your everyday life as if this verse is true? Please explain your answer.
4) Many times, other things steal contentment from us. It could be circumstances, social media influences, advertising, conflict with others, worry, something that causes us to complain, or _______________. Ask the Lord to search your heart for the things that steal contentment. Would you be willing to share what you feel like the Lord revealed to you with your group?
In what area of your life do you most struggle with contentment?
How does this week’s scripture passage or the sermon encourage you in that struggle?
How can your group come around you to challenge/encourage you in this struggle?
5) Read Philippians 3:8 & 4:4-9. What do you see in these verses that can help when you find yourself in a place of discontentment? (See the Personal Spiritual Exercises for specific applications.)
Prayer (Suggested time: 20 min)
A significant part of “coming together” is being open and honest with our lives. Sitting in a group of people for prayer may be new or it may be familiar to you. If you would rather not pray aloud when it is your turn, feel free to pray silently and then say “Amen” aloud signaling the next person in the group to pray. Whether or not you choose to verbalize your prayer, everyone is a participant in sharing this time before God together.
Take a few moments to prepare a prayer request. What did the message, working through the above questions or the discussion cause you to notice about your own relationship with Jesus? Would you be willing to share your prayer request with the group?
Personal Spiritual Exercises
Just like physical exercises help strengthen and stretch our bodies for healthy living, these spiritual exercises are meant to move us spiritually in ways that may be new so we might experience inner growth. Since God longs for us to experience Him with our whole selves—mind, body, spirit—we invite you along each week to strengthen your souls with suggestions and prompts. Next week in your Life Group, take a few moments to share how either of these exercises may have changed your outlook on your daily life.
Exercise 1: Practicing Gratitude. One sure way to grow in contentment is to practice gratitude for every good thing God has given to us. Every day this week, list 10 or more things you are thankful for, things that brought you happiness, things that might be gifts from the Lord. Try to come up with new things every day. Write them down at the end of each day and share your list with your group.
Exercise 2: Practicing Generosity. One of the antidotes to discontent is generosity. The best way to learn to “get along with humble means” is to empty your hands of something. This week step out in faith in the area of contentment: Prayerfully give something (money or possessions or time) away this week, with the goal of learning to be content in whatever circumstances you are in.
If this makes you nervous, talk to the Lord about the truth that “[He] will supply all of your needs…” (His generosity will always exceed yours.)