"Real and Raw: Walking through Anxiety and Depression" Sermon Discussion

During our midweek Life Groups, we discuss applications of the sermon and pray for one another. Here you can find the discussion questions for our series on Anxiety and Depression.

These questions coordinate with our sermon series from March to May 2019: "Real and Raw: Walking through Depression and Anxiety." We are learning that there is not a quick fix, but God is teaching us in the midst of our struggle.

Each week, we will start the discussion asking the following:

What impacted you most from the sermon or passage?
What questions do you have about the sermon or passage?
What changes has this passage prompted in your life?

Why do you suppose that the church has become less “safe” for sharing about emotional struggles?
How do emotional struggles connect with our endeavor for holiness?
How does our need for proper thinking help us to understand the importance of regular time spent in God’s Word?
What are some desires you have this week? Why do you have those desires? How are those desires shaped by certain thoughts and beliefs?
Why might one desire to stop feeling, and grow callous?
How can we think differently to better interpret our circumstances without pretending it’s all just ok?
How does the desire for quick fixes complicate our emotional victory and our pursuit of holiness?

Listen to the sermon here.

Can you imagine life completely empty of God in it?
What are some of the empty and meaningless things of life? Why is that?
What are some things in life that you enjoy most? What would life look like if you found your hope and meaning in those things? What if you lost those things?
How do we handle disappointment?
Would your handling of disappointment change in any way if God was NOT present in your life?
How does the fear of God (Ecclesiastes 12:13) change everything and give us hope, power, and meaning in this life?
Does obedience to God stifle our purpose or fulfill it? How do you see that in practice?

Listen to the sermon here.

What are some ways we try to cope with fear and anxiety?
How do we try to protect ourselves?
Have there been times that you feel that God is absent or just does not care?
How can we find real confidence and assurance in the midst of circumstances in which we face fear and worry?
Consider a recent time that you fretted and worried. How did that help you? What was the outcome? What would you do differently now?
When fear overwhelms, how do we avoid letting it paralyze us? How can we respond faithfully and actively?
How can you prepare yourself now to face your greatest fear when it confronts you?

Listen to the sermon here.

What is the most peaceful and calm setting you can imagine?
Is it possible to be at ease in the face of death and the presence of your enemies or worst fears?
How can God’s authority be assuring and comforting for us?
In what ways do we “forget” in practice that God is our loving and gentle Shepherd?
How might you identify with a helpless and foolish sheep at various times?
Jesus has compassion on people, wanting to care for us so that we are not “sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). How does that comfort and challenge you?
Surrendering our past to God is important. How might we let our past hinder our trust and comfort in God?

Listen to the sermon here.

When everything seems to be falling apart, where do you turn to find strength and help?
How might we have neglected some of the important physical care of ourselves and our bodies?
What personal struggles might contribute to a slope toward depression in our lives?
How might you benefit from a longer “time-out” to spend time with God and be rejuvenated?
How might you struggle in attempting that longer “time-out”?
How can we cultivate a renewed perspective so that we can see our circumstances the way that God sees them?
How can we keep past victories in our sights as a source of strength and hope in present struggles?

Listen to the sermon here.

How can we cultivate an insatiable hunger and desire for God?
How can we redirect our focus from unmet desires to recognizing a greater longing and satisfaction for God?
In the face of insurmountable mountains and impossible circumstances, how can we start somewhere?
How can we come to praise God when we are in the midst of deep misery?
How can praising God turn us around and lift us up to continue through difficulty?
How can we speak gospel truth to ourselves regularly and apply it in our lives?
If we don’t speak gospel truth to ourselves, what other input comes to our minds and hearts? What are we told?

Listen to the sermon here.

Careful, contents under pressure! When pressure builds, what emotions, words, and actions come out?
How can we prepare ourselves before difficult circumstances to respond patiently and gently?
Picture how an anchor secures a boat. What does it mean for believers to be anchored to Christ?
How can we grow in thankfulness when it’s hard to see beyond the pain and struggle?
How do we practice Philippians 4:8 in difficult circumstances without “just grinning and bearing it”?
How do we balance God-honoring ambition and drive with God-honoring contentment and peace?
What does the peace of God look like, and how does that contrast with what we might hope for? How is that actually better?

Listen to the sermon here.

How is a position of desperation an expression of God’s grace?
How is a deeper relationship with God better than an unneedy life?
Consider the moral struggle of the majority of celebrities. We have the same vulnerability! Why is this such a temptation?
How does self-centeredness perpetuate emotional lows?
How is God’s strength in our weakness greater and stronger than if we didn’t struggle with weakness?
How can we genuinely boast in our weaknesses?
How does this shape our circumstances, our emotional struggles, and our responses in their midst?

Listen to the sermon here.

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