simplify. - Store & Retrieve Data Anywhere · Simplified living requires ... suggested reading. (optional) Prior to meeting, if you are reading Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter

uncluttering your soul

simplify.

Participant’s Guide

a note from the vineyard staff.

Most of us on staff tend to have a pretty positive outlook, but a

couple of years ago we came to a place where we looked up and

believed we had somehow veered off course. The monotony of

tasking had trumped and our joy and fun had leaked. We came to

a place of admitting to ourselves a reality we could no longer deny:

we disliked who we had become.

When you stay obscenely busy for as long as we have, eventually

it will catch up to you. We needed more than an overhaul of our

schedules, we needed an overhaul of our souls.

We wonder if you can relate. Perhaps you, too, have let the

themes of hurry, busy, and no rest mark your life for so long that

you wouldn’t recognize simplicity if it showed up at your front door.

Maybe you are not even sure you want to simplify; sometimes the

noise and motion are comforting, if only to drown out what silence

and solitude might reveal.

Only you know what your pedal-to-the-medal life is costing you

these days, and only you can decide to lower your RPMs. But

if you are willing to do some honest work, allowing the Holy

Spirit to help you, you will begin to shed the layers of madness

that have been preventing you from living a simplified life.

Prepare to experience life in all its fullness, as you live it with an

uncluttered soul.

This study is not for the faint of heart. It is going to take

time to untangle yourself from the current cluttering in your life.

At the same time, simplifying your life goes hand in hand with

discovering new freedom in living out the life that God has called

you to live.

As you prepare to begin, ask God to show you how He wants you

to invest in this study at this stage in your life.

overview.

Welcome to the simplify Participant’s Guide! This is a five-session

study for Life Groups, designed to help you go deeper with God,

and with others. This guide will help you examine the core issues

that lure you into frenetic living, eradicate barriers that leave you

exhausted and establish priorities that matter most in your life!

Each session includes six key components that will help you live out simplified principles and practices:

• Suggested Reading: To help you get the most out of simplify, each session includes suggested reading from Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul, by Bill Hybels.

• Introduction: A brief narrative that sets the tone for each session.

• Conversation Starter: This ice-breaker question at the beginning of each session will initiate a group dialogue.

• Talk it Over: These are questions that are designed to spark a lively conversation with regard to the session’s topic.

• The Challenge: At the end of each group session, The Challenge will help you begin to translate into action the principles you’ve learned.

• On Your Own: To help you live out a simplified life, at the end of each session you will be spurred on to daily Ponder, Pray, and Practice.

Who Can H.O.S.T. a group?

Anyone with a Heart for people, willing to Open their home, Share snacks with others, and use the Talk It Over questions to spark a lively dialogue within the group.

Who Should Be in my Group?

Anyone intrigued by the idea of uncluttering their soul.

How Do We Spend Our Time in the Group?The five sessions in this participant’s guide have been designed for gatherings to last no longer than ninety minutes. Here is an example of a “simplify” Group that meets from 6:30 to 8pm:

6:30-6:45 People arrive, talk, and snack – 15 min.

6:45-6:55 Group briefly shares something about where they are from, and why they decided to join the group – 10 min.

6:55-7:05 Introductory game… have everyone tell 3 things about themselves (2 true, 1 false). Have everyone else try to guess which one is false. Any other interactive, fun game. – 10 min.

7:05-7:10 Read through group guidelines carefully with the group. Answer any questions. – 5 min.

7:10-7:45 Facilitate questions from “Talk it Over” found within your simplify Participant’s Guide and allow others to talk. Being a host means learning the finesse of not being a talking head and drawing others out in conversation. - 35 min.

7:45-7:50 Explain and ask for volunteers for the different roles within the group: Fun Coordinator, Food Coordinator, etc. – 5 min.

7:50-8:00 Break into smaller groups of 3 for prayer – 10 min. Note: In our culture we never “make” anyone pray out loud or “demand” prayer requests. Assess level of comfort for participants.

8:00 Stop time. See you back next week!

tips for groups.

Whether you’ve participated in a Life Group before, or this is your first time, this quick, straightforward overview will position you for success.

What is a “simplify” Group?

A group of people gathering together at the same time each week, for 5 consecutive weeks, to unpack the simplify Participant’s Guide. Groups will meet once a week, at a pre-determined start time and stop time.

How Do I Get into a “simplify” Group?

The Life Group Launch is the best place to jump into a group for simplify!

• On Saturday, January 28th the Life Group Launch kicks off for 7 consecutive nights at the Vineyard.

• It’s simple. You pick one night of the week during the launch that best fits your schedule and arrive at the church with your participant’s guide in hand: January 28th-February 3rd.

• A HOST will help to facilitate you and a few others as you unpack the simplify Participant’s Guide together.

• The first week of simplify groups meet at the Vineyard, then move into a host’s home for the following 4 weeks.

If you miss getting into a group the first week of simplify, it’s not too late! Contact [email protected]!

participant guidelines.

Congratulations on your desire to grow deeper in your relationship with God through this weekly study and the relationships that will begin in this “simplify” Group.

As a member of this group, you will be asked to to make this Group a priority and agree to:

1. Meet together once a week during the series and be cognizant of the pre-determinted start time and stop time. (Facilitated by Host)

2. Discover how to share and grow together with “Talk It Over” questions.

3. Protect the privacy of what is shared within the group setting.

Name: ________________________________________________

Date: _________________________________________________

host guidelines.

Thank you for being a host for a “simplify” Group at VCC. As a host you will be asked to:

1. Be an inviter! Personally invite and welcome people into the group.

2. Create a safe environment of growth in the group by:

• Involving as many people as possible in group dialogue.

• Creating a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment.

• Setting a clear start and stop time.

• Giving responsibility to others such as snack bringer, etc.

• Promoting serving together inside and outside the church.

• Protecting the privacy of what is shared within the group setting.

Name: ________________________________________________

Date: _________________________________________________

session 1

over-exhausted.from exhausted to energized

What if your life could be different?

What if you could be certain you were living the life God called you to live and building the legacy for those you love?

If you crave a simpler life anchored by the priorities of what matters most, roll up your sleeves, because simplified living requires more than just...

• Organizing your closets

• Cleaning out from under your bed

• Straightening your desk drawer

• Purging your attic

• Excavating your garage

Simplified living requires uncluttering your soul.

It requires examining...

• core issues that lure you into chaotic living

• eradicating the barriers that leave you exhausted and overwhelmed

You can stop doing the stuff that doesn’t matter and build your life on the stuff that does.

This study will help you discover key practices that will help you overcome the barriers that keep you from living life “to the full” as Jesus promises in John 10:10.

suggested reading. (optional)

Prior to meeting, if you are reading Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul by Bill Hybels, read Chapter 1: From Overscheduled to Organized: Harnessing Your Calendar’s Power.

introduction.

Simplified living is about more than doing less. It’s being who God called us to be.

Luke 10:38-42 boasts the perfect example of how getting caught up in the small stuff could cause us to lose sight of the bigger picture. The story takes place in the home of Mary and Martha. Martha frantically busies herself in the kitchen to care for the physical needs of Jesus while her sister Mary doesn’t miss one moment of just being with Jesus, at his feet. One frantic, hurried and missing out on present moment living, the other understanding what it means to stop and smell the roses so as not to miss out on treasured moments.

Are you overwhelmed? Exhausted? Far more than you need to be? Is it time to have an unrushed conversation with Jesus, pull up a chair and just spend some time with Him?

conversation starter.

When was the last time you laughed so hard you nearly cried? What brought you such joy?

talk it over.

1. In the space provided, draw a picture of a bucket, with a line showing your current level of fullness. Share with your group why you drew the line where you did.

2. What price have you paid along the way as a result of living with a less-than-full bucket? Sanity, perhaps? Or inner peace? What about time with loved ones or intimacy with Jesus? Share your thoughts with your group.

3. What are the things in your life that are not “life-bringing” but seem to deplete your bucket? When your bucket is depleted, what does your life look like? What are the visible signs you and everyone else around you see when your bucket is depleted? Are you lashing out? Bitter? Angry? Short with others? Terse?

4. What are your streams of replenishment? These are the things that bring you life, joy, peace, laughter, and compassion. Here are some replenishment stream categories:

• Connection with God

• Family

• Satisfying Work

• Recreation

• Exercise

When you are depleted, which one of these replenishment streams seems to fill your bucket most effectively? Which one are you craving most today?

When you’re at the bottom of your fullness bucket you are dangerous. Depletion has to stop.

the challenge.

ACTION STEP #1 // Session 1Take an Honest Assessment

[Leader for this session, read this part to the group:]

The challenge this week is to take an honest assessment because before we fill our bucket we have to take an honest look at where we are right now.

In the journal notes at the end of this session, or on a piece of paper, draw a bucket and put a line to mark where you feel your energy reserve is right now.

Be realistic.

• Are you filled up?• Are you half full?• A quarter full?• Are you depleted?

Don’t lie to yourself. Be honest.

Once you’ve marked your level on your bucket ask yourself,

• Why do I let myself get depleted? • What really drives me, really?

Ask God to give you insight into what’s underneath your propensity to run on empty.

When you are living this way, what inner hunger are you feeding that should be fed in healthier ways?

Is there someone you are trying to please?

ACTION STEP #2 // Session 1Craft A Custom Replenishment Plan

The second step in filling your bucket is to design a custom

replenishment plan that fits you. What are one or two that you can

start tomorrow?

At our next meeting, be prepared to share the replenishing

streams that you started this week!

[Leader: At this point, you end the Talk It Over part of the group meeting and break out into groups of 3 for prayer. The rest of the exercises in this session are for group members to complete on their own.]

on your own.

The goal of this section is to help you incorporate the principles you are learning into your daily life. The three segments – Ponder, Pray, and Practice – may be completed all at once or spread out over the days between your group meetings.

ponder.Set aside time before your next group meeting to reflect on the following questions. You’ll find additional space for journaling on the pages following this session.

Which replenishment streams do I light up to the most?Connecting with God, Family, Satisfying Work, Recreation, Exercise.

In the Mary and Martha story who do I most resonate with?

pray.

On the lines at the end of the session, jot down a prayer to God, asking Him to show you areas of your life where you most desire for Him to fill you to overflowing. Then ask Him to let the flood gates open and replenish you!

practice.

The point isn’t to fill yourself up quickly, but rather, to train yourself to begin the habit of prioritizing the replenishing streams that breathe life into your soul and leave your bucket filled.

There are no shortcuts.

Change begins with small daily steps.

Start now.

ACTION STEP // Session 1Create and Implement Your Customized Replenishment Streams Action Plan.

Pick two things to begin right now!

Introducing: Chair TimeOne way to be replenished is by connecting with God. Plan to spend “15-Minute Chair Time” every day with Him. Chair time means you will use that time to find your favorite spot or chair and spend some time with God. During these fifteen minutes a day in your favorite chair, open the Bible, read it, and pray that God would show you how to apply it to your life. You will be surprised by how powerfully this small increment of time will impact your life.

session 1 notes

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session 2

over-scheduled.from over-scheduled to organized

What do you want to become?

Your schedule is causing you to become someone.Is it causing you to become a workaholic dad, A chronically exhausted mom,A distracted employee,The “heavy one” in the room…?

Or is it causing you to become A devoted follower of Jesus,A responsible financial steward,A formidable prayer warrior,A faithful friend?

Your schedule is causing you to become someone.

The question is, what do you think of who you’ve become?


Prior to meeting, if you are reading Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul by Bill Hybels, read Chapter 2: From Overscheduled to Organized: Harnessing Your Calendar’s Power.

introduction.

It’s a familiar illustration, featuring three simple materials; a handful of walnuts, still in the shell; a quantity of dry rice, and a jar.

The instructions are straightforward: Fit everything into the jar. The assumption, of course, is that everything will fit. As we set about our task, we pour in all the rice and then realize there’s not enough room for the nuts. So we empty everything out and start over, this time placing a few nuts in the bottom and then some rice; a few more nuts and a little more rice; and then the rest of the nuts and the last of the rice. But that last quarter-cup of rice overflows the jar, and we realize we’ve failed again.

Third time is a charm: This time, we put all the walnuts in first. Then, as we add the rice, we gently shake the jar so that the rice fills in all the gaps and every last grain fits. Miracle of miracles, everything has its place.

And so it goes with our lives. When we get the biggest ticket items firmly in place first, everything else finds its niche.


What is the best part of your day? Why is it so enjoyable for you?

talk it over.

Replenishing Your Energy Reserves

1. Have you ever been on the receiving end of a question that feels like an indictment of how you spend your time? How was that question phrased, and who asked it? Why do such seemingly innocent questions cut us so deeply?

2. Far too many people live exhausted, overwhelmed, and overscheduled lives. When you find yourself suffering from these feelings, which of the following triggers is usually to blame?

• Fear: You’re afraid to say no to your boss or spouse or children, and thus you take on more than you can sanely accomplish.

• Overachievement: You derive a disproportionate amount of self-worth from achieving more than you did last week/season/year, or more than what others are achieving.

• Guilt: You’re worried that if you do something for yourself instead of remaining constantly available to everyone else, you might be judged unfavorably.

Something else…?

Harnessing Your Calendar’s Power:Bucket-Fillers bring you life, joy, peace, and energy.

3. Most people shy away from the very bucket-filling activities they need the most, for the simple reason that they’re too busy to engage in things that don’t seem mission-critical in their lives. Can you relate? Describe to the group what tends to get in the way – from a scheduling perspective – of you enjoying the “categories” listed below more frequently.

Here are some examples of “categories” along with reasons that you may resonate with as to why you are not currently engaging in these bucket-fillers:

Connection with God: “I’d love to have a quiet time with God every morning, but I have to be at work at eight, and by the time I get myself going and get the kids off to school, I’m already running ten minutes late.”

Family: “It would be nice to be together as a family more often, but with the kids’ activities and my husband’s travel schedule, it’s not a possibility right now.”

Satisfying Work: “My job is a soul-squelcher that leaves me beat by day’s end. The last thing I want to think about when I finally get home is searching for another job. I keep telling myself that I should just be grateful; in this economy at least I have a job.”

Recreation: “Huh? When exactly is that supposed to happen?”

Exercise: “My roommate gets up every weekday morning and heads to the gym at 6 a.m. I applaud her dedication, but honestly, I need the extra sleep.”

Those who desire to take steps closer to Jesus think differently about time; they understand that without conscious intervention, the pattern of being chronically overscheduled ensures that the priorities they care about most will take a backseat to the urgent priorities of others every time.

4. Sometimes it’s easier to help others overcome the obstacles they face than to rightly evaluate solutions for ourselves. Based on the answers given in question 3, brainstorm ideas you have for how others in the group can work through the things that tend to get in their way and keep them from living replenished lives. Offer your suggestions with gentleness and humility, and be willing to hear what others say about your obstacles.

By putting God first and keeping your priorities on track, you can live out your full potential and experience the abundant life that God promises. You can become the person He is inviting you to become, one calendar square at a time.

the challenge.

ACTION STEP // Session 2Take an Honest Assessment


The challenge this week is to get going first on a God-First Schedule. The first step is not to consider what you want to get done, but rather to decide who you want to become.

What is it for you? Do you want to become...

• A more present spouse?• A more devoted parent?• A more financially responsible individual?• A more grateful employee?• Someone who can take the stairs two at a time

without grasping for breath at the top?• Less of a stranger to God?

Once you determine what kind of a person you want to become, evaluate your weekly calendar through that lens. As you accept commitments and create your to-do lists, invite God to show you how your involvements will draw you closer to or further away from the person you want to become.

At our next meeting, be prepared to share what steps you’ve taken to create your new God-first schedule and how you plan to live it out.


on your own.



Who do I want to become?

What does a God-first schedule look like to me?

pray.

Scripture calls us to “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…” Matthew 6:33.

On the lines and the end of the session, jot down a prayer to God, asking Him to show you areas of your life that He has been pushed out of first place.

practice.

You are not going to become someone fundamentally different until you put commitments on a calendar and live them out.

ACTION STEP // Session 2Write a God-First Schedule.

Begin by asking, “Who do I want to become?” Start with whatever area of your life jumps out at you as the one that needs the most course correction in this season. If several areas demand your attention, start with the ones that create the biggest barrier to a God-first life.

Next, add to your schedule those plans or engagements, and those relationships or activities, that will lead you down the path toward who you want to become.

For example, if you’re wondering why you don’t feel more connected to God then write “15-Minute Chair Time” every day on your calendar. Chair time means you will use that time to find your favorite spot or chair and spend some time with God. During these fifteen minutes a day in your favorite chair, open the Bible, read it, and pray that God would show you how to apply it to your life. You will be surprised by how powerfully this small increment of time will impact your life.

session 2 notes

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session 3

overwhelmed.from overwhelmed to in control

Time and money, money and time: If there are two resources we’re encouraged to steward well,these would be the two.

“Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich,” Proverbs 23:4That is, “know when to quit.”

And so, an invitation: Simply quit.Quit straining.Quit striving.Quit positioning.Quit competing.Quit slaving.Quit running.Quit working so hard to impress.

Today is the day for simplicity.Today, invest your life well.


Prior to meeting, if you are reading Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul by Bill Hybels, read Chapter 3: Overwhelmed to in Control: Mastering your Finances and Chapter 4: From Restless to Fulfilled: Refining Your Working World.

introduction.

The fisherman steered his small boat toward the dock of the small, coastal Mexican town, where a successful businessman happened to be visiting. The businessman, noticing a batch of robust yellowfin tuna in the bottom of the boat complimented the fisherman on his day’s catch.

“How long were you out?” Asked the businessman.

“Oh, not long,” the fisherman replied.

The businessman was intrigued. “Why not stay out longer and catch more fish?”

“This is enough.”

The businessman wasn’t tracking. “What do you mean, this is enough? You could be making a killing out there! What could be better than that?”

The fisherman grinned. “What’s better? Well, let’s see.Every day, I get to sleep late. I fish awhile. I play with my children and take a siesta with my wife, Maria. We go for a stroll in the village in the evenings, have a glass of wine, play guitar with friends, dance, talk with people we happen to meet, laugh…It’s a pretty good life, if you ask me.”

The businessman scoffed. “Listen, I have an MBA from Harvard and could really help you here. You should spend more time fishing, and with your proceeds, get yourself a bigger boat. With that increased operation, you could afford a whole fleet of fishing boats and eventually open your own cannery. You could then move from this tiny town to central Mexico and maybe even to the United States, where you could run an entire enterprise.”

The fisherman asked, “Señor, how long will this plan take?”

“Oh, not long. Fifteen to twenty years.”

“But then what?” the fisherman asked.

“That’s the best part! When the time is right you’d announce your IPO, sell your company stock to the public, become a very rich man. You’d make millions!”

“Then what?” asked the fisherman.

“Then you could retire!” cheered the businessman. “You move to the coast, live life on your terms, and not have a care in the world!”

“But señor, isn’t that what I’m doing right now?”


Describe a time when you spent too much time or money on something and later regretted it. Why did it feel worth it at the time?

talk it over.

Replenishing Your Energy Reserves

1. Respond to this statement, “All we have comes from God’s hand.” What influences and personal life experiences shape your opinion here?

2. Read the following descriptions. Where would you say you’ve spent most of your financial life, as an “A to B” person or as an “A to B to C” person? Given the same two options, where would you say you are today?

A to B “I need 100 percent of my income to get from where I am to where I want to go.”

A to B to C “I’m going to trust God’s wisdom that I can get where I need to be on 90 percent of my income. I’m going to tithe the first 10 percent to Kingdom work, believing there will be increased favor for me because of my faithfulness.”

3. Based on your own life experience, what is the connection between financial peace and peace in every area of life?

Refining Your Working World

4. Which of the four workplace alignments resonates most with you?

• Passion: You love what you do so much that you jump out of bed each morning eager to do it, and you’re blown away that someone actually pays you for the work you do.

• Culture: This refers to the environmental tenor of an organization, the “vibe,” the backdrop against which you live out your passion.

• Challenge: This describes the intersection between the work you do and the skill, talent, and enthusiasm you have to accomplish it.

• Compensation: The fair exchange (monetary or otherwise) for the work you do.

5. What internal obstacles or external obstacles keep you from pursuing alignment in all four areas more fervently?

Your going to spend at least a third of your life at work. Why not look for a job that will meet your passion, culture, challenge, and compensation needs?

What adventure is God calling you to? Trust Him. He won’t lead you astray.

the challenge.

ACTION STEP // Session 3Take an Honest Assessment


The challenge this week is to get honest about our money and our work. This week, we’ll be answering some questions about financial reconciliation, workplace alignments, and actions we can take to simplify our finances and our work life.

To help us begin to think along those lines, let’s answer the following questions with the group:

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = despair; 10 = delight), as you survey the overall landscape of your financial circumstances, how pleased are you with what you see?

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = despair; 10 = delight), as you survey the overall landscape of your job satisfaction, how pleased are you with what you see?

At our next meeting, be prepared to share what steps you’ve taken to simplify your finances and work life.


on your own.



What do I wish were true of my financial situation? What aspects of my money management need the most attention?

How do I feel – really – about my working world? What course of action have I been postponing that I need to seriously consider today?

pray.

Steal away for a few minutes of uninterrupted prayer time. Ask God for His thoughts on the “ponder” questions above.

What does God wish were true of your financial situation? Does He wish you’d be honest in your dealings? More self-controlled when spending on unnecessary things? More generous? Something else?

What does God think about your work situation? Are you at the right challenge level? Are you in an environment that adds vitality to your life or one that drains it away? Ask God for wisdom, and He will grant it. Listen closely as He directs your steps.

Some of you were locked in a dark cell, cruelly confined behind bars…Then you called out to God in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time. He led you out of your dark, dark cell, broke open the jail and led you out. – Psalm 107:10,13-14 [MSG]

practice.

ACTION STEP // Session 3Taking An Honest Look At My Money And Work.

If there are two circumstances that can feel eerily similar to a prison cell, they are (1) financial bondage and (2) an unsatisfying work situation. Read Psalm 107:1-22 in your Bible and answer the questions below:

1. In regard to your money or your workplace contribution, in what ways do you feel as if you’re in a dark cell? What “prison bars” do you wish God would break open for you? What would freedom look like to you?

2. What words would you use to tell God of your trust in His plan, and of your belief that He has good things in store for those who are faithful to His will and His ways?

3. When have you most recently experienced the sensation of knowing darkness and then knowing light? Consider holding on to that clear, crisp image as you journey toward simplicity this week. You were designed to live in the light (see Matthew 5 & 6).

session 3 notes

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session 4

confused.from confusion to clarity

It’s important to order the externals, To streamline schedules and stick to a budget, To take pains to sort out workplace fit.But it’s only half the goal.It’s important to order the externals,But there’s an inner world to unclutter as well.What’s true of your inner world today,That place where thoughts and feelings and emotionschoose to reside?If we could peek inside, what would we find?Tenderness and gentleness and peace—Or egotism, pride, and confusion?Authenticity, vulnerability, and openness—Or outright obsession with what other people think?A spirit of grace, of ready forgiveness—Or bitterness and stuffed-down rage?The externals certainly matter.But the inner world, too, must be addressed.


Prior to meeting, if you are reading Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul by Bill Hybels, read Chapter 5: From Wounded to Whole: Making Room for Forgiveness, Chapter 6: From Anxious to Peaceful: Conquering Your Fears, Chapter 7: From Isolated to Connected: Deepening Your Relational Circles, Chapter 8: From Drifting to focused: Claiming God’s call on Your Life.

introduction.

Life is like a tapestry.

It’s like viewing the backside of a tapestry. It appears to be nothing more than a jumble of thread—confused, tangled, frayed, occasionally knotted, and seemingly random. Nothing really makes sense. It’s no wonder people lose heart, get confused, give up, and abandon their commitments.

It’s only when you turn a tapestry over that you see the artistry: the rich colors, the texture, and the patterns that can make a tapestry a thing of astonishing beauty.

Likewise, God gives us a glimpse at what He is weaving into the fabric of our lives. When our life appears as confused as the back of a tapestry, we ask God, the One weaving it together, to bring clarity to our confusion.

Clarity leads to a simplified life.


When was the last time you got a glimpse of the clarity found in God’s side of the tapestry? How did it make you feel?

talk it over.

For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. 1 Corinthians 14:33a

1. Confusion stems from a lack of peace. Peace busters are forces or circumstances that shatter our internal tranquility. They smash into our lives uninvited. They incite fear. They cause anxiety. And if left unattended, they seep behind our walls and put us at risk of collapsing under life’s pressures when our fears are triggered. Which peace busters most resonate with you?

• Financial pressure• Relational breakdown• Unexpected bad news

2. Confusion also comes from these peace busters:

• Moral Failures: When you cross a serious moral boundary, the wave of fear, remorse guilt, and shame that floods your soul washes away any sense of peace that once resided there.

• Impending Morality: Someday we will all reach a moment when we come face to face with our own mortality, fear, confusion and worry of where we are spending eternity can shake us to our core.

Expound upon how the above peace busters have negatively influenced your life leaving you confused and without clarity.

It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this. Titus 3:5-8 from The Message (MSG)

3. Describe the moment your heart was wrecked by God’s grace. This means, the moment you realized that being a friend and follower of Jesus wasn’t about what you’ve done or not done. It’s not about you trying to climb up a ladder to God only to take a few steps up and fail, it’s about God coming down the ladder in the person of Jesus Christ to meet you at the point of your need. Share how bringing to remembrance God’s gift of free grace helps to bring peace and reduce confusion in your life.

God wants to help you conquer the debilitating, paralyzing, and joy-wrecking confusion and mess that is holding you back.

the challenge.

Refining Your Working World

ACTION STEP // Session 4Make This Day A Defining Moment In Your Life. WRITE YOUR STORY - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly!


The challenge this week is to Write Your Story describing the moment God wrecked your heart with His free gift of Grace.

To help us begin to think along those lines, read the lyrics to amazing grace, perhaps even sing it as a group!

Amazing grace how sweet the soundThat saved a wretch like me.I once was lost but now I’m found.Was blind but now I see.‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fearAnd grace my fears relieved.How precious did that grace appearThe hour I first believed.When we’ve been there ten thousand yearsBright shining as the sunWe’ve no less days to sing God’s praiseThen when we first begun.Amazing grace, how sweet the soundThat saved a wretch like me.I once was lost, but now I’m found.Was blind, but now I see.

Highlight and share what most resonates with you about these lyrics.

At our next meeting, be prepared to share what steps you’ve taken to simplify your life by allowing God to give you crystal clear clarity about who you are and whose you are.


on your own.



Would you describe your life these days as straightforward and simple, or as chaotic, complex, and confusing? Are you satisfied, content and full of peace? Why or why not?

pray.

Spend a few moments praying about God bringing clarity to all areas of your life. As He brings your life into focus, the confusion will dissipate. Where there is confusion, He will bring peace. Even those areas that are difficult for you to bring to the surface because they evoke fear in you, allow Him in to wreck your heart with His free gift of GRACE!

practice.

ACTION STEP // Session 4WRITE YOUR STORY - Bringing Clarity out of Confusion

We trust this exercise will prove to you that prayer and remembrance of how God has transformed your life is a perfect starting point, whenever you feel confused and need clarity. Nothing is more effective than prayer in clearing our minds, cleaning up our hearts, and opening our hands to receive God’s gift of clear perspective about who we are and whose we are. So the next time life serves up an opportunity of confusion and chaos, rather than giving up, pursue God through prayer to find clarity and peace.

Next, consider approaching that confusion head on with God’s help by remembering your story, writing it out (if you haven’t already), and analyzing how your story fits into God’s overarching story. Remember the moment God first wrecked your heart when you discovered His free gift of GRACE.

If you’re unsure where you will spend your eternal season, resolve it now. Move from a season with an uncertain future to a season of spiritual peace and hope. Move on. And when you step into that final season, you’ll discover a level of satisfaction you could never arrange for yourself here on earth – a satisfaction that lasts for eternity. Your days are clearer, less cluttered, and more focused when you view your life this way.

session 4 notes

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session 5

apathy.from lukewarm to on fire

Life, not drudgery, but outright dancing –Isn’t that what we all crave?To live and breathe and move and speakwith fluidity,with certainty,with grace?

“Your revelation is the tune I dance to,” the psalmist says.

Proof that drudgery doesn’t have to be our lot.We really can experience dancing.God is the dance partner ready to lead.


Prior to meeting, if you are reading Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul by Bill Hybels, read Chapter 9: From Stuck to Moving On: Welcoming New Seasons in Your Life and Chapter 10: From Meaningless to Satisfied: The Legacy of a Simplified Life

introduction.

A mom walked into the kitchen one afternoon and found her teenage daughter and her daughter’s best friend sitting at the kitchen table, eating chips and salsa and scrutinizing the friend’s new tattoo. Eyeing the delicate Japanese symbol that was now colorfully etched on the girl’s hip bone, the mom said, “Wow! Do your parents know you got that done?”

“No way,” the young woman said, “and please don’t tell them!”The mom gave assurances that she wouldn’t spill the beans. Then, out of curiosity, she asked, “By the way, what does the symbol mean?”

“Honesty,” the girl replied.

To espouse truth-telling is one thing. But to actually live it out? Quite another thing indeed. And yet the kind of long-term fully-orbed simplification we seek comes only by walking in truth. Jesus said it’s this truth is to know true freedom. To know true freedom, we must know God’s truth.

Ready for the ultimate step toward simplified living? It’s the step of surrender to God’s will. To His ways. To His Word. To truth. It’s to live out a life on fire for God. With a spiritual enthusiasm that never lacks zeal.


What is a favorite verse of Scripture for you, and why?How has this verse encouraged you along the way?

talk it over.

In life we need a light that directs us back to a safe harbor, scripture is that light. The light that ignites a fire in our soul.

1. Describe a time when God’s Word played a significant role in your life during a key decision you made.

2. How much weight do you place on the wisdom found in the Bible—not just at key junctures, but in your everyday life? Are you known as a person whose life is directed by God’s Word, or as more of a self-sufficient type?

Scripture keeps us passionately pursuing God who continuously passionately pursues us.

3. Having a Life verse is critical for maintaining a simplified life. If you already have a life verse, in what ways have you experienced this to be true? If you don’t have a life verse, what do you think about this assertion?

4. How would you be different today if your life verse more fully governed your life? What changes would those who love you clearly see?

Scripture is powerful. And when you have it at the ready, you make a better series of actions.

5. A life verse, helps keep Christ followers “dialed in to the purposes of God.” How would you describe the purposes of God? How consistently do you feel “dialed” in to them?

the challenge.

ACTION STEP // Session 5Discover Your Life Verse


The challenge this week is to search out Scripture and discover your life verse.

We all get distracted at times. I am more tempted by some distractions than by others. For me, work is the biggest distraction. What is it for you? Think through the following “wind chasing” patterns that cause you to veer off course:

1. Physical health and longevity2. Education3. Pleasure4. Work5. Wealth6. Sex7. Fame

Now in your journal or on a piece of paper write the answers to these questions:

• Which path is most likely to distract me from living a life with simplicity?

• What are the things that matter above all else in my life?

Take a moment and write out a clear and concise statement of the satisfied life of simplicity you desire to live.

Open your Bible and pray that God would reveal a life verse that will ignite a passion in your soul and keep you moving towards a satisfied, simplified life. Write it out! Live it out!


My life verse calls out the absolute best in me. It minces no words; its’ marching orders for my life are blindingly clear.

on your own.


Consider what it would take to live out your life, clear out the clutter, and live with simplicity. What are the keepers? What needs to be eradicated? What are the things draining, cluttering, and adding chaos to your life? What are the things that are causing you to leak and veering you off the course that God has for your life?

pray.

Steal away for a few minutes of uninterrupted prayer time. What is it you really want to see God do in the needy areas of your life? What areas of your life have you grown apathetic? God desires for you to passionately pursue Him with your soul. He wants your soul to continuously be on fire for Him. Ask God for fresh, new, creative ways to keep your temperature white hot. He will pour a new passion in you that will be undeniably contagious.

So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:16

Live a life that is ALL OUT and ALL IN to prevent lukewarmness in your spiritual journey. God desires for us to be all out crazy about Him, and to jump all in with our heart, mind, and soul into a life with Him.

You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow His directions, doing your best to find Him. Psalm 119:1-2 from The Message (MSG)

practice.

ACTION STEP // Session 5WRITE A LIFE VERSE and Live It Out!

Life verses often reflect an individual’s story and personality. It’s time for you to write your life verse, whether for this current season or as a rallying cry for the rest of your life.

What characteristics are important in a life verse of your own? • Call-To-Action: An effective life verse serves as a

call-to-action.

• Personalized: Find a life verse that speaks to an area in your life where you need extra reinforcement. Don’t pick a verse that simply increases an area where you’re already strong; look for a verse that supports you where you are weak.

• Short and Sweet: In order for your life verse to serve as an

effective rallying cry throughout your day, it must be succinct.

• Hope-Filled: Choose a life verse that leaves you feeling better than you did before you read it. You don’t need harsh words of truth or conviction repeatedly drilled into your mind through the day. Choose a life verse that is encouraging, uplifting, and positive; one that motivates you and infuses you with hope.

Write it out! Live it out!

session 5 notes

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simplify.

You’ve spent these past weeks doing some heavy lifting of

self-evaluation, discerning what course corrections you need to

make in order to simplify your life.

Simplifying is not merely intended to make your life easier – like

uncluttering a drawer or a closet might. You simplify your life

for reasons that matter for eternity: to give clarity, purpose,

and power to the things that matter most in this world. You

intentionally say no to things that clutter the soul — like a jam-

packed calendar, finances that are out of control, deep seated

fears and broken relationships. You turn away from rabbit trails

that would take you off the main road and distract you from

what your life is really about...

And you say yes to things that matter like family, friends,

community of Christ-followers, satisfying work, and roles

that will maximize your gifts God has given you to further His

Kingdom. This is what life is all about.

This is what fills the void in your soul.

Do whatever it takes to radically simplify your life.

VCCINDY.ORG

Documents

simplify. - Store & Retrieve Data Anywhere · Simplified living requires ... suggested reading. (optional) Prior to meeting, if you are reading Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter