Study 2 - Navigating Wellbeing
Pray: ask God to speak
Read Passage Aloud:
Re-tell the passage in your own words
General Questions:
What stood out to you about the area of mind health?
What were your two top take aways from the two week series on mind health?
What things did you learn as a result of this exploration of the area of mind health?
Specific Questions:
1. Anxiety is described as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. Anxiety is pervasive, not always rational, and can become consuming.
Anxiety creates symptoms in our body and while we have a variety of responses hard wired into our brains (such as fight or flight) our bodies are designed to go back to normal following a period of heightened anxiety. What are the things that have helped you navigate times of anxiety?
2. Zoe referred to a window of tolerance (pictured below). According to the diagram what areas can assist in helping us stay in the "comfort zone?" What is one thing you could implement this week to help you in your situation?
Read Passage Aloud:
Re-tell the passage in your own words
General Questions:
What stood out to you about the area of mind health?
What were your two top take aways from the two week series on mind health?
What things did you learn as a result of this exploration of the area of mind health?
Specific Questions:
1. Anxiety is described as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. Anxiety is pervasive, not always rational, and can become consuming.
Anxiety creates symptoms in our body and while we have a variety of responses hard wired into our brains (such as fight or flight) our bodies are designed to go back to normal following a period of heightened anxiety. What are the things that have helped you navigate times of anxiety?
2. Zoe referred to a window of tolerance (pictured below). According to the diagram what areas can assist in helping us stay in the "comfort zone?" What is one thing you could implement this week to help you in your situation?
3. When experiencing a sense of being Hyper Aroused (or sitting in the top part of the window of tolerance) What are some things you have tried that helped you? What is worth trying again?
4. Depression is a deeper level of low mood, deeper than being sad for a few hours or even days. It is a deep, deep sadness, which can last from weeks to months and or years. A sense of hopelessness, loss of interest, changes in sleep, appetite can change and very often we may withdraw and lose connection. What were some of the ways Zoe suggested we can we help people who are experiencing depression?
5. The idea behind meaningful connection has at its core the ability to reflect back to a person what they are seeing and help them have an honest conversation rather than retreating. Is there someone in your world who you need to have an honest conversation with? In order to establish a meaningful connection - what part could our church or your life group play in establishing this?
6. If you were to rate yourself in the areas Zoe mentioned (meaningful connection, eating well, sleep hygiene and exercise) on a scale of 1-5 (1 being low and 5 being great) where is it you need to put some effort to help you improve.
7. Troy mentioned the idea of Promised Hope being an important one for him. Read Ephesians 1:18-19, where do you find hope?
8. There is power in prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 notes an outcome from prayer that can come. Share a time from your own experience when you have experienced peace. What helped you do this?
9. There was a Spiritual Principle that Troy drew from 2 Corinthians 12:9. What do you do in times of weakness?
4. Depression is a deeper level of low mood, deeper than being sad for a few hours or even days. It is a deep, deep sadness, which can last from weeks to months and or years. A sense of hopelessness, loss of interest, changes in sleep, appetite can change and very often we may withdraw and lose connection. What were some of the ways Zoe suggested we can we help people who are experiencing depression?
5. The idea behind meaningful connection has at its core the ability to reflect back to a person what they are seeing and help them have an honest conversation rather than retreating. Is there someone in your world who you need to have an honest conversation with? In order to establish a meaningful connection - what part could our church or your life group play in establishing this?
6. If you were to rate yourself in the areas Zoe mentioned (meaningful connection, eating well, sleep hygiene and exercise) on a scale of 1-5 (1 being low and 5 being great) where is it you need to put some effort to help you improve.
7. Troy mentioned the idea of Promised Hope being an important one for him. Read Ephesians 1:18-19, where do you find hope?
8. There is power in prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 notes an outcome from prayer that can come. Share a time from your own experience when you have experienced peace. What helped you do this?
9. There was a Spiritual Principle that Troy drew from 2 Corinthians 12:9. What do you do in times of weakness?
Study 1 - Navigating Wellbeing
Pray: ask God to speak
Read Passage Aloud: Luke 15:11-24
Re-tell the passage in your own words
General Questions:
What do you like about the text?
What do you find challenging about the text?
What does it reveal about God?
What does it say to us?
Specific Questions:
1. Ferghal and Troy talked briefly about the 3 R's of addiction being recurrent, rewarding and repercussions that are negative. While it's easy to think of smoking, Illicit drug use and gambling as being addictive, what other things did they mention or what other things come to mind as being addictive?
2. Meaningful connection is a powerful antidote of addiction - how has connection with others helped you in your life? Share a time in your life when you didn't have connection with others - what was life like at that time?
3. When you think of building resilience in your own life there were four things Ferghal noted as being helpful - Exercise, cold showers, eating well and sleep recovery. Which of these could you work on to ensure you are building resilience?
4. Which of Ferghal's top 5 + 1 could you impliment today? To refresh your memory they are 1. get your heart pumping, 2. body shivering, 3. Sky gazing, 4. heart connecting, 5. other serving or 6. being grateful?
Read Passage Aloud: Luke 15:11-24
Re-tell the passage in your own words
General Questions:
What do you like about the text?
What do you find challenging about the text?
What does it reveal about God?
What does it say to us?
Specific Questions:
1. Ferghal and Troy talked briefly about the 3 R's of addiction being recurrent, rewarding and repercussions that are negative. While it's easy to think of smoking, Illicit drug use and gambling as being addictive, what other things did they mention or what other things come to mind as being addictive?
2. Meaningful connection is a powerful antidote of addiction - how has connection with others helped you in your life? Share a time in your life when you didn't have connection with others - what was life like at that time?
3. When you think of building resilience in your own life there were four things Ferghal noted as being helpful - Exercise, cold showers, eating well and sleep recovery. Which of these could you work on to ensure you are building resilience?
4. Which of Ferghal's top 5 + 1 could you impliment today? To refresh your memory they are 1. get your heart pumping, 2. body shivering, 3. Sky gazing, 4. heart connecting, 5. other serving or 6. being grateful?
5. If you think about the passage from Luke 15 about the prodigal son where do you fit in this story? What character do you identify most with? Why?
6. Has your life ever been in a place where you have hit rock bottom? What did you do?
7. Take a moment to imagine God standing at the end of the road and reaching out his hand toward you what do you think he would say to you at this moment of your life? What do you think he would say to you today about the things you are wrestling with and the issues you are facing?