Here were some of the questions we used on Sunday morning, and some we didn’t get to:

CHAPTER 5: THE FIRST SCARY STEP

• Who did something hard this week?
• Alex and Brett say that life is full of scary things. What would be the scariest thing you can imagine doing?
• Pg. 66: “Can you imagine something in your won life that at the time seemed entirely beyond you?”
• Pg. 69: “Fears are usually just well-concealed lies.” How are we believing lies when we don’t do hard things? Make four columns: What I fear. Lie I’m believing. Truth God gives me. Action.
• Pg. 71: What are some of the excuses you make for not doing hard things?
• Pg. 74: “It’s not about feeling strong: it’s about obeying God.” How do our feelings keep us from obeying God by doing hard things?

From the Official Do Hard Things Study Guide:

• Would you say that fear of failure or discomfort affects you (a) not at all, (b) a little, (c) often, or (d) all the time? Talk about your answer.
• Identify the areas in your life where you try hardest to stay in your “cozy little routines.” In each case, what negative outcome are you most afraid of? What very positive outcome might come about if you took that first scary step despite your fears?
• Most of us associate words like faith and courage with positive feelings. But Alex and Brett write that many who choose to act out of faith or courage actually experience intensely negative feelings, such as fear, un¬certainty, worry, and doubt. If you have ever made a courageous choice but felt terrible while you were making it, talk about it. What happened? What did you learn?
• Why might God be able to accomplish more through us when we act in spite of our weaknesses rather than out of our confidence or strength?

Categories: Discussion Questions, Summer Reading '08