INTRODUCTION
We are in a five-week series where we are using the metaphor of gaming to help us be better Gamers so that we can fulfill our mission to love God and to love people. Obstacles are a constant and annoying part of our lives. They have the possibility to make us stronger, to deepen our dependence upon God, and to do other good things…but most of us would still prefer to do without them, ever! Unfortunately that is not an option for any of us. Obstacles happen. Since that is not optional we can then go to what is optional which is our perspective and our response.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What was your first favorite video game?
What obstacles or challenges were you trying to avoid or overcome in that game?
When you think of obstacles we can avoid them or face them in hopes of overcoming them. What is the biggest obstacle you have been able to overcome in your life?
How have your past victories helped you with current or future obstacles?
Who is a person (whether known personally or not) who inspires you due to their overcoming of obstacles?
Life seems to keep leveling up in terms of responsibilities and stressors. What is a time in your life that you thought you were busy, but as you look back on that season you now know that was a drop in the bucket compared to your current responsibilities and stressors?
Pastor Cory said obstacles can make us bitter or better. Do you naturally tend to gravitate towards getting bitter or better when you encounter challenges?
What can you do to leverage those struggles to make you better?
Obstacles happen. Avoidance is a very real option for many of us. This escape from reality is usually short-lived and often gives our obstacle time to intensify. Avoiding it also rarely eliminates it from our minds and emotions since it is really impossible to totally eradicate our obstacles from our lives. What do you need to to in terms of making a determination to avoid avoidance to engage your obstacles?
Having skewed expectations can make obstacles ever harder to overcome. How can you improve on being realistic about your obstacles while refusing the distraction of delusions?
Our obstacles need to be met by acknowledgement and then it would behoove us to invite Jesus into the process. He will then give us the action steps and the strength to navigate our way through the obstacle. Those steps sound simple, but certainly not easy. Which of those steps do you need to work on most?
Philippians 4:13 says we can, “Do all things through Him (Christ) who gives me strength.” What are your “all things” today? How can we, as a group, help you pray to confidently lean on the strength of Jesus to overcome?
MOVING FORWARD
Obstacles are unfortunately a certainty in life. Attempting to avoid them or circumvent them does not ever do any good for anyone. Jesus wants us to depend upon Him and He wants to walk through every hardship with us. The best decision we can make it to invite Jesus to help us engage the truth of our situation, accept His guidance, and then depend on His strength to make it through the obstacle. One last thing that would also help is to celebrate those victories. That celebration will build our faith and the faith of those around us. One last thought- we have an obstacle-free eternity with Jesus awaiting us!!