TEACHING NOTES

The Disease to Please

How many of you think that you might care a little bit too much what other people think?

Three problems that people pleasers battle:
• You obsess about what other people think
• You’re often overly sensitive to criticism
• You have a hard time saying no

This is not just a relational problem but a SPIRITUAL issue.

Obsession with what others think is the fastest way to forget what God thinks about you

Two Truths we must address:
• Pleasing people is a form of IDOLATRY
• God’s approval sets us FREE from the disease to please

We cannot please everyone no matter how hard we try.

“You can please some of the people all of the time,
you can please all of the people some of the time,
but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.”

You are not what “they” think about you. You are only what God says about you.

Don’t pursue the approval of others…but ACCEPT THE APPROVAL OF GOD.

TALK IT OVER

INTRODUCTION
All of us are constantly chasing something. Whether we are in the precarious pursuit of perfectionism, chasing money and possessions, the approval of other people, or a life of comfort, we all are chasing a carrot. Maybe it is time we stop chasing things out of our reach and settle into what God has for each of us.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. When you were young, whose approval meant the most to you? Why?
2. Have you ever cared too much about what others thought? How did your desire for approval affect you?
3. People-pleasers battle three problems: obsessing over what others think, feeling overly sensitive to criticism, and having a hard time saying “no.” Which problem most describes you? Why do you think you have a hard time with that particular problem?
4. In what ways is fearing what others think a trap?
5. Read Galatians 1:10. If we were to prioritize Christ’s approval over the approval of others, how might that change our lives and our relationships?
6. What are some ways you can stop seeking approval from others?
7. What steps can you take to truly start embracing who God says you are?

MOVING FORWARD
Begin to understand that we don’t have to earn God’s approval or the approval of anyone else. Jesus’ sacrifice secured all the approval we’ll ever need. Embrace that freedom and allow it to transform your life.

CHANGING YOUR MIND

Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” —Luke 12:15 (NLT)