Contemplatives express their love for God through praise and adoration.   181105_001

Text: Psalm 138 (Please read before answering the questions.)

Theme: Contemplatives express their love for God through praise and adoration.  (NOTE: These discussion questions are designed to be answered BEFORE you meet with your Community Group.)

1. (Icebreaker) Think of a time that you were extremely thirsty (or hungry) and be prepared to share that experience with the group.
2. In our study of the spiritual temperaments, so far, we have covered loving God through nature (naturalist), through ritual and symbol (traditionalist), through solitude (ascetic), through the use of our minds (intellectual), through caring for others (care-giver) and through adoration (contemplative). Which of these have you most closely identified with? and
3. From what you heard in the message, how would you describe one who loves God through adoration or (contemplative)?
4. Read Psalm 64:1 and John 4:34. What do you think it means to thirst or hunger for God?  Can you think of a time in your life that you were especially hungry or thirsty for God?
5. Jim shared the story of when David joyfully danced before the Lord in his skivvies. What did this say about David?  Read 2 Samuel 6:21-22.  How did David answer Michal, his wife when she pouted over David’s behavior?  What did this say about Michal.
6. Read over Psalm 138.   What part or parts of this psalm are especially meaningful to you?  Why?
7. Have you ever known a person who seemed to be “so heavenly minded that they were no earthly good”? What about such a person gives them such a label?
8. Read Luke 10:38-42 and John 12:1-11. Do you identify more with Mary or Martha?  Why?  Why did Jesus seem to favor Mary’s spiritual temperament over Martha’s?