Controlling Our Thoughts, Emotions, and Actions

Life Group Announcements:

1. Continue to pray for Pastor Joe Houser as he takes extended time off to focus on his health, family, and relationship with God.
2. Men’s breakfast, Saturday, November 3^rd from 7 AM-9 AM in the church café. Please consider bringing a $3.00 donation. Please invite a friend and enjoy the amazing food/fellowship!
3. Last Sunday four people were baptized!

Life Group Questions:

Preacher: Pastor Julian Malotti
Sermon Series: Joy!
Title: Controlling Our Thoughts, Emotions, and Actions

1. In the beginning of the sermon, Pastor Julian made an interesting point about how science proves the Bible true in many ways. One way it does, is through the truth that our thoughts, emotions, and actions are all connected. How we think eventually turns into how we feel and then how we feel turns into how we act.
   
   Go around the room and discuss some ways that you have experienced this truth. If you feel comfortable, share some testimonies from your life of a time where your thoughts, emotions, and actions led you astray. Then, how they led you towards God. If you can’t think of anything, talk about the way we see this truth throughout movies and music.
2. We don’t have to be victims, we don’t have to allow our thoughts, emotions, and actions to control us, rather we control them through the power of the Holy Spirit of God within us as Christians (2 Corinthians 10:5).
   
   How does controlling your thoughts, or as the Bible says, “taking them captive” help renew your mind back onto God? Is it because every action starts with a thought? Does this seem like a safety defense God has given us to help control sinful habits?
3. We learned that there are two basic categories that our thoughts, emotions, and actions can be put into. One of those groups is ALWAYS struggling with sin. It becomes deep-rooted within our hearts (needs spiritual surgery from the inside out by God, not simply a Band-Aid which is a quick Bible verse to heal it).
   
   What are some examples of deep-rooted behaviors and toxic thoughts, emotions, and actions? What are the potential dangers of not dealing with them as soon as possible (think of the example of only praying and waiting on God to do everything).
4. The second category that our thoughts, emotions, and actions can fall into are surface level issues we tend to deal with throughout the day; these can be dealt with by remembering a quick Bible verse.
   
   What are some examples of these kind of situations and what are some good ways to deal with them?
5. One way to protect ourselves and those around us (especially our spouses), is by recognizing our “triggers,” that is, our weaknesses and vulnerabilities to sin and then avoiding them.
   
   What are some common triggers (feel free to share some from your life, or, just some common ones you often hear about, read in the Bible, or see in movies, etc.). What is the danger of not staying away from your triggers? What are the dangers in not helping others to avoid their triggers?

   Now, what are the benefits of staying away from triggers? Helping other to do the same (think specifically about relationships like boyfriend/girlfriends, fiances, and spouses).

   Bible Verses Read Sunday: 

• Philippians 4:8-9 (Main passage)
• 2 Corinthians 10:5