1. Something good that happened.
2. Something you learned about God and yourself.
3. Something difficult/challenging that happened and why was it hard.
How has God used affliction in your life to shape your character and address issues of the heart? Be specific. Look for an opportunity to share that story this week. (Practice with a friend first).
Faith Talks
1. Can you identify one point of pain, something current or past that is a point of pain or grief?
2. It is time to write a Psalm of Lament by following the following steps.
⁃ Target your cry: Who are you crying out to
⁃ File your complaint: Tell God what is your complaint.
⁃ Verbalize your request: Tell God wha you desire
⁃ Preach to your soul: Remind yourself of a truth that you need to remember
⁃ Renew your resolutions: Tell God how you plan on moving forward
3. Share you Lament with a trusted friend.
Meet with a friend and tell a story of a specific situation in your life of pain, grief, or loss (past or current).
As you listen to each other, pay attention to spoken or unspoken “conclusions” about God, yourself, or others. Conclusions are belief statements about how life is (e.g. “People are cruel;” “God doesn’t care;” “It will never work out;” “There’s no use trying,” etc.)
Who might be a friend with whom you could interact, to both hear their story and share your story of pain.
