Sunday, November 1

Joel: Better Days

Joel 1
Richard Dahlstrom, Senior Pastor, www.spiritsoulbody.org

1. Disorder Happens
2. Collective disorder captures everyone’s attention
3. Times of disorder are unique times of seeking God

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Discussion Questions
Before questions, attempt to give the group a bit of a summary of the main points of the sermon and then choose a few questions that fit your group’s needs and style. We don’t intend for you to use all of these. Three to five questions may be a good number.

• Have you ever had a “very good year”, what made it a good year?
• Read Joel 1 aloud as a group.
• We are reminded this week that God uses every form of disorder to get our attention.
• What has God been bringing to your attention amidst all this disorder that you were unaware of before? 
• Pause to pray specifically over each of these things brought to attention.
• Pastor Richard calls out that as a society “race became a thing, for white people anyways” in the past few months.
• In what ways have you learned more about the relationship between race and American Christianity in this past year?
  
• Note: The aim is to not argue the merits of critical race theory, the Black Lives Matter movement or even the definition of systemic racism; but to discuss how racism is in our roots and what God is teaching us in this moment in time.
  
• How has this learning changed your own behavior or thought patterns? (ex. Pastor Richard’s belief of women in church leadership and the transformation through disorder)
  
• Have you seen the ways that the “normal” level of living (life prior to the pandemic) can have a negative impact on others (ex. impact on creation, certain people groups, personal lives etc.)?
• Reorder requires a letting go of the prior order in order to be moved into something new, or a moving from the center to the edge of the map; how has your map been moved or shifted?
• As we collectively seek God, consider entering into a time of fasting and prayer together as a group throughout the coming week. Have you experienced fasting in the past, are there any suggested ways to engage in the practice that you would like to share?
  
• You can watch as a group, or individually, the following videos to learn more about the practice of fasting:
  
• What is Fasting (5:24 mins)
• How to Fast (4:32 mins)