Discussion Questions
You Asked For It - Part 3
You will be hurt in life. It’s how you deal with the hurt that will define your life. When you choose not to deal with the hurt of your past--you empower those who hurt you to bring that hurt into your future.
Our question this week is: How do you heal from hurt?
1. Read Romans 12:14-21. Paul encourages us to bless those who persecute us. Why is it important to respond with blessings instead of retaliation when faced with mistreatment or opposition?
2. Who are we trusting in when we choose to bless and live in harmony and do what is honorable? Why is it so important to put our trust in the right place?
If God tells us to: “not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”, He has already given us the ability to do so. Pastor James shared four things we can do that will help us overcome the hurt.
Choose to not let the hurt take root.
3. Read Hebrews 12:14–15. "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone…See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” These passages talk about the importance of not holding on to hurt or bitterness. What do these verses say will happen when we allow hurt to take root?
Identify why you are really hurt.
4. Read Proverbs 4:23. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. What I love and allow to fill my heart and life will always direct my life. How does identifying the hurt help us to guard our hearts?
5. Hurt happens when an expectation is unmet or when someone we love is threatened. What does your hurt reveal you ultimately love?
Address the problem, don’t attack the person.
6. Read Proverbs 15:1. Can you share a time when you dealt with a difficult situation with a gentle answer? How did it turn out?
7. Read Proverbs 12:18 and Romans 12:18. The wise are angry over what is hurting the person they love. So instead of trying to hurt the person they use their words to address what needs to be healed. How does living at peace bring glory to God?
Give your hurt to God.
8. Read Romans 12:19-21. How does the instruction in Romans 12:21 to overcome evil with good challenge our cultural norms and societal expectations? Discuss the transformative power of love and kindness in the face of darkness and hostility.
9. Read Proverbs 20:22. Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you." God says He will take care of the hurt. In what ways does embracing this truth transform our own hearts and minds? How does it shape our character and impact our relationships with others?