Talk To Me: Week 3

BREAK THE ICE

Do you think you speak more or less than 16,000 words in a day? Why?

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS

1. How would you define the word “encouragement” in your own words?

2. When is a time someone used words to encourage you when you needed encouragement?

3. Read Judges 6:11-14. Why did Gideon need to be encouraged?

 Judges 6:11-14

11 Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” 13 “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.” 14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”

4. Read 1 Peter 4:11. How would you explain this verse to a friend in your own words?

1 Peter 4:11

11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

5. Tell us about a time someone hurt you so much that it still impacts you? Why is 1 Peter 4:11 so important to remember?

6. What changes do you need to make in order to only speak life to others?

7. Who is someone you know who needs encouragement right now and how can you show that to them?

MOVING FORWARD

We talked about three questions to ask before we speak to make sure we speak words that are helpful. These questions slow things down so you can better think before you speak. Here are the questions again:
1. Is this something God would say to someone?
2. Is what I am about to say to build the other person up or tear them down?
3. Is what I am about to say actually going to help the other person out?
Write these questions down (or type them in the Notes App on your phone if you would rather). As a group, commit to memorizing them. Before you speak, ask these questions to decide if you really need to say them, or keep them to yourself. Next week, talk about how this practice went and how it helped you use your words to speak life over people.