Message—weathering storms/headwinds & warnings
Week of March 1, 2009

Thematic Focus
There are different storms we sometimes go through in this life. Gain an understanding of how life's storms influence the direction of your life and identify what are the warning signs to look for.

Main Points
·  Storms will happen in life.
·  Others can cause a storm in your life.
·  We can generate a storm in our life.
·  Jesus allows the storms in our lives.
·  Storms may change life's direction.
·  Heed the warning sign of a storm.
·  The majority voice is not always correct.

Summary Points
·  Are there storm warnings in your life?
·  What storms are you facing?
·  Whose way will you go?

Scriptural Lenses:
· Acts 27:1-14
· Mark 6:45-52

Paul faced a storm in his life that was not of his making. Even the Great Apostle was not exempt from life's storms. We will face storms in life. Storms of our making or storms brought on by others' decisions.

Pursuing clarity
Use the following structure to guide your discussion personal reflection and discussion:

Opening Prayer
Take a moment to recognize Christ’s presence with you.

Opening Question
Identify the different type of storms individuals and people go through.

Scriptural Focus
Select a scripture you would like to focus on.

Group Discussion
Use these questions to begin your discussion:

1. Reflect upon the differences between an "external" storm and an "internal" storm.
2. How do storms impact a person's life emotionally? Physically: Spiritually?
3. How is a storm's impact unique to an individual? Family? You?
4. Recognizing that not every storm is predictable, what are some of the warning signs we can look for?
5. Where might these warning signs come from?
6. What are some of the different ways people respond to storms?
7. How do you go about decision-making in the midst of a storm? Who do you turn to?
8. When is the "majority" decision right? Wrong?
9. How can God use a storm to strengthen our lives?

Adjusting Focus
Take time to assess how you face the personal storms in your life.

Is there an area of your life that you are experiencing a storm? Or, perhaps are sensing a storm is brewing?

                        (   )      Emotional
                        (   )      Spiritual
                        (   )      Physical
                        (   )      Financial
                        (   )      Relational
                        (   )      Other _______________

What warning signs have you missed that may indicate a storm is brewing?

                                  (   )     Building anger
                                  (   )     Recurring health issues
                                  (   )     Job cutbacks
                                  (   )     Continuing relational friction
                                  (   )     Deeping sense of lose
                                  (   )     Lose of desire to seek God
                                  (   )     Other _______________

Who will you go to when you have to make important life decisions? Where will you seek counsel when you face storms in your life?

                                  1.

                                  2.

                                  3.

                                  4.

Maintaining Focus
How is God's Spirit prompting you to grow on the faith journey? A step I will take this week to grow stronger in my faith:

____________________________________________

Closing Prayer
Take time at the close of your time together to pray for God’s assistance in the journey. Depending on how comfortable group members feel, here are some ways you could pray:

· Write out a personal prayer.
· Have the group facilitator or a designated member of the group pray.
· Have members of the group get into a smaller group to pray for one another.
· Have several members of the group pray aloud and then conclude.

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