“GRUMBLING AND COMPLAINING…”
CONVERSATION STARTERS
Sunday November 1, 2015
Talk about your experience on Sunday morning.
- How did God speak to you this week?
- Did you meet anyone new?
Read Philippians 2:12-18 together.
- What words, phrases or verses spoke to you as you read this passage? Why?
In verse 14, Paul shares his ‘big idea’ of Philippians 2 – “to do everything without grumbling and complaining.” But according to studies, the average person today complains 15-30 times a day.
- Would you consider yourself a ‘complainer’? Why or why not?
- How does grumbling/complaining/negativity/critical spirits have the potential to hurt (and even destroy) relationships? Marriages? Families? The Church?
- How have you seen this happen in your life?
The Apostle Paul challenged the Philippian Church to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” with doing “everything without grumbling and complaining” as the application.
- How can “working out our salvation” and better understanding and believing the gospel lead us to “do everything without grumbling…”?
- Jeff said that complaining and negativity is “not just a word problem, but a heart problem.” What does our grumbling, complaining & negativity reveal about our hearts and what we actually believe about Jesus, ourselves and others?
- How does the gospel challenge our sense of self-entitlement and belief that we “deserve” certain things in life?
In V13, Paul talked about how God works in us to change our desires (to better reflect His desires) and then empowers us to live in a way that pleases God.
- How have you experienced this in your life?
- How does God change our hearts and desires to better reflect his? How might this change the kinds of things that we “grumble and complain” about?
In V15-17 Paul talked about the kind of impact our lives and church community can have in the world if we deal with our grumbling and complaining.
- How can grumbling/complaining/gossip/negativity hurt our witness for Christ in the world?
- How can dealing with it help?
Jeff gave some practical suggestions for dealing with grumbling and complaining:
- We probably complain more than we realize. Ask God to convict us when we do.
- Some of us may need to repent and commit to stop spreading our negativity.
- Commit to “Talking to and not about”. Avoid gossip and go directly to the source/person.
- “Gossip dies when it hits a wise persons ears” Commit to shutting down grumbling/complaining/gossip with it hits our ears by saying something like, “It’s not good for me to hear this.”
- Further commit to believing and living out the gospel, and to let it shape our attitudes and our words.
- What practical suggestion most resonates with you? Why?
- How will you live this out this week? Be as specific as possible.
Spend some time in prayer for one another as a group. Ask God to deepen our sense of gratitude and love for Christ and all that he has accomplished for and given to us.
