The Gathering
1. Re:FLECT
SESSION MATERIALS
Switchfoot, This is Your Life
SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS (whatever you don’t finish in small group, reflect this week)
What was the most significant idea/question that was shared tonight? What made it significant?
What makes it important to think about these long-term kinds of questions now, as a High School Student?
Ben Franklin said it was, but what makes it so difficult is it to know yourself?
Switchfoot asked it: “This Is Your Life, Are You Who You Want To Be?” Let’s explore that in the three categories that were mentioned in the song.
“Yesterday …” (Looking back)
On a scale from 1 (poorly) to 10 (fantastic), how well have you been living your “dash”?
What’s been going well in your life?
What’s not been going so well?
What lessons might you learn from living your life so far?
“Today…” Who are you becoming?
In what ways am I becoming the kind of person that I really want to be?
In what ways am I not? What needs to be Re:SET? What changes might need to be made?
Identify the roles and relationships you have today in each of the following areas
ME (e.g., disciple, etc.)
________
________
WE (Who are the most significant or influencing people in your life? How are each helping or derailing you?)
________
________
DO (What are all the things you do and activities are you involved in? Evaluate the value of each?)
________
________
GO (In what ways are you living your life for Jesus in the Kingdom of God? …. GO make disciples and seek first His Kingdom)
________
________
“Don’t close your eyes… “Don’t be like Alice…. Don’t close your eyes…” (Future)
What kind of person do you want to be (character) in the future? How do you want that dash to be defined?
What do you want to do, accomplish, or create next year, in the next decade, in your entire life? (Dang, that is a big question for small group time… you may need to take that one home with you this week.)
What do you need to stop, quit, or streamline in order to become the kind of person you want to be or accomplish the things you want to accomplish?
Create a stop-doing list
Doing the same stupid stuff over and over again is insanity, so, what do you need to start doing differently?
2. Re:PRIORITIZE
SESSION MATERIALS
SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS
What was the most significant idea that Rondel talked about tonight? What made it significant?
ReSET Worksheet (you should get one in your small group tonight, but if you had to miss The Gathering, click here and work through this handout after you work through the teach slide deck above). SAVE THIS HANDOUT: WE WILL USE IT NEXT WEEK TOO! Jot your name in the Top/right-hand corner!
Reflection questions (during or after you work on a few of the areas to get started
Evaluate the 2 x 2 Grid: Share some of your actions (sand and water) that are in quad 3 and 4 (not important).
What your the Big Rocks or what matters MOST to you in the following:
ME (You)
WE (with others)
DO (What you do)
GO (Serving In God’s Kingdom)
What are some of the core values that you have in each of the above categories that describe the kind of person you are becoming?
Just for the fun of it, try the following activity this next week. I know, it’s sorta weird to think about. But thinking with the end in mind will help you intentionally live and not waste your dash.
WORK ON YOUR OWN… this next week
Write Your Own Obituary. (“Write your obituary and try to figure out how to live up to it" ~ Warren Buffet)
__________________(full name) was a ______________ (gender) who made it (his/her) life mission to ____________________________________________________________!
(He/she) received a ____________________________ (highest level of education) in _____________ (what field) because (he/she) ________________________________________ (reason for this degree).
___________ (first name) will be remembered for (career and/or humanitarian accomplishments):
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
Four core values that served as a rudder in _________ (first name’s) life were:
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
_________ (first name’s) friends would tell you that (he/she) was ___________________________
(His/her) family will remember (his/her) ________________________________________________.
_________ (first name) loved to: (include hobbies, travels, service, family activities, free time use):
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you contribute to the charity that _________ (first name) cared most about in (his/her) life: ____________________________________________________
3. Re:CALIBRATE
SESSION MATERIALS
SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS
What was the key idea that Rondel talked about tonight?
Explain the Elephant illustration to the group.
What are the four parts of the habit loop? Hope and want to just won’t cut it. The elephant is just way too powerful. You gotta shape the path.
What do you have to do to make a good habit?
What do you have to do to stop a bad habit?
What kind of a person do you want to become? That is most important!
Pick one role in one of the ME, WE, DO, GO categories that you want to work on
ME (You) [a disciple of Jesus, be healthy, finances, learning something]
WE (with others) [Relationship with parents, sibling, friend, teammates]
DO (What you do) [at school, your job, in your sport, in the community]
GO (Serving In God’s Kingdom) [impacting the Kingdom of God]
Identify ONE small habit to get you started:
Pull out a $1 & set it aside for retirement. Seriously. Everybody, do it. Your 65-year-old self will thank your younger self on November 19, 2023.
Read 2 pages of that book today. Then 2 pages tomorrow.
Walk around the block 1x & celebrate. Then repeat tomorrow.
Stay a little longer after the Gathering and make a difference in the Kingdom
Read 2 verses in the Bible. Then 2 more verses.
Talk with a friend and build a trusting relationship so that someday you may be able to share Jesus with them.
Stand on a treadmill or something like that.
YOUR IDEA: What is your small 1 % type of action that could turn into a habit?
How will you remember to repeat your habit each day (shape the path)? How can you use a reminder’s app or something? Don’t forget to set it on repeat for DAILY.
4. be… Re:LENTLESS
SESSION MATERIALS
SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS
Getting Started
If you had to summarize tonight’s lesson in one sentence, what would it be?
Someone recall the 4-step process for making a new habit. Which is hardest for you?
Someone else explain the 4 step process for breaking a bad habit. How might this help?
Diggin’ In
Define reality: How are you doing in each of the categories (WE, ME, DO, GO)?
How easily do you give up either starting a new habit or quitting a bad one? (OR …how much are you like the minor league baseball player wanting to quit after 3 swings instead of 3000 swings when trying to change an aspect of your life system)?
What is working in becoming who you want to become? Share. Keep that up!
What’s NOT working? What needs to be stopped or bad habits broken?
What new habits do you need to get going that will help you become who you want to be as a human being and in Christ?
What do you need to do to better shape the path to make it through any dips and obstacles that will definitely be in your way?
Where do you need to add YET to your life?
Email yourself: go to www.futureme.org
Write a sentence describing who you want to be.
List a habit or two that you want to keep going or a bad habit to stop. Include practical actions (use either 4 step process) that you are going to take.
Set the date in the future that would best be an encouragement to keep on BECOMING who you want to be by adjusting the life system you currently have or hope to have.