THE GOOD LIFE (1 OF 4)

BOTTOM LINE:

The Holy Spirit guides you to the good life.

GOAL OF SMALL GROUP

To introduce teenagers to the way the Spirit works in their lives.

THINK ABOUT THIS

Remember that the idea of “the good life” means something different to everyone—from the rich life, the productive life, the influential life, the free-spirit life. Students may hear that phrase and immediately think it means the promise of good grades, great circumstances, and everything to work out the way they want. We don’t want to leave students assuming that simply following Jesus is the key to “the good life” in terms of what the world promises. Rather, we want to make the distinction that this “good life”—the real “good life”—is about the work the Spirit does in us as we follow God with our lives.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

1. What are some areas in your life where you tend to operate on auto pilot?
2. Describe getting ready for school on auto pilot. Now describe how you would get ready for school if you were fully present, and aware of everything around you. What are some of the main differences?
3. How would you describe what it means to live the good life? Is the good life more like an auto pilot life or a fully alive life?
4. How has the way you define the good life changed since you’ve been in high school? How do you imagine it might change after high school?
5. How does living on auto pilot threaten your ability to live the good life?
6. When you hear the term, “Holy Spirit,” what comes to mind?Leader Note: SGL, connect students back to the idea of the Holy Spirit here. Say something like, “Everything we talk about today is connected to the Holy Spirit. Let’s talk a little bit more about that together.”
7. How might the Holy Spirit help you pursue the good life?
8. Look back at Paul’s list in Galatians 5:22-23. Which of these things do you wish you were experiencing more of in your life?
9. How might those things contribute to helping you live the good life?

TRY THIS
Challenge your students to pick a routine area of life where they are prone to living on auto pilot and have them write down details they don’t usually pay attention to in that area. Challenge them to live “fully aware” the next time they have that experience.