What we naturally want is often in conflict with what we actually value.

To get what we really want, we must discover what we actually value.

When we discover what we really value,

 we are less prone to settle for what we merely want.

The kingdom of this world cannot give you what you really want.

What you really want can’t be packaged, marketed, or sold.

The kingdom of this world is designed to distract you from what really matters.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 2 Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

^{Romans 12:1–2}

What do you want?

What do you really want?

What’s most important?

But when you discover what’s most important, don’t be surprised if you come face to face with the will of your heavenly Father.

His good, pleasing, fulfilling, perfect, grown-up will for you.

Weekly Discussion Questions

Week 4: Thinking it through

INTRODUCTION

What you naturally want is often in conflict with what you ultimately value. But your heavenly Father knows what you need. He wants for you what you really want. So, how do you put aside those natural wants and pursue what you ultimately value?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Did you have a chance to work through the funeral exercise talked about last week? If so, what did you discover?

2. “The kingdom of this world is designed to distract you from what really matters, and our culture is fascinated with upgrades and experiences.” What are some ways your quest for upgrades or experiences has distracted you from what you’ve determined really matters?

3. Do you think your parents’ generation had an easier time focusing on what they valued verses what they merely wanted? How did this play out in your family of origin?

4. Read Hebrews 11:24-26. Moses was able to distinguish between what he wanted and what he valued. What is the relationship between the “fleeting pleasure of sin,” “greater value,” and “looking ahead”? How did Moses overcome the temptation to opt for immediate over ultimate?

5. Read Romans 12:1–2. Does the idea that God’s will can be characterized as “good, pleasing, and perfect” strike you as odd? Why or why not?

6. Has there ever been a time when you would have characterized God’s will as threatening, unfulflling, and insensitive to the way you are wired? If so, what changed your mind about God?

MOVING FORWARD

The kingdom of this world won’t provide you with what you really want. It will distract you from what really matters. It will rob you of what you value. What you were created for is connected to who you were created by. The way to get what you really want is to surrender to your heavenly Father and renew your mind.

CHANGING YOUR MIND

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. Hebrews 11:24-26