Summary

This week, Blake Holmes talked about expectations in the spiritual life. He started by observing that life’s greatest frustrations come from unmet expectations. Using 2 Timothy 2:3-6, Blake compared the spiritual life to three things: a war, a race, and a farm. If we properly understand the expectations for the spiritual life that Scripture lays out, we can avoid the pain and frustration that comes from unmet expectations.

Discussion Questions

1. “The spiritual life is like a war: we need the mentality of a solider. We need to get comfortable being uncomfortable. We get distracted far too easily.” What is distracting you from living on mission? Ask your community group to answer this question for you as well. Is your answer and their answer the same, or different? How will you remove one distraction from your life this next week?
2. “The spiritual life is like a race: we need the heart of an athlete. We want to look like an athlete, but we don’t want to live or train like an athlete. We lack discipline.” Do you view discipline as a good thing or a bad thing? In what areas of your spiritual life do you lack discipline? Take an evaluation of your spiritual life this week and determine what steps you need to take and what road blocks might slow you down. Invite your community group into the conversation and have them hold you accountable to the steps of discipline you commit to taking.
3. “The spiritual life is like farming: we need patience and trust. The farmer must work hard every day, but he also must trust the Lord for rain and growth. We hate being patient. The spiritual life is a long obedience in the same direction.” What areas of your life do you lack patience? Identify what direction you are currently headed, what direction you want to be headed, and pick one way you can make a course correction.