Chapter 7—LET YOUR DESIRES LEAD YOU TO GOD
1) Ortberg speaks about how God made us with desires—Material, Achievement, Relational, and physical desires and there is a definite pattern to your desires. Do you see a definite pattern to your desires? Share if willing.
Chapter 8—THINK GREAT THOUGHTS
2) I love Ortberg’s skunk under the house story. He puts it clearly- “you cannot get rid of the skunk odor without getting rid of the skunk.” It is a great metaphor for thinking about this chapter. He writes “our feelings never descend on us at random. As a general rule, our emotions flow out of our thoughts.” Agree or disagree with this statement?
3) Reflect and comment on the statement- “the way we live will inevitably be a reflection of the way we think. True change always begins in the mind.”
4) The spiritual life is about paying attention to our thoughts. Ortberg says we need to remember to “monitor the mind”- take any thought and ask, “what direction do those thoughts lead me in? Are they leading me toward life- toward God’s best version of me or in another direction?
Do you find that simple question helpful? Are there other questions you can think of that would help “monitor” your thoughts?
Do you believe its possible for you, personally, to adjust thoughts that are not leading to life as Ortberg suggests?
Chapter 9—FEED YOUR MIND WITH EXCELLENCE
5) How are you feeding your “mind” right now? From your experience, what has helped “feed your mind so that it flourishes”?
CHAPTER 10- NEVER WORRY ALONE
6) Ortberg reminds us that we are not meant to worry alone. Have you ever had someone who was a “non-anxious presence” for you? (in the past? Current?) How did that help you on your journey?
Looking ahead- next week I will post discussion starters for part 4 of the book (chapters 11-14)
