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March 2, 2025
Start Experiencing Joy
In week two of Emotional Regulation, Pastor Chip explores how joy serves as the key ingredient for emotional resilience.
Dive deeper into the message with these discussion questions!
General:
- What weight are you currently carrying in your life—emotionally, mentally, or spiritually?
- Pastor Chip talked about bouncing back from the struggles and burdens we carry. What does resilience look like in your own life? What has helped you recover from difficult seasons?
- Prior to this message, how would you have defined joy? Has your perspective changed after hearing the sermon?
- How would you answer the question: “What is mental health?” What does it mean to you personally to be mentally healthy?
- Re-read 2 Cor. 4:8-10. Paul describes being hard-pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, yet not defeated. How do you personally relate to his words?
- Who in your life demonstrates emotional resilience, even when facing overwhelming burdens? What have you learned from watching how they navigate challenges?
Take Home 1: Paul exhibits what we are discovering in the neurosciences: having and experiencing joy gives us the ability to carry more emotional weight (2 Cor. 4:16)
- Paul says in 2 Cor. 4:16, ‘Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.’ How does this relate to finding joy even in difficult seasons?
- Pastor Chip compared joy to the air inside a rubber ball—it needs air to bounce. How does this analogy help you understand the role of joy in emotional resilience?
- Pastor Chip pointed out that high-joy people recover from hardships faster. How have you seen joy impact your ability to handle stress or difficulties?
Take Home 2: We need some insight on how to make sure to understand and experience more joy
- Pastor Chip said that joy is an emotion, meaning we can’t just ‘choose joy.’ Instead, joy is accessed through certain habits and relationships. How does this challenge the way you’ve thought about joy?
- Pastor Chip laid out three steps to access joy: (1) Gratitude and appreciation, (2) Self-talk and belief systems, and (3) Community and relationships. Which of these comes most naturally to you? Which one is the biggest challenge?
- How can you practically exhibit an attitude of appreciation or gratitude more frequently in your daily life?
- Phil. 4:8 tells us to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, and praiseworthy. How does what you focus on impact your ability to experience joy?
- What are some of the things that you say to yourself about yourself? Is it a “narrative of optimism” or something else?
- How does your self-talk impact your emotions? How might aligning your thoughts with biblical truth change your inner dialogue?
- How does the presence of others in your life impact your ability to experience joy? Have you ever noticed that isolation tends to drain your joy?
- “We attract who we are.” How do the people you surround yourself with affect your joy, outlook, and emotional resilience?
Message Series
E.R (Emotional Regulation)Message Tags
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Teacher
Dr. Chip Bennett
Senior Pastor/Teaching Elder
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