Soul Repair Study Guide
February 27 – March 20, 2022
Week 1: Soul Repair || I’m Spiritually Dry
Group Discussion
- How is your soul feeling this week? Perhaps your soul is rejoicing, or troubled, grieved, or weary… try to discern and share with the group how your soul is feeling.
- What Bible verse(s) encourage you when you’re experiencing a season of “spiritual dryness?” As a group, you may wish to read and consider Psalm 23. Are there words or phrases within this that resonate with how your soul is feeling right now?
- What practices have you found helpful for keeping your soul healthy? For instance, perhaps you’ve set intentional boundaries in some areas of your life; maybe you have a habit of spending time with God through prayer or Bible reading; or maybe your daily exercise or commuting time offers an opportunity to refresh. What are some practical ways you can prioritize your soul’s health over the next few weeks?
Prayer Time
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Invite each group member to name something specific that has caused them to feel weary or burdened (it’s okay if not everyone chooses to share at this time), and then spend time in prayer together thanking God for His promise that Jesus will give us the rest we need.
Week 2: Soul Repair || I’m Disconnected
Group Discussion
- What’s one thing about this week’s message that stood out to you as something you needed to hear?
- Think about a time when you’ve been lonely – either because you were physically isolated, or because you felt like an outsider in a group of people. How did it feel? What was the hardest part of that experience?
- Solitude is a gift from God; Isolation is not. How have you experienced solitude? Why do you think solitude can cause us to grow closer to God?
Prayer Time
In 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Paul writes:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. “
Invite each group member to think of someone he/she knows who needs to experience God’s comfort, or a stronger sense of connection with others. As a group, pray for those specific individuals to feel God’s care and presence in their lives. Pray also for one another to be aware and ready for opportunities to share God’s love in meaningful ways.
Week 3: Soul Repair || I’m Depressed
Group Discussion
- There’s a myth that once you become a Christian, suffering goes away and life is easier. Sometimes people assume God’s peace, power, and protection should prevent us from ever feeling anxious, depressed, or afraid. But depression and other mental health issues affect both Christians and non-Christians alike. Who do you know that has been impacted by depression? What does that look like for you and/or for them?
- When you come across someone who is wrestling with depression, how do you respond?
- Reflecting on the message this week: What’s one thing you can do to be more loving toward people struggling with depression?
Prayer Time
There may be someone in your group who specifically needs prayer over this area of his/her life this week. Our human nature doesn’t want us to acknowledge we need help, but scripture invites us to go to Him with prayer when we are anxious or discouraged.
Read Philippians 4:6-7 together:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“
Share in a time of prayer, thanking God for His faithfulness, mercy, and love, and asking for His peace and protection over those who are struggling with seen or unseen anxieties.
Week 4: Soul Repair || I’m Feeling Like a Failure
Group Discussion
- The Bible is full of stories of people who failed. Name and consider a couple of these “epic fails” with your group. Why do you think the Bible is filled with examples like this?
- Share an example from your own life when something that seemed like a failure turned out to be an opportunity to “fall up.”
- Expectations – our own, or others’ of us – sometimes contribute to our feeling like a failure. How does Jesus’ relationship with Peter teach us to understand how we might overcome our feelings of failure by a renewed understanding of our identity and purpose in and through Christ?
Prayer Time
Romans 3:23-24 (New Living Translation)
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.“
“Rescued people rescue people” was a key point from this message. If you are a follower of Jesus, from what have you been rescued by putting your faith in Him? How are you able to rescue others as a result of that transformation? During your prayer time together, give thanks for how you’ve been redeemed, transformed, made new in Jesus. And ask God to use your redemption story as a way to demonstrate his power and love for others.