Discussion Questions for October 26, 2026
If you enjoy these questions or they are useful, I would like to hear about it! - Pastor Harvey
1. Unmasking Our Pain
3. Resisting the Urge to Isolate
4. Preventing Pain from Becoming Bitterness
5. Ministering Out of Our Scars
If you enjoy these questions or they are useful, I would like to hear about it! - Pastor Harvey
1. Unmasking Our Pain
“In our country we have confused strength with invulnerability—we think that in order to be strong, we have to not have any weaknesses.”
- Question: Why do you think American cultural norms make it so difficult to answer honestly when someone asks, "How are you doing?" What keeps us hiding behind the "I'm fine" mask, and how does wearing that mask impact our ability to heal?
“Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” (Ruth 1:20)
- Question: Naomi did not sanitize her grief or try to make her situation sound pious; she openly expressed her bitterness and emptiness. How does seeing biblical figures bring their raw, unpolished anger and sorrow to God challenge or encourage your own prayer life during difficult seasons?
3. Resisting the Urge to Isolate
“It is one of the base instincts that animals have, and sometimes humans, to withdraw when hurt.”
- Question: When you experience deep hurt, disappointment, or grief, what is your initial instinct—do you tend to pull away from God and others, or lean in? How did Naomi’s decision to return to Bethlehem and position herself among God’s people set the stage for her restoration?
4. Preventing Pain from Becoming Bitterness
“While pain and bitterness may be real emotions, they do not have to be a permanent sentence.”
- Question: What is the critical difference between going through grief and being defeated or consumed by bitterness? Can you identify a time when a past struggle eventually served to refine your faith rather than destroy it?
5. Ministering Out of Our Scars
“I would not be the person you know today... if not for those things. Struggle and grief and scars have made me stronger, more able to help others...”
- Question: How can our own past brokenness and "battle scars" uniquely position us to minister to others who are hurting? In what ways does God use our shared weaknesses rather than our strengths to display His grace?