Think about where we are at and where we are going
What's stopping us going forward?
Stuff needed
A variety of interesting looking stones
Talk Introduction
As a change, from our usual discussion time, tonight we're going to think
about where we are and where we are going in our lives and in our walk with
God
We've all had different experiences in life, even as we meet now…maybe
some of your are doing ok, but some of you may be struggling with stuff
There's a bit in the Bible that reminds us of this…
The Middle bit
Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 P600
There is a time to be born and a time to die
There is a time to plant and a time to pull up plants
There is a time to kill and a time to heal
There is a time to destroy and a time to build
There is a time to cry and a time to laugh
There is a time to be sad and a time to dance
There is a time to throw away stones and a time to gather them
There is a time to embrace and a time to refrain
There is a time to look for something and a time to stop looking for
it
What is the funniest thing you've ever done or been to?
Who / what makes you laugh?
What makes you sad? Who do you turn to?
Tell us about a happy time or sad time…
What would make you so happy that you'd "dance"?
There is a time to look for something and a time to stop looking for it
What do you think people are looking for in life?
Answers / happiness / fulfilment
What are you looking for in life?
There is a time to embrace and a time to refrain
Dictionary: Embrace…To clasp or hold close with the arms, usually as an
expression of affection…To take up willingly or eagerly
Who or what would you like to "embrace"?
What kind of things are we told to stay away from?
Too often, if seems that been a Christian is about rules, "refraining"
from doing stuff
In reality, it's about "embracing" God - how can we do this? What stops
us?
There is a time to be silent and a time to speak
What makes you want to shout and scream?
What sort of things should we be making noise about?
Injustice / abuse / environment
Do you tend to let people know about your beliefs?
Do you ever wish you could learn to be silent?
Conclusion
So the Bible is saying there is a time for everything...good times...bad
times...
There will be times when we feel like we want to scream "inside"
or at other
people or even at God
That's ok...but sometimes we get "stuck" and need to "throw
things away"
So I want us to close by asking ourselves: is there something in our lives
that we need to throw away? Maybe that's:
Worries
A relationship that's gone wrong
A friendship
Something that's hurting us inside that's stopping us moving forwards in
our lives or relationship with God
In a moment, I want you to choose one of these stones...choose carefully...choose
a stone that somehow represents something you want to 'throw away'...
[Choose a stone]
Earlier we read
"There is a time to throw away stones and a time to gather them"
If you feel you need to throw something away to help you move on, I want
you to go outside and throw your stone away and as you do that, you might like
to ask God to help you move on, to get over that thing...to
sew you back together...
[Give a few moments to allow folk to go outside]
I'd like us to close by praying for each other
[Give each person a chance to say what they'd like prayer for]