Praise God & Thank Him: Biblical Keys for a Joyful Life Book Discussion Guide. Suggestions for your book discussion group time:

Transcription

1 Praise God & Thank Him: Biblical Keys for a Joyful Life Book Discussion Guide Suggestions for your book discussion group time: Spend some moments in reflection so participants can take stock of their lives. What are the battles, struggles or obstacles that each one is facing that he/she wants God to come into the situation and help. As the study progresses, use what they learn about praise and thanksgiving and apply this to the situations that they have chosen to focus upon. Each week, give the group members a chance to share experiences from their week. Did they encounter blessings? Struggles? Movements of the heart? At the end of each session allow for 5 minutes of silence and invite every member of the group to reflect on one thing they are going to take away from the session. Some examples: a commitment they are making; a truth they want to remember; or an action they want to take. Invite group members to write down or otherwise record this take away (they could use the My Faith Life feature in the Rediscover: app) and refer to this daily in the next week. Introductory notes: When faced with difficulties, our response is typically poorer than we would like and is often a result of the way we were raised. But what if we could learn a new way to respond to the difficult situations of our lives? The Bible holds powerful keys to see our situations from God's perspective, and it is full of action items that can lead us into a deeper trust in God. In this book, author Jeff Cavins first focuses on what biblical praise is and how you can expand your praise vocabulary in order to face any difficulty life brings. In the second part of the book, he discusses thanksgiving, the attitude of gratitude that is the natural expression of praise. Jeff includes practical tips on incorporating thanksgiving into daily life. "Praise God and Thank Him" will provide a scriptural understanding of praise and thanksgiving, along with how to practically apply both into your own life. You'll learn: How to develop a vocabulary of praise, how to praise God in the midst of adversity, how a thankful attitude can change your day, how thanksgiving dispels fear and anxiety and you'll grow in your knowledge of the Bible as Jeff shares the keys to living a truly joyful life. This book study guide offers questions that are both a study, personal reflection, and helpful for group discussion. We hope that praising and thanking God will become a new or stronger habit in your life.

2 Lesson 1 Part One Introduction & Chapter One: Biblical Cycles Pages: xiii -11, Handout: Develop and distribute a simple onesheet that outlines the discussion group schedule and includes any necessary contact information The Bible is our playbook, meant to provide us with both instruction and encouragement. Just like the Israelites, we tend to respond to situations in our lives according to repetitive patterns. Confession and praise go hand in hand. Praising God teaches us new ways of responding to life s tough times. 1. When you are faced with a tough situation, what is your first response? What do you confess? 2. Instead of declaring, I m such a failure, how could praising God and declaring who he is change the outcome of a less-than-ideal situation? 3. List some ways that the sacrament of confession has strengthened you in times of trial. 4. What lessons have you learned from stories in the Bible in the area of handling difficult situations? 5. How confident do you feel that God has an answer for you based on what you have learned in the Bible, Catechism or through Church teaching? 6. Have you ever thought about how praise and thanksgiving can affect the out come of a situation? What is the typical way people deal with difficult situations? Chose a member of your family and jot down a list of qualities and deeds in that person that are praiseworthy. Chose a psalm of praise from the Bible and keep it in your purse or wallet to read right before you go into a difficult meeting or situation. Start a list of the attributes or deed of God that you can refer too next time you face a difficult situation. Put it in your smartphone notes.

3 Lesson 2 Chapter Two: Biblical Praise Knowing God and His Works Chapter Three: The Many Words and Postures of Praise Pages: 13-41, Praising God is more than merely trite, superficial catch phrases. When we understand who God is and what he does, our praise vocabulary grows and deepens. We can have complete confidence in God he is never arbitrary or capricious. Biblical praise engages both our mind and our heart. Praising God enables us to see life from his perspective. 1. Is praising God something you regularly do? If not, why not? 2. What are some ways that you can increase your prayer vocabulary? 3. Do you sometimes see God as being arbitrary? What might cause you to feel this way? 4. How has God acted in your life in the past that you can praise him for? 5. If you had to come up with your own definition of praise, what would it be? 6. How does your posture in Mass and in private prayer affect you? What posture do you use most when you are praising God? What other posture might you try that would enhance your praise time? 7. What impact would it have on you if at Mass you concentrated on the songs and sung responses and were aware of the concept of kavanah. What would be different in your worship experience? The next time you spend some quiet time in prayer, choose another posture. If you usually sit quietly, try kneeling, or even lying prostrate on the floor. Choose a psalm to memorize in order to deeply embed it in your heart. Write your own psalm, starting with a petition and ending with praise. Listen to praise music in the car or at home.

4 Lesson 3 Objectives: Chapter Four: Praising God in Difficult Situations Chapter Five: What Happens When We Praise God? Pages: 43-56, Praising God opens our eyes to seeing him at work in our lives. When we praise God with our lips, we also need to do our part by our actions. When faced with an upsetting situation, God will always hear and answer our cries for help. When we praise God in the midst of some trouble, we build up the faith of those around us as well as our own faith. When a storm is raging, choose to recognize Jesus to see him through the eyes of faith. 1. Is there a situation in your life right now that is causing you distress? What has been the fruit of your lips in this situation? 2. Are there any areas where you find yourself wearing the wrong garment? How might you exchange a garment of despair for a garment of praise? 3. What are some of the results in your life when you consciously make a decision to praise God? 4. Think of a time when you were caught off guard and literally didn t know which way to turn. What was your response? Did you turn to God, or did you bemoan the situation? 5. Now think of a time when you chose to praise God, even when a situation seemed impossible. What kind of outcome did you experience? 6. Is there a situation in your life today where you are being called by God to get out of the boat? Are you hanging back in fear, playing it safe, or are you living boldly and taking God at his word? Create a list of the great attributes of God and post it in your home Participate in a Holy Hour. Use the hour to praise God for his mighty deeds and read the psalms. Start a prayer journal so you can praise God for answered prayers. Stay a few minutes after Mass to praise God.

5 Lesson 4 Chapter Six: A Biblical Definition of Thanksgiving Chapter Seven: Cultivating a Thankful Heart Pages: 69-85, Praise addresses who God is, and thanksgiving recognizes God for what he has done. Praise and thanksgiving are like bookends. On one side, we have a need and we ask God for help, making sure to praise him. When our prayer is answered, we express our gratitude with thanksgiving for what he has done. Developing a thankful heart is a spiritual discipline. Biblical thanksgiving is independent of feelings and emotions. The Bible tells us to be thankful in all things. 1. Has there been a time in your life where you responded like the nine unthankful lepers? Now think of a time when you remembered to thank God for his goodness to you. 2. Take some time to read and reflect on Mary s Magnificat (page 70). What can you learn from the way she responded to the events in her life? 3. Do you look at everything everything in your life as coming from God? Or are there areas where you forget God, where you act like what Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI calls a practical atheist? 4. Have you developed the discipline of being thankful, no matter what? If you were to journal about something happening in your life where you don t naturally feel thankful or grateful, how might you change your perspective? 5. What are some small things you can thank God for right now? List off ten things you normally take for granted. What can you do to help you be more aware of being thankful for these things? 6. Do you know someone who has overcome incredible odds or has serious challenges in life and yet maintains an uplifting, faith-filled attitude of gratitude? What do you think makes this person so positive, while so many others have so much more and are not content? As you go through your day, pause to thank God for that small, simple something. Look for blessings in the mundane. Be aware all through the day that everything you are able to do and that you have is a gift from God. Take a purposeful moment and determine whether you are living in the moment or dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

6 Lesson 5 Chapter Eight: Thanking God in the Midst of Adversity Chapter Nine: Saying Thank You The Todah Offering Pages: , There is no need that God is not interested in filling in our lives; we are to bring every need to him. The time to develop the habit of being thankful is before adversity strikes. Responding with praise and thanksgiving in the midst of adversity provides a powerful lesson for our children. The todah is still the way modern Israelites say thank you. Thanksgiving bridges the gap between our lives and our faith. 1. Are there needs in your life that you hesitate to bring before the Lord? If so, why? 2. As you look back on the past year, what adversity have you faced, and how did you handle it? 3. Can you think of a Bible story where the characters in the story give thanks to God even in a time of adversity? 4. If those around you tend to respond negatively to challenges and difficulties, how are you able to remain positive and exhibit thankfulness? 5. Have you ever been in a sticky situation like Burt Reynold s character in The End? Did you find yourself going back on certain promises once the crisis had passed? 6. How can you deepen your experience of being at Mass so it can more authentically transform your life? 7. Is there a gap between what you say you believe and how this plays out in real life? Do you see any evidence of acting like a practical atheist in your life? Consciously be thankful for each person who comes into your life today. Give thanks to God for their life. At Mass this week, pay special attention to the many times thanks is given to God. Be sure to participate with your thankful heart. During Mass, pray that the Holy Spirit awakens the congregation to be thankful as they say, thanks be to God.

7 Lesson 6 Chapter Ten: Daily Express Your Thanks to God. What the Catechism says about Praise and Thanksgiving Pages: , Suggestion: Read the steps of the Examen Prayer on page to review. The Examen, part of Ignatian spiritual exercises, is a beautiful prayer encounter with Christ designed to transform us. Gratitude is the way we acknowledge God s blessings and loving presence in our lives. Fear, rejection, or selfcenteredness can blind us to God s goodness. God s blessings in this life are just a foretaste of what we will experience in eternity. 1. How do you typically begin your day? What are the first thoughts or words out of your mouth? 2. Do you find it easy or challenging to list God s blessings in your life? If challenging, what are the obstacles that may hinder you from seeing God s blessings? 3. How does fear blind us from seeing the goodness of God? 4. What role do the saints in heaven have in praising God according to CCC 2642, page 131? 5. How does fasting help you to be more thankful? Name something that you went without for a while for which you are especially thankful for now. 6. Do you think you embrace the truth about giving thanks to God in all circumstances according to CCC 2648, page 132? What may still be a hurdle to you in this area? 7. Summarize what you have gained from this book study. If you find it challenging to list God blessings in your life, take some time for purposeful thinking. Journal about what comes to mind as you do this. At your next family meal together, go around the table and ask family members to share two things they are especially thankful for. Write and send a thank you note to someone who has blessed you recently or call and thank them on the phone. \

8 Fall 2014: Praise God and Thank Him: Biblical Keys for a Joyful Life by Jeff Cavins Discussion guides and other support materials available on the Rediscover: Catholic Book Club page of Listen to The Rediscover: Hour Fridays at 9 a.m. Rebroadcast: Saturday 6 p.m. & Sunday 9 a.m. Listen to any archived show on click on Radio in the top navigation bar Download and share the Rediscover: app Mass finder, customizable My Faith Life journal, 100+ prayers, short articles and videos and more! For iphone, ipad and Android devices