Shaping the Journey
of Emerging Adults
Conversation Starters for Intergenerational Relationships
Christlife Posture: Submitting to God's Love and Leading
Topic: Submitting an Overfull Life to the Lord
Suggested Approach: Choose 1 thing from each of the three boxes
OR Choose 1 from Media or Reflection + 1 from Scripture
Media Excursions (Watch/read/listen and be ready to discuss Q's)
Images
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Which of these three images best reflects your relationship to time? Is there a different image that describes it better? Where does God fit into your relationship with time?
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Poster/Proust (In Search of Lost Time)
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Clock (Running in my Head)
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Turning back time (Project management)
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Video Clip
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Behold (Letters to the Exiles) Look at the instructions below the video that begin: ”take a few minutes…” Observe how easy or how hard this was for you. What benefits might there be in doing this in the midst of your overfull life?
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The Drink for What Ails You (Letters for the Exiles) What things would go into your "drink" (i.e. what things or activities describe how you pursue the cultural mandate)? How greatly do you feel the need to be busy? How does being still compare to doing stuff for God?
Songs
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Breathe (Jonny Diaz) What stands out to you from this song? How difficult is it for you to believe that the lines that proclaim: "Chaos calls, but all you really need..."? What are some of the struggles you have with slowing down to breathe and take in the peace of God?
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Dreidel 1972 (Don McLean) Can you relate to the questions posed in this song: "How you gonna keep on turning from day to day? How you gonna keep from turning your life away?" Now listen to “I Need Thee every Hour” (Fernando Ortega). Use this as a prayer to address some of the stresses of an overfull life.
Podcast Interview (with Transcript)
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The Myth of Multitasking How does multitasking help or hurt the overfull life? When do you multitask?
Articles
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How can I balance my studies with everything else I want to do? (InterVarsity) What did you think of the author's perspective on "balance"? Which of the five suggestions given was most helpful to you?
Video Teaching
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How to do all the things (Hank Green) Which tidbit of advice surprised you? Which piece of advice seemed the most biblical to you? Most unbiblical to you? Which of these tidbits of advice helps you think about how to organize your life differently?
Reflection Options
Journal:
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You probably feel like you can’t cut anything out of your life, but IF you could (with no consequences), what would you like to cut out? What would the consequences be of cutting out or cutting down on that aspect of your life?
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Write a letter to God telling him about what makes your life feel overfull. Then ask for his advice. Spend time waiting and listening for what He might say to you or what scripture He might lead you to.
Quote Response
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Concentration is the secret of strength. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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Just in terms of allocation of time resources, religion is not very efficient. There`s a lot more I could be doing on a Sunday morning. (Bill Gates)
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"Now then, little man, for a short time fly from your business; hide yourself for a moment from your turbulent thoughts. Break off now your troublesome cares, and think less of your laborious occupations. Make a little time for God, and rest for a while in Him. Enter into the chamber of your mind, shut out everything but God and whatever helps you to seek Him, and, when you have shut the door, seek Him. Speak now, O my whole heart, speak now to God: "I seek Thy face; Thy face, Lord, do I desire."" (St. Anselm)
Exercises from the book, Shaping The Journey of Emerging Adults:
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Read “Restoring Life in the Emerging Adult’s Daily World” (pp. 190-195). Which of those challenges most contribute to your life feeling too full. What did you find helpful from this section?
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Read the case study of Sally and Barb (pp. 199-201). How do the ideas of balancing life’s components vs. being centered in the midst of them sit with you? How might that look in your own life?
Explore Scripture
Meditate on one or more of the following passages. Always look them up in context. Take some time to really explore the verse in relation to this topic. How do these verses speak to either ordering your life or thinking about how you steward your time or opportunities? Make a note of what you discover to share later. See "Learn More About Ways to Study Scripture" below for help in getting the most out of the verse.
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Exodus 18:17-21
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Psalm 127:1-2
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Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
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Luke 14:25-33
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James 1:2-8
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2 Corinthians 9:7