EXTRA! Ideas for Adults – Thrive: Living on Purpose – Session 1

Date: September 1, 2024

Purpose Questioned

The Point: Without God, life is meaningless.

Get Into the Study

Share the following as you discuss the icebreaker question.

Jordan Chiles is one of the world’s best gymnasts. Medaling in both the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics, no one can deny her incredible skills. People can debate which type of medal she should have or how many should be in her possession. Plenty of people are doing just that.

In a back-and-forth series of events, Jordan appeared to have lost, won, and yet lost again the bronze medal in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics. Due to a discrepancy, the International Olympic Committee said that Chiles needed to return the medal so they could give it to Ana Barbosu of Romania. The debate centers around a potential scoring error, and then an appeal is submitted on the floor to correct such error. After fixing it, they determined the appeal was given after the one-minute time allotment. Now, some say there is proof that it was submitted in time. We may never know, and we may not see a simple resolution to such a discrepancy.

Can you imagine working your entire life for a medal, competing at such a level to obtain it, and reeling from the fact that it may be taken away from you due to a debated detail? It would make you feel like all of your work seemed pointless. How would you think if the reward for your life’s work was taken away from you for something that seems senseless? For more information, visit: https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/40839414/arbitration-panel-reconsider-decision-chiles-medal

Get Into the Study [Option from the Adult Leader Guide]

In advance, play a video clip of someone repeating an activity over and over again. Then ask Question #1.

Study the Bible

Share the following after discussion Question 4:

To revisit the earlier situation surrounding Jordan Chiles, she has experienced increasing support. Fans and celebrities have even come to her defense, and people are considering ways to make their own medals to honor her if the committee takes it away. In an unexpected offer, rapper Flavor Flav announced that “he had made a bedazzle bronze medal for Chiles as a potential replacement while the U.S. fights ‘the Powers that be.’” No matter how unique the clock medal is, it can’t replace the one she wanted.

Even though she has received tremendous support on social media, she hasn’t read it because the stress has caused her to disconnect following the event. Her mother has responded in gratitude for her, but she isn’t seeing it because she is so weary from the entire ordeal. You can understand her need to disconnect.

Even if the decision remains that she is the fourth best in that competition during that event this year, have you ever considered how superior she is to everyone else in the world? Most of us would unashamedly admit that we are not even close to her skillset for such gymnastics. If we attempted it, many of us would be in the hospital!

What would you say if you could have a conversation with Jordan to help her reevaluate her success? How would you help her combat her weariness in light of her disappointment?

For more information, visit: https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/40839414/arbitration-panel-reconsider-decision-chiles-medal

Travis Agnew is a disciple of Jesus, husband to Amanda, dad to the Agnew 3, and Lead Pastor or Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. He loves writing about faith and family at travisagnew.org.

Study the Bible [Option from the Adult Leader Guide]

In advance, play a song about life being meaningless without God. Then close in prayer.

Additional Questions

Icebreaker

• What household task feels like it will never be done?
• What are some activities you consider useless
• What “never ending take” would you love to pass on to someone else? 
• What’s the most meaningless activity you’ve been given to do?
• What’s something you get tired of doing over and over again?

Ecclesiastes 1:1-7 

• What are some things we should consider when choosing a path in life?
• Why do some people feel life has little meaning?
• How do people without God cope with feelings of emptiness?
• How would you describe an empty life?
• What do the images in these verses communicate?
• How do you cope when you start to think that your life or work is meaningless?

Ecclesiastes 1:8-10 

• What phrase or words from this passage resonate with you about how repetitive and meaningless life can seem? 
• Why does a sense of futility cause physical and mental weariness?
• How has technology helped or hurt our level of weariness?
• Where do you see evidence that people are experiencing weariness in our culture?
• What are some symptoms of a weary life?

Ecclesiastes 1:11-14 

• How can you be certain that it is God who is directing your life and not you yourself?
• How would you describe the average person who tries living without God?
• What tends to make life feel meaningless for you?
• What makes a “miserable task” a miserable task?
• In your experience, what are some key ingredients of a meaningful life?

For Those in Your Group

Send the following link to your group members as either a teaser before the group meets or as a follow-up thought:

Finding Meaning in Life

Magazine Article

This article complements the study. Share this link with your group members.

Mature Living – The Jordan River Rules

Podcast

Click here for a 20-minute podcast for both the group member and the leader.

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