Recap

1. How did you look for ways to prioritize giving love and grace to those around you, or reach out to someone who needs comfort?

Main Thought

Almost everyone pursues pleasure: that feeling of happiness, satisfaction, or enjoyment. We’re surrounded by opportunities to pursue pleasure apart from God. Yet any source of pleasure that the world offers (apart from God) will be fleeting, or temporary. Parties, positions, substances, possessions - they’ll eventually end or run out. You might have also discovered that the world’s pleasures are misleading. They fail to meet expectations, and come with costs and consequences that we do not expect. The greatest pleasure we could ever experience is in God. The love and joy that we find in Him last forever, and they’re truly fulfilling. These things remain in every circumstance. Our desire for healthy habits like reading or exercise grow with time and effort; likewise, our desire for God will grow if we’ll start pursuing Him and continue consistently.

Main Passages

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life —is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
- 1 John 2:15-17

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
- Psalm 16:11

Discussion Questions

1. Have one of your pursuits of pleasure ever proven to be fleeting (temporary) or misleading (failing to meet expectations)? What happened? How did you respond?

2. How could you practically pursue God? Why is it hard to maintain those habits?

Apply

1. Pick one habit that might help you experience God more, preferably something that you aren’t already doing. Try your best to do that consistently over the next week.