1. How are you feeling about the pace of your life right now? Do feel you have established healthy rhythms in your life, taking into consideration work-life balance, time to nurture your spiritual journey and time set aside to serve others, as well as time for recreation and for friends? Why or why not?

2. Too many people today feel that the pace of their lives is too fast. Always being in a hurry harms us physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. Discuss how hurry has affected you and how it has hurt those you love.

3. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11 (NIV): “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstance.” What drives people to push so hard in life? While ambition is not necessarily unhealthy, it can drive us to feel discontented. What are some unhealthy ambitions? What is the secret of being content?

4. If you were to make a “life’s priorities” list or a “what matters most” list for your life, what would be on it? How can you use this list to help you discern when to say “yes” and when to say “no”?

5. In Exodus 20:9-10 (TEV) we read: “You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me.” Jesus said (Matthew 11:29 Msg): “Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” Why is rest and relaxation so important that it is one of the Ten Commandments? How might you establish a weekly Sabbath? What are we to learn by walking with Jesus?
6. We talk about needing to trust God, but we don’t always think about trusting His timing. We can easily grow impatient and try to fulfill God’s promise ourselves. Discuss the fine line between trusting God and trusting God’s timing with our role in fulfilling God’s promises in our lives.

7. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus (5:1-2 GNT): “Since you are God’s dear children, you must try to be like him. Your life must be controlled by love, just as Christ loved us and gave his life for us as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God.” In trying to move from living an overloaded, hurried, stressed-out life to one that has a healthy rhythm to it, ask, “What is the loving thing to do here?” How can asking that question help you slow down? What do we learn from Jesus’ example in these verses?

8. How have you sensed God speaking to you through this study? What are you going to do about it?

1. In what way(s) are you feeling overloaded right now? Why? What do you think you could do to make your schedule, the rhythm of your life, more manageable? Give a couple of examples.

2. How does our culture get us to think we have no limits in our lives and activities?

3. Read Ecclesiastes 4:8. Give examples of things that drive some people to overload in life?

4. What are some warning lights in your life that indicate to you that you are reaching your limits?

5. Read Exodus 23:12. God tells us to rest one day a week. Why does that seem so hard to do at times? What would taking a day for rest and spiritual refreshment look like for you? What kind of an effect do you think it would have in your life?

6. Why is it that the faster you go, the more margin you need?

7. What’s the wisdom behind regularly evaluating your commitments?

8. How would having more space in your schedule enhance your relationship with God?

9. What are the benefits of living with margin in your life?

10. What are some things (of the things you are wrestling with right now) that are causing you to feel overloaded? What changes would give your life more “room”?

11. Sometimes the commitments we make and the activities we participate in can become idols in our life that we hang on to. Is there an idol or two that could be cut from your schedule or your budget?