Rule of Life Week 1: Trellis

💬 Icebreaker Questions

1. If you could instantly remove one thing from your weekly schedule that drains you, what would it be and why?

2. When was the last time you felt truly rested and unhurried? What made that moment different?

🧭 Opening Thought

Begin by reading aloud: “Hurry is not just a scheduling problem — it’s a spiritual one.”

Invite participants to pause for 30 seconds of silence before starting the discussion — a symbolic act of slowing down and making space for God.

📖 Scripture Focus

Read together:

• Matthew 11:28–30 (The Message)

  “Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace…”

• John 15:4–5

  “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”

🪴 Discussion Questions

1. Naming the Problem

• What signs of “hurry sickness” do you notice in your own life or in our culture?

• Dallas Willard said, “Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.” How do you see that playing out in your relationship with God or others?

2. Jesus’ Pace

• How did Jesus model an unhurried life even while doing meaningful work?

• What do you think it means to “walk with Jesus” rather than “run ahead of Him”?

3. Your Rule (or Trellis) of Life

• The sermon compared a “Rule of Life” to a trellis that supports growth toward the light.

  • What does your current “trellis” (schedule, habits, relationships) look like right now?

  • Is your rule of life leading to the kind of life you want?

4. Sunday’s Questions:

• My regular daily Rule of Life/Schedule looks like this and by Friday I am ____.

• My budget by the end of the month ends up typically ____ and I feel ____.

• Is my Rule of Life leading me closer to a life of inner peace and outer margin?