How To Practically Benefit From Holy Week

Discussion #2: How to practically benefit from Holy Week Key Message: Christ died for you. You sacrifice for everything else in your life to make sure you are successful at it. What are you going to sacrifice for Christ? Do you realize your eternal life is at stake here? Do you realize that during this week each year, Christ is suffering and dying again and you are going on with your merry little life? Where are your priorities? Are they on the eternal or the earthly? Do you realize that one day you are going to die and Christ is going to tell you this is what I offered for you, what did you offer for me? Do you realize that one day you are going to be standing before the throne of God and all that hard work and time you put into work and relationships and TV will be meaning less? Do you realize that the only true joy, peace, hope we have is in Christ and His cross? Or are you still seeking success or other things, in hopes that someday you will feel at peace? Note: these are not rules or requirements, the point of the week is that you meet Christ, face to face, and that these spiritual activities are going to be tools to achieve this goal. 1. How do you spend Holy Week? a. Watching TV? b. Going to work? c. As if it was any other week? d. Reading spiritual books? e. Meditating on the passages the church has selected? f. Meditating on the events of the week? g. Hanging out with people? h. Emailing/talking on the phone with people? 2. How many of the services do you attend? Which ones? a. All from the beginning? b. Good Friday only? c. Holy Thursday and Good Friday? d. Parts of each? e. Whatever I can make it to? 3. Why don't you attend the others? a. Got other things to do? b. Can't take time off of work? c. Boring? d. Don't really understanding? e. Repetitive? f. Busy? 4. How do you spend the time outside of the services? a. Watching TV? b. Working? c. Normal stuff (there's no difference between this week and others)? d. Email? e. Hanging out?

5. Did you benefit from last Holy Week? Why or Why not? What do you think prevented you from benefiting? a. Distracted with so many other things going on? b. Didn't attend much? 6. What can you do to benefit more from Holy Week this year? a. Attend all services from the very beginning b. Take the week off from work c. Spend the time outside the services meditating on the readings and the events of the day d. Spend the time outside the services reading a spiritual book on what God wants to change in you e. Abstain at least until after the services; spend the time you would have spent eating/cooking in prayer or meditation; turn your hunger into prayer f. Spend time with God outside of the services 7. What commitments are you willing to make for this year's Holy Week so you can benefit from it, learn what God wants to change in you, and allow him to change you? 8. How do you feel about the Holy Week services? What do you think about when you are attending the Holy Week services? What do you do during the Psalms that are sung in very long tunes? a. Boring? b. Repetitive? c. Long? 9. What can you do to benefit more from the Holy Week services themselves? a. Be on time and stay until the end, this will allow you to go through the entire journey with Christ and not miss any part of it b. Learn the long psalms and sing along, meditating on what you're singing c. Bring a journal and pen d. Use the time during the long Psalms to meditate on the events of the day, writing your meditations/God's message in your journal e. Use the time during the long Psalms to read a spiritual book about what God wants to change in you this Holy Week