Discussion Questions 2 April 2022
Discussion Questions for “Cultivating Courage, part 2: Handling Criticism”
These questions are here to stimulate dialogue about today’s topic – feel free to skip around or discuss items not listed below.
- Think of a time someone was critical of you or someone close to you. How did it feel? How did you react? With the benefit of hindsight, would you react differently now than you did at the time?
- Do you find it easy to express criticism? Why or why not? What strategies have you used, in the workplace, or in a relationship, to share your opinions?
- How can understanding the context of criticism help us to interpret it and assess whether and how we may need to act/react?
- Can you think of any examples of Jesus or others in the Bible expressing criticism? What can be learnt from these examples?
- As Christians, Jesus is our ultimate example of how we should respond to criticism. Jesus’ actions were frequently criticised by people around him, including his own family, friends and the religious and political leaders of the day. How did Jesus respond to criticism? When did he choose to explain himself? What criticism did he ignore, and what reasons did he give for doing so?
- Ephesians 4:29 says ‘Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.’ How does this help us to reframe our conversations and the words that we use to express ourselves? What is an interaction with someone this week that you can use as an opportunity to build that person up?
- Was there anything from today’s topic that inspired or challenged you? Share with the group.
Thank you for coming today and contributing to our discussion !
by: Jinha Kim
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14