Deep Clean

When Life Feels Empty

Review this week’s message.

Key Scriptures

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:15-17 NIV

… “But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols. Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the Lord. “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”
Jeremiah 2:11-13 NIV

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ … You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?
1 Corinthians 3:1, 3 NIV

… Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace … “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. …
James 4:4-8 NKJV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16 ESV

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Galatians 6:14 NIV

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Matthew 5:6 ESV

… “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks 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 4:13-14 NIV

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. ... Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips …
Psalm 63:1, 3-5 ESV

Start talking. Find a conversation starter for your group.

What’s the top item on your bucket list?

Start thinking. Ask a question to get your group thinking.

All of us are sometimes tempted to substitute our relationship with God for counterfeit containers, like relationships, pleasure, knowledge, or status. Which container is most tempting for you?
In order to fill our emptiness, the first thing we should do is repent and humble ourselves before God. Have you ever found freedom through repentance? What was that experience like?
The second thing we should do is draw close to the Holy Spirit. How do you connect to the Holy Spirit in everyday life?

Start sharing. Choose a question to create openness.

Have you experienced feelings of emptiness recently? What kind of impact have those feelings had on you?
What’s one step you could take to either repent and humble yourself before God or draw close to the Holy Spirit this week?

Start praying. Be bold and pray with power.

Father, thank You for desiring a relationship with us. Help us to avoid substituting anything for our relationship with You. Instead, guide us in drawing closer to You every day, finding fulfillment and joy as we do. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.

Want to leave toxic traits behind and find freedom? Take the Deep Clean quiz to get started: www.life.church/mydeepclean
Start the Deep Clean Bible Plan using Plans With Friends: www.go2.lc/clean
Consider how you could love others by serving on the weekend or with a Local Mission Partner.