[d]Group Questions

1. Read Psalm 139:23-24

2. Brad and Nikole both entered marriage with unspoken expectations (a “contract mindset”). 

   • Married couples: What expectations did you bring into your relationship and and how have they shaped your disappointments or frustrations?

   • Singles: What unspoken expectations do you have of your close relationships? How do these shape your disappointments or frustrations?

3. Nikole avoided conflict while Brad reacted with control, pride, or withdrawal. When conflict shows up in your relationships, do you tend to avoid, control, withdraw, or something else? What do you think is underneath that response?

4. Brad believed marriage would fix his struggles, and Nikole believed the right circumstances would create peace. Where are you tempted to look to another person (spouse, friend, or leader) to give you what only God can provide?

5. Their turning point came when life stopped “working” and they could no longer control the outcome. Can you identify a season in your life where things fell apart and God used it to expose what you were really trusting in?

6. Real change began when Brad confessed and they stepped into honest, Gospel-centered community. What is one area of your life where you need greater honesty or community right now? What’s holding you back from stepping into that?