Psalm 42, Psalm 31:10, Psalm 39:2-7, Psalm 32:1-5, 1 John 1:9, Micah 7:1-7, Revelation 21:2-4
Memory Text: Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
What causes depression and how might Christians best address it?
- Is depression the result of lack of faith in God?
- The lesson suggests genetic predisposition and chemical imbalance in the brain may indicate the need for professional help. Can confidence in God overpower genetics and chemistry without medication or therapy?
- Does acknowledging genetics and brain chemistry give excuse to lack of faith? (c.f. Psalm 42)
Does Christianity offer a viable alternative to depression or does it just rename and deny reality?
- How can you hope in God’s deliverance when apparently God let you end up in this fix in the first place? (c.f. Micah 7:1-7)
- What does the SDA view of “The Great Controversy” add to this subject?
- What can we learn from Jesus’ struggle with extreme sorrow and despair on the cross?
How can we overcome ongoing feelings of guilt and sadness/depression, even when we have confessed our sin and done what we can toward restoration?
- Is appropriating forgiveness just a mind game?
- When you convince yourself that God has really forgiven you, is your act of convincing yourself your way of saving yourself?
What are the implications of the lesson’s statement “feelings are not a good barometer of faith”?
