Exemplar Coaching

Live by Design, Not by Default.

CoffeeChat 43 – The Source

Edition  43

The Source

Last Edition Recap
How have you applied the last edition to your life?
Opening Prayer
Dear Lord, we forget to live in accordance with Your plan for our souls whenever we choose to rely on other things; teach us to rely fully on You. Amen.
Introduction
Watch a small child trip and fall. They get hurt, start crying, and desperately search for their parents. The loving parent runs to them, scoops them up, holds them close. The child finds everything they need in that embrace—comfort, safety, peace. We never outgrow this need. When tough situations make us want to escape from the world, we gravitate toward comfort to balance the harshness. We go to whatever source we think may help. Some find comfort in company. Some find momentary forgetfulness at the cinema. Others go to the gym, shopping therapy, substance abuse. Everyone has a source they turn to in desperation. C.S. Lewis observed: “Everyone has noticed how hard it is to turn our thoughts to God when everything is going well with us… While what we call ‘our own life’ remains agreeable, we will not surrender it to Him. What, then, can God do in our interests but make ‘our own life’ less agreeable to us, and take away the plausible sources of false happiness?” The question isn’t whether you have a source—it’s whether you have the right Source.
Chat Point 1
  1. When you were a young child, to whom did you run whenever you got hurt, and why?
  2. What did the loving parent do when you came to them hurt and crying?
  3. How do you typically seek comfort when facing tough, difficult situations now?
  4. Where do you go or what do you do to counter your tough times?
  5. How effectively does your current “source” actually address your deepest needs?
Read
Psalm 14, Psalm 23, Psalm 55
Key Focus
Psalm 55:22 – “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”
Chat Point 2
  1. What stood out for you about God’s promises in these Psalms?
  2. How does C.S. Lewis’s quote about God making our life “less agreeable” relate to finding our true Source?
  3. When you compare your earthly sources of balance to God’s help, which proves more reliable and why?
  4. Why does God want to be your source in all things rather than just emergencies?
  5. How can we turn to the Lord as our true Source when the world starts getting the better of us?
Final Thought
Choose one word describing how you feel right now: Discouraged. Helpless. Confused. Frustrated. Rejected. Weak. Tired. Scared. Angry. Disturbed. Afraid. Broken. Unforgiving. Hopeless. Hatred. Nervous. Irritated. Hurt. Unsure. Insecure. Struggle. Overwhelmed. Shame. Regret. Worried. Anxious. Depressed. Lost. Stressed. Exhausted. Whatever you chose reveals your need. The Bible and billions of God-fearing people testify that God is THE SOURCE of all help in our darkest hour. Not a source among many—THE Source. Yet we run to lesser wells. Entertainment numbs but doesn’t heal. Shopping distracts but doesn’t satisfy. Substances escape but don’t solve. Even good things—friends, exercise, hobbies—can’t bear the weight of being our ultimate source. They were never meant to. The child runs to their parent not because the parent removes all pain but because in their arms is everything needed: presence, love, security, comfort. God offers the same, only perfect and unlimited. “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” Not might sustain. Will sustain. Not sometimes hold. Never let shaken. This is THE Source offering Himself to you.
My Action
What key insight or learning from this session resonates most with me, and what do I sense God is inviting me to do in response?
Shared Prayer
What are your prayer requests?​
Closing Prayer
Forever Lord, You are the author and sustainer of life; remind us to drink from Your source of grace each day. Amen.
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In-Between Chats: Personal Reflection
  1. What false sources of happiness do you turn to instead of God, and what makes them so appealing?
  2. How can you practically make God your first source rather than your last resort this week?
  3. Write your own Psalm declaring that God is The Source of your life—what would you include?
Edition Writer: Rev Kevin Zondagh

Methodist Minister, Personal Development Specialist, Life Coach, Relationship Coach and Executive Coach. Founder and Owner of Exemplar Coaching Pty Ltd and CoffeeChatConnect. "We should have the desire to custom design the only life we have. After-all, we buy designer everything. How much more should we Live by Design, not by default?"