Begin by rereading Psalm 90 (it’s a short 17 verses)

1. What did you like about this passage or find interesting? 

2. What did you dislike about this passage or find difficult to understand? 

3. What do you learn about God from passage? 

4. What do you learn about mankind in this passage? 

5. What instruction(s) are given in this passage for you to follow?

Four counter-cultural foundations of success from Psalm 90:

• The sovereignty of God (vv. 1-2)
• The frailty of people (vv. 3-8)
• The brevity of life (vv. 9-12)
• The possibility of fulfillment (vv. 13-17)

6. In thinking about success from God’s perspective, why might a high view of self be a problem? Why might thinking that you pulled yourself up by your own bootstraps and rose above your circumstances be a hindrance to having a healthy perspective on God’s sovereignty?

7. Do you tend to be a goal driven, task-oriented, get things done type of person? If so, are you prone to putting your to-do list ahead of people (their feelings, needs, etc). How can we help goal driven people to seek their dwelling place in God and not in checking off items from their to-do lists?

8. Are you a people pleaser? What is the danger of concerning ourselves too much with displeasing others? Where do people who find themselves with this bent need to redirect their focus? What are one or two tangible things they could do to redirect their focus?

9. How might knowing that we will return to dust or wither like grass help us fight the fleshly desire for fame and fortune?

10. Do you find it difficult to hold loosely to your accomplishments, whether those in the past or those for which you are presently striving? Why is it so easy for us to find our identity and worth in earthly accomplishments? What danger is there in having earthly sources for our identity?

11. “Living in the moment” sounds like good, Christian advice. We often talk about being present in situations. However, where does the worldly advice to “live in the moment” fall short?  Is this worldly advice reactive or proactive? 

12. Instead of living in the moment, what should we live in light of? How might this counter-cultural viewpoint change what you view as successes in your life?

13. Given what time you have left here on earth, what is something eternally significant that you want to accomplish? What has kept you from pursuing this? What is a first step you could take toward this pursuit?

14. Are there things in your life to which you give your time, talent, and treasure that do not have any eternal significance? These may not be inherently wrong things, so is there a way to bring these endeavors into alignment under the banner of God’s kingdom?

15. If you are a parent or influential adult in a child’s life, open Google and type in “number of days until” and then add the date and year of your child(ren)’s 18th birthday. What is your reaction to seeing that number? With the days you have left until that child reaches adulthood, what lessons of eternal significance do you want to pass on? 

16. Culture says that success is rooted in happiness, while our counter culture says success is rooted in an internal joy that flows in any circumstance. Why is our foundation of success more sensible? What are some positive benefits of having an internal joy that flows in any circumstance? Which do you tend to feel more: happiness or joy? How can you be more joyful, and not just happy (happiness depends on happenings)?

17. Pastor Kevin noted that counter culture success is more about our walk WITH God than with our work FOR God. If we are responsible for the trust and obey part and God with the outcomes, then we can bloom wherever God plants us. Do you find being freed from the responsibility of the outcomes a relief? Why or why not? What does this freedom embolden you to do?

18. Pastor Kevin admonished us to not dwell on the “might have been” or “what if in the future” thoughts and miss out on the sweet moments of success God grants you. Do you find yourself leaning toward one of those two camps? How does this manifest itself? What is a Bible verse you could memorize to recall when you are in those “might have been” or “what if” moments that would lead you back to trust and obey?