Description

This is the fifth episode of a six part book study over "Searching for and Maintaining Peace" by Fr. Jacques Philippe. I am joined by Katie Novitsky and Stefani Blackwell, and we go over chapters 13-18 in part 2 of the book.

This section of part two deals mainly with how we respond after our own failures and faults. Fr. Jacques encourages us to not get too down on ourselves, but rather to try to come back to a peaceful state as quickly as possible. We cannot "fix" ourselves so that we will never fail, but God can certainly grow and heal us so that we may fall less frequently, but we remember that ALL of God's work is done in PEACE. Thus, returning to peace is the best way to truly rid ourselves of our vices and temptations toward sin. This section also guides us on how to make decisions. If you would like more detailed help in this area, check out the series I did on decision-making in November, 2022.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-better-part-intentional-living-for-christian-moms/id1481909779?i=1000584622291

Join us next week for episode 6, where we will discuss part 3..

Episode schedule:

January 21st - preface, pt 1: ch 1-3

January 28th - pt. 1: ch 4-7

February 4th - pt. 2, ch 1-6

February 11th - pt. 2, ch 7-12

February 18th - pt. 2, ch 13-18

February 25th - pt. 3

Discussion Questions:

1. How was your week? Was there anything from last week's discussion that stayed with you throughout the week?
2. Share one quote from this section that was especially meaningful to you. 
3. Is there a particular area that you often find yourself lacking grace, patience, or peace? When you find yourself failing in a familiar way, do you lean more toward being too easy or too hard on yourself?
4. Read over the prayer that is in quotation marks on pg. 58. Which part of that prayer stands out most to you?
5. Ch. 14 argues that our own sins and failures can sometimes lead us to a good. Have you experienced this in your life? Maybe a personality that is both a weakness and a strength? Or a bad situation that led to something good happening?
6. The book argues that spiritual progress isn’t necessarily learning to never fail, but being able to return to peace quickly after each failure. Is there something in your life lately that removes you from peace for longer than you'd like?
7. Do you have a go-to person from whom you always ask for advice when you are making a big decision? Who is it and why?
8. Pg. 74 says it is normal to not always have a clear answer from God when making decisions. Share a time when God’s will has been clear in your decision making or share a time when it has not. 
9. What decisions are you dealing with right now?