As with every session of Life Explored, you show the first film, then ask a discussion question. The connection between the film and the question is more obvious in some weeks than others, so here’s a cheat sheet for leaders.

During these initial discussions, it’s not a problem if a guest wants to discuss the film too. They’re designed to set a mood; to provoke questions and speculation rather than offer answers. (That’s what the second film is for.)

Session 1: The Good God
Introduce the first film by saying, “We’re about to see a short film that gives a glimpse of all the films we’ll be seeing during the series, and some of the big questions we’ll be exploring.”

Suggested transition after the film: “Let me pick up on that question we heard in the film, ‘What’s the best gift God could give you?’ How would you answer that?”

Session 2: The Trustworthy God
Suggested transition after the film: “Sometimes we can get a false or misleading view of somebody, like the girl in the film. Is it possible something similar has happened when we think about God? Let me ask this question: What’s your current view of God?”

Session 3: The Generous God
Suggested transition after the film: “Despite all the hardship and danger the gold prospector faces, he kept pressing on – and all because of the gold. What keeps you going in difficult situations? What do you cling to when you’re under stress?”

Session 4: The Liberating God
Suggested transition after the film: “Here’s a man who thinks, if only I can have a better lawn than my neighbour, I’ll be content, I’ll be happy, my life will feel complete. What’s your ‘if only’?”

Session 5: The Fulfilling God
Suggested transition after the film: “In the film, we saw this young mother finding herself drawn away from her family to seek fulfillment elsewhere. What are you hoping will bring you fulfillment?”

Session 6: The Life-Giving God
Suggested transition after the film: “The woman in the film seems to have it all – fame, beauty, career success – but she’s missing something. And that makes the rest of her life feel pointless to her. What, if you lost it, would make you feel life wasn’t worth living?”

Session 7: The Joyful God
Suggested transition after the film: “For the man in the film, the best gift God could give him is to be reunited with his family. Let’s return to the question we asked in the first session to see if we’d still answer the same way: what’s the best gift God could give you?”

Authors’ Commentaries
As an additional help for leaders, Nate Morgan Locke and I filmed seven Authors’ Commentaries, which leaders can watch before each session. They’re designed to prepare you for the session, and contain much of the material above.

To access them, you can register your course here.

Here’s a taster of the kind of thing to expect: