Stewarding What God Gives Us

About The Podcast

From the age of 6, Grant Troutt’s entire identity was wrapped up in playing basketball. But after a series of injuries in college, Grant was finally inspired to seek his identity where it truly belonged—in God. This week, Grant shares about his work as a youth minister in Tennessee, where he and his family are working to pass along lessons that shaped his spiritual journey to a new generation.

Show Notes

Timestamps

Discussion

1. How would you say you defined your identity, consciously or unconsciously, as a young man—as an athlete, entrepreneur, artist, even as a party animal or ladies’ man? Did you choose that identity for yourself, or did outside influences push you toward it or force it on you? Did you ever feel constricted by that identity, as if it were impossible for you to choose anything else? Did that identity and your need to stay true to it crowd out any other important parts of your life? Have any aspects of that identity carried over into your life today?
2. Reflect on Grant’s description of the moment when his identity—that of a star basketball player—was taken away. Have you ever been in a similar position, with an identity or life plan that was suddenly taken away from you, leaving you feeling lost and adrift? What people or things did you turn to in an attempt to find some identity or direction, and do you now wish you could make some of those choices differently?
3. Conversely, now reflect on Grant’s later realization that he was “thankful” for losing basketball because it opened the door to a closer relationship with God. Have you ever had your identity, or something important in your life, taken away from you, and realized later that you’d been freed from something you didn’t need? What did that feel like? What were you grateful to be able to put your energy and attention into instead?
4. Have you, like Grant, ever been in the position of the Prodigal Son—wanting a relationship with God but afraid that He was angry with you for some reason? What shortcoming or shame did you think God couldn’t get over or redeem in you?
5. In general, how good are you at controlling your emotions? Do you ever worry that you’re too good at controlling them, and don’t express them as openly or honestly as you should? Is there anything on your heart right now that you have a strong emotional reaction to but have been afraid of sharing it? What specific reaction are you afraid other people will have if you do so?
6. As you scroll through social media, do you see things in the lives of other men (or women) that you find yourself consistently envying? What negative emotions has that envy led to? What’s something important that God has put in your life right now that you could be focusing on instead, and what additional things could you be doing to steward that gift?