Keeping Our Insecurities from Taking Over

0:00 Intro/A season of tribulation and the toll it took on Aaron

3:43 Aaron’s journey back to mental and physical health

8:04 Why even devoted churchgoers sometimes fail to feel God’s presence in their lives

15:47 How men can better embrace their creative side

22:57 What Aaron has learned from helping people deal with insecurity

35:09 Breaking down our resistance to life’s seasons of transition

41:47 The values and practices that help keep Aaron’s relationships healthy

Snippets/excerpts

2:01 to 2:47—Aaron describes the shocking physical effects of the deep depression he suffered during an extremely difficult period in his life

8:36 to 9:44—Aaron’s thoughts on why some people can attend church regularly and still struggle to feel God’s presence in their lives

26:16 to 27:20—If we don’t confront our insecurities, they can hurt other people besides just ourselves

36:34 to 37:40—“An erosion of the old, embarking on a future that’s uncharted and unknown”: The meaning of a “liminal season” and how Aaron discovered it in his own life

1:45—Of all the family members and friends who have passed away during your lifetime, whose death hit you the hardest? Why was that particular loss so devastating to you? Do you think you coped with that loss in healthy ways, or did your sadness drive you to some self-destructive actions or habits? Psalm 34:18

6:10—Are there areas in your life—work, certain circles of friends, even church—where you feel pressured to “put a smile on” and not talk about your problems or be your authentic self? What are the negative consequences you’re worried you’d suffer if you opened up to someone about your true problems and feelings? Are there any other groups or activities you could engage in where you’d feel empowered to be more transparent? James 5:16

9:14—Have you ever gone through a period where you attended church regularly and made an effort to build a relationship with God, but still couldn’t feel his true presence? Looking back, what do you think was standing in the way of that relationship? Did anything change in your life to where you finally found the grace you’d been seeking? James 4:8

18:48—Do you have any creative talents—whether a “traditional” art such as painting, writing, music, or theatre, or something less traditional such as dance, fashion design, or craftsmanship? Have you ever felt ostracized or discouraged from sharing those talents because they weren’t traditionally “manly” activities? Do you wish you were devoting more time to those creative talents now? Psalm 139:14 

27:15—Have you ever witnessed a situation in which someone’s insecurity—maybe even your own—had negative effects for a group, team, or community? What was something that individual could’ve done to address that insecurity before it became detrimental to the group as a whole? 1 Thessalonians 5:11

29:11—Which people or groups of people in your life make you feel like you’ll be given grace and understanding if you make an honest mistake, and which make you feel like you’ll be judged harshly? What are some differences in the way the people in each group treat each other and work with one another? Ephesians 4:32

34:32—Have you ever expressed a negative, critical view of yourself to another person, only to be surprised when that person described you in a completely different, far more positive way? What was that person able to appreciate and admire about you that you weren’t, and what do you think was keeping you from acknowledging those good traits? 1 Samuel 16:7

37:41—Think of a recent “liminal season” in your life where something old was eroding away and an exciting but uncertain future was beckoning. Were you resistant to that new future in any way? What do you think that stubbornness or reluctance stemmed from? Ecclesiastes 3:1