Opening Activity (10 minutes)
Begin your group time with 60 seconds of complete silence. Have everyone put away phones and simply sit quietly. Afterward, discuss:
* How did that silence make you feel?
* What was your first instinct when the silence ended?
* When was the last time you experienced true quiet?

Key Scripture Passages
* 1 Kings 18:21-24, 38 - Elijah on Mount Carmel
* 1 Kings 19 - Elijah's exhaustion and God's still small voice
* Luke 12:15 - Life doesn't consist in possessions
* Hebrews 9:27 - Appointed once to die, then judgment

Main Takeaways:

1. We Live in the Loudest Time in History
The noise isn't just around us—it's often within us. This internal noise can distance us from God and make spiritual disciplines difficult.

2. Even the Faithful Face Noise
Elijah's story reminds us that exhaustion and discouragement affect even God's most devoted servants. The solution isn't quitting or running—it's quieting the noise to hear God's wisdom.

3. Three Major Sources of 21st Century Noise:
* Sports - When athletic competition becomes more important than worship
* Stuff - When material possessions consume our time and identity
* Screens - When technology creates barriers between us and what truly matters

Discussion Questions:

Part 1: Understanding the Noise
1. The Elijah Connection: Elijah went from a spiritual victory on Mount Carmel to suicidal despair under a juniper tree. What causes such dramatic emotional shifts in our own lives?
2. Identifying Your Noise: Of the three main sources of noise (sports, stuff, screens), which one creates the most distraction in your life? Why?
3. The Still Small Voice: Read 1 Kings 19:11-13. Why do you think God chose to speak in a whisper rather than in the earthquake, wind, or fire? Does this teach us anything? (Note: The denominational concept of God whispering to our consciences apart from Scripture is not supported in the Bible. We hear the voice of our consciences, but that is not a direct connection to God.)

Part 2: Sports
4. Priority Check: Zack asked, "If a stranger opened your Facebook page, which would he find out first—your team or your congregation?" How would you honestly answer that question?
5. Sunday Morning Scenario: Discuss the championship game scenario from the sermon. How would you counsel a family facing this decision? What principles should guide such choices?
6. Zeal Comparison: Can you name your favorite team's roster better than you can name the 12 apostles? What does this reveal about where we invest our mental energy?
7. Positive Use: How can sports be used as a tool for ministry rather than a distraction from it? Share practical examples.

Part 3: Stuff
8. The Rich Man's Regret: In Luke 16, the rich man in torment would have traded all his earthly possessions for one drop of water. What does this teach us about the temporary nature of material wealth?
9. Comparison Trap: Share an example of when comparison stole your joy regarding possessions. How can we break free from this cycle?
10. Decluttering Challenge: What's one category of "stuff" in your life that you know needs attention? What's holding you back from addressing it?
11. Generosity Opportunity: Discuss the principle: "When you use your stuff for service, you ensure your stuff isn't using you." What's one possession you could use to serve someone this week?

Part 4: Screens
12. The Statistics: Americans spend an average of 7 hours and 11 minutes per day on screens—that's 9 years over a lifetime. Does this statistic surprise you? How does it make you feel?
13. Honest Assessment: Have you ever checked your phone during worship service? What does this reveal about what we truly value?
14. The Glass Barrier: The sermon compared phones to prison glass—a barrier between us and the people we love. Where have you seen screens create distance in your relationships?
15. Narcissus Warning: The ancient figure Narcissus died staring at his reflection. How do smartphones enable modern narcissism? How can we guard against this?
16. Nine Years of Scrolling: If you could reclaim those 9 years of screen time, what would you do with them? How many times could you read the Bible? How many people could you reach?

Part 5: Personal Application
17. Last Day Perspective: The sermon ended with a powerful ICU story about a man who said, "I need time to fix it,” but died two hours later. How does mortality change our perspective on the noise in our lives?
18. Practical Steps: Review the five practical tips for each category:
For Sports:
* Protect your Sundays
* Compare your zeal
* Don't make sports your sole identity
* Use sports as a tool
* Remember who the real MVP is
For Stuff:
* Declutter
* Avoid comparison
* Go on a stuff fast
* Use your stuff for service
* Remember, you're leaving it all behind
For Screens:
* Start your day with Scripture, not a screen
* Don't bring your phone to worship
* Match screen time with prayer time
* Go on a phone fast
* Think about your last day

Which ONE tip from which category will you commit to implementing this week?

19. Accountability: Who in this group can you ask to hold you accountable to your commitment?

Group Challenge: The Quiet Week
As a group, commit to one of the following challenges for the next seven days:
Option 1 - The Sabbath Challenge: Completely unplug from screens for 24 hours this week. Spend that time in prayer, Bible study, and face-to-face fellowship.
Option 2 - The Morning Routine Reset: For seven days, spend the first 30 minutes of each day in Scripture and prayer BEFORE checking your phone.
Option 3 - The Generosity Challenge: Identify three possessions you don't need and give them away to people who could use them.
Option 4 - The Worship Priority: Make a commitment that for the next month, nothing will take your mind during Sunday worship—no plans, scores, shopping, distractions.

Closing Reflection:

Read together: "There is a day coming that the team for which you cheered will not matter. There is a day coming when the stuff you accumulated will not matter. There is a day coming that your phone will not matter ... Because on that day, all of the chaos, all of the distraction, all of the interruption, all of the noise will stop."

Reflection Questions:
* What would be today’s equivalent for you to hear God's "still small voice" this week?
* What noise do you need to quiet first?
* How can this group support you in that process?

Prayer Time:

Have each person share:
1. One specific area of noise they're committing to address
2. One prayer request related to quieting the noise in life

Close in group prayer, asking God to help each person:
* Recognize the noise that's drowning out spirituality
* Have courage to make difficult priority changes
* Experience the peace that comes from putting Him first
* Hear His wisdom above the world's chaos

Before Next Week:

* Journal: Each day, write down one moment when you successfully chose to quiet the noise and one moment when the noise won
* Scripture Memory: Memorize 1 Kings 19:12: "And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice."
* Check In: Text at least one group member mid-week to encourage them in his/her commitment
* Prepare: Come ready to share your successes and struggles with quieting the noise

Additional Resources:

For Further Study:
* Read the complete story of Elijah (1 Kings 17-19)
* Study Jesus' practice of withdrawing to quiet places (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Matthew 14:23)
* Research "digital minimalism" and Christian perspectives on technology

5-Day Devotional: Quieting the Noise

Day 1: When Silence Speaks Louder Than Thunder
Reading: 1 Kings 19:9-13

Devotional: After Elijah's greatest victory, he found himself running from Jezebel's threats, exhausted and ready to quit. God didn't meet him in the earthquake, wind, or fire—but in a gentle whisper. The prophet who called down fire from heaven needed to learn that God often speaks in stillness, not spectacle.

Are you running so fast through life that you can't hear God's whisper? The world fills every moment with noise—notifications, entertainment, obligations. But intimacy with God requires intentional silence. Before you check your phone tomorrow morning, sit in quietness for five minutes.

Day 2: The Idol in Your Pocket
Reading: Exodus 20:1-6; Luke 12:13-21

Devotional: Ancient Israel carved idols from wood and stone. We carry ours in our pockets and build shrines to them in our garages. Our idols have evolved. Sports, possessions, screens: these aren't inherently evil, but when they consume our time, attention, and devotion more than God does, they become Baal by another name.

Examine your life honestly. What gets your best energy? What do you think about constantly? What would devastate you if you lost it? The rich man in Luke 16 discovered too late that all his stuff couldn't buy him one drop of water in eternity. Identify one "idol" that's making too much noise in your life, and take one concrete step today to dethrone it.

Day 3: Guarding the Sacred
Reading: Exodus 20:8-11; Hebrews 10:23-25

Devotional: God didn't suggest we worship one day in seven—He commanded it. Sunday services aren't legalism; they’re protection. It's as if God is saying, "I know you. I know you'll fill every moment with noise unless I command you to stop." When we compromise our worship for championships, careers, or convenience, we're not just missing church—we're declaring what truly has authority in our lives.

Parents, your children are watching. When you choose the game over God, you're teaching them that worship is negotiable, that God gets the leftovers of our schedule. Protect your Sundays fiercely. Make them sacred again. Let your family see that nothing—absolutely nothing—takes priority over gathering with God's people to worship the King of Kings. This isn't about rules; it's about priorities, perspective, and a proper relationship with God and our brethren.

Day 4: The Tyranny of Comparison
Reading: 2 Corinthians 10:12-18; Matthew 6:19-24

Devotional: Social media has turned many of us into Narcissus, staring at our reflections until it destroys us. We scroll through carefully curated highlight reels, comparing our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's staged performances. Paul warned that those who measure themselves by themselves are not wise—yet we spend 3+ hours daily doing exactly that.

Seventy-two thousand hours. Nine years of your life spent staring at a screen. Imagine standing before God and hearing, "You had time—you just spent it scrolling." The glass that separates prisoners from their loved ones is tragic. The glass we willingly place between ourselves and real relationships is pathetic. Today, go one hour without checking your phone. Use that hour to pray, read Scripture, or have an actual conversation with someone you love. Redeem your time before time runs out.

Day 5: The Appointment You Cannot Miss
Reading: Hebrews 9:27-28; Revelation 20:11-15

Devotional: You can reschedule your dentist. You can skip your doctor's appointment. But Hebrews 9:27 is clear: there's one appointment every person must keep. No excuses. No postponements. You will stand before God. On that day, the scoreboard won't matter. Your stuff will be left behind. Your phone will be silent. The only question that matters: Did you quiet the noise long enough to hear God's Word and obey it?

The man who said, "Don't let me die—I need time to fix it," learned too late that tomorrow isn't promised. Don't wait for your last day to get serious about your soul. Whatever noise is drowning out God's voice in your life—eliminate it today. Turn off the world. Tune into the Word. Because when all the chaos stops, the only sound that will echo through eternity is Jesus saying either "Well done" or "Depart from Me." Which will you hear?