Review: In week 1 of Advent we focused on Hope, and how there's an invitation in Hope to "Come" to Jesus.  At the same time there's an invitation from Jesus to "Come to Me."  How are you responding to Jesus' call to "Come to Me" these first couple weeks of Advent?

This week, there is a similar invitation–The God of Peace invites us to Trust.  How do you think Peace leads us to Trust God?

Jean talked about the desperate cry of the psalmist, "How long, O Lord?" (Ps. 13).  This Advent, are you more in touch with the desperation of "How long, O Lord?" or with the cry of longing, "Come soon, Lord Jesus!"? Why?

Read Isaiah 26:3-4.  In the Hebrew, the phrase "perfect peace" in this passage says "shalom shalom."  Jean said that Shalom means more than just Peace.  It involves perfect wholeness, completeness, and well-being.  What's the greatest barrier to Peace in your heart?  Is there a barrier that prevents you from experiencing the perfect wholeness and well-being Jean spoke of?  (i.e. health, fear, anxiety, perfectionism, etc.)

 Even though peace means more than just the absence of conflict, we do experience peace in our own world right in the thick of war, battle, and conflict.  Is there a battle you're faced with these days in which God's Peace would bring relief and release?  If you had inner Peace, how would that help your approach to that situation?

Jean used Shalom as a verb to indicate that God's peace brings healing to our souls.  "If something is broken, we restore it, mend it, make it whole again–we 'shalom' it."  What is going on in your life (relationships, finances, health, etc.) that needs "shalom-ing" these days? Read Philippians 4:4-7, then take a moment in prayer asking for the Spirit's grace and help. 

We've been talking most about our own personal circumstances, but is there someone you know that you could come alongside to offer a word of encouragement to, or that you could help persevere through some difficulty.  Make time this week to sit down for coffee, make a phone call, or even write a little note to someone whose heart needs "shalom-ing"!