So Long, Normal Bible Study Guide plus Streaming Video

Living and Loving the Free Fall of Faith

Laura Story

• Publisher: HarperChristian Resources
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9780310142324
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Untether from your sense of "normal" and fall into the abundant life God intends.

Singer-songwriter and Bible teacher Laura Story gets what it's like to have plans altered and to surrender security when faced with circumstances beyond our control. But she also understands the blessing of having a Father who loves you enough to place you in the best possible scenario for good and growth.

The So Long, Normal video study guide (streaming included) walks small groups through the process of leaving behind the idols of comfort, caution, and routine so you can live strong and well--even when life takes an unwelcome turn.

Laura Story looks at the obstacles of attachment to comfort and leads the way to learning how to trust our unknown future to a faithful God.

With personal stories and deep dives into biblical stories of people who wavered between God and earthly comfort, this five-session study is for anyone who finds themselves paralyzed by fear in the inevitable changes of life.

When we say goodbye to normal, our joy and peace are no longer tethered to our circumstances; we can truly experience the abundant life Christ offers his children.

This study guide has everything you need for a full Bible study experience, including:

• The study guide itself--with discussion and personal reflection questions, video notes, and a leader's guide.
• An individual access code to stream all five video sessions online (you don't need to buy a DVD!).

Streaming video access code included. Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2027. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.

SESSION
1

What’s So Bad about Normal?

GROUP STUDY

INTRODUCTION

Leader, read this section aloud to the group:

Have you ever tried to grab your breath on a cold morning? It may seem like an odd question, but it’s undoubtedly something we’ve all tried to do at some point in our lives. Catching our breath is like trying to maintain a sense of “normal.” And at some point along the way, I realized the normal life I sought was like a vapor. Whenever it appeared within reach, I was unable to grasp it.

Normal. It’s a fairly subjective word, yet we all seem to understand what it means. Normal is often defined as “conforming to a standard; usual, typical or expected.” And it seems to be the gravity we seek with an innate desire to have our feet planted on something solid rather than having our lives suspended in mid-air. Normal appears to offer the steady we want, the comfort we need, and the accountability required to keep us on task.

As anyone who knows me can attest, my life has been anything but dictionary-definition normal. My idea of normal came crashing down when my husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor during the second year of our marriage. After his diagnosis, a complicated surgery, concerning days in the ICU, and a long recovery at home, Martin still lives with short-term memory loss and a substantial vision deficit. His inability to see well or remember the smallest details make our life as a family anything but normal.

My story may look different than yours, but each of us has something in our lives that has forced us to let go of whatever normalcy we envisioned. And I’ve lived long enough to know no one’s life has turned out exactly the way they had planned. Every one of us has endured uninvited change. Every one of us will again be forced to wave goodbye to normal.

But there is something deeply comforting about the normal ordinariness of life that draws us to this ideal. We all long for security, for stability, and firm footing. In fact, we crave it. Have you ever wondered why we crave it? I believe it’s because we were designed by an orderly God to thrive in an orderly world. But then sin happened, and the steady path beneath the feet of humanity shifted and became shaky. Ever since, our normal has been distorted. Just like Adam and Eve, we have no choice but to say so long to a normal life and step out beyond the garden of our lives until Jesus returns and the garden is restored.

Believe this: whenever our life shifts and shakes, it’s ultimately for our benefit that good things are shaken from our grip, even when it feels like a loss. My hope for you and me is that whenever we face the loss of normal, we encounter God. And not in a way that puts a spiritual Band-Aid on the grief we’re experiencing, but in a way that helps us recognize God is working in and through our circumstances beyond our imagining.

When God is our foundation, we can learn to say so long to normal and all the good things God lovingly shakes from our lives. But first, we have to acknowledge our desire for normal and how it affects our everyday lives. Let’s do the hard, courageous work together.

God is our sure and steady hope who guides us to embrace the beautiful story unfolding before our very eyes as we say so long to normal.

TALK ABOUT IT

Take 10–15 minutes to respond to the opening message from Laura. Then take turns answering the following questions in preparation for the video teaching. Use this section each week to get your hearts and minds focused and ready for Laura’s teaching.

Share about a time in your childhood, teenage years, or adult life when you felt less than normal. As you look back, what factors contributed to this feeling for you?

—or—

What does “normal” mean to you?

Rather than defining normal, it may be easier to recognize the absence of it.

WATCH VIDEO SESSION ONE (17 MINUTES)

Use the video streaming access code on the inside of the front cover of your study guide or use the DVD to watch this session.

VIDEO TEACHING NOTES

As you watch the video teaching for this session, use the following outline to record anything that stands out to you.

A departure from normal

What is normal anyway?

What would it take to feel normal?

Leaving normal for adventure with God

Saying goodbye to normal requires a heart change

Finding freedom, peace, and joy

Hebrews: the book of “better things”

Shaken (Hebrews 12:28 and Haggai 2:6–8)

God as the source of our shaking

The faulty foundation of our lives

God’s calling to us

Saying so long to normal

Having courage isn’t about the absence of fear. It’s acknowledging that fear and being willing to take that next step anyway.

GROUP DISCUSSION

Read each question and take time for group members to give honest and thoughtful responses.

1. What comes to your mind when you hear Laura talk about this idea of being normal? What are some of the negative connotations and positive meanings of the word normal?

[Your Response Here]

2. Where does the pressure to feel or be normal come from for you? Is it an internal idea or an external pressure? Briefly explain.

[Your Response Here]

It doesn’t matter if normal is something you never knew, something you’ve always tried to attain, or something you’ve grown tired of, you’re invited on a thrilling journey to leave normal because what God has in store is better.

Select volunteers to read the following passages aloud to the group and discuss the questions with each:

Hebrews 12:25–29 ESV

3. What are some of the “good” or “normal” things that consume your focus and crowd out God’s invitation to you to live with a kingdom mentality? What could you do to refocus your attention and your priorities?

[Your Response Here]

4. What does it mean for us to receive an unshakeable kingdom? How have ...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Streaming Video Access
• Ebook Instructions
• Contents
• Of Note
• Welcome: Ready for Adventure
• Session 1: What’s So Bad About Normal?
• Session 2: So Long, Familiar
• Session 3: So Long, Self
• Session 4: Hello, New Life
• Session 5: Hello, Unknown
• Epilogue
• Leader’s Guide