A very bright graduate Ph.D. student asked me this very question, “Is faith relevant to my life?” I thought it was a very good and thoughtful question.  This student manages life quite well, so it seems. She is in good health, has great opportunities, and knows how to manage her responsibilities.  Why would she need God?

This set me thinking about some material I had read from Tony Robbins, a motivational speaker who suggested that each person has six emotional needs. A few years back, I realized that our emotional needs as Mr. Robbins identified them, can best be met in a deep and satisfying way through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus can do for us what we ourselves cannot provide. For people in an affluent society, without the apparent physical needs that people in Jesus’s day faced, we may have to look a little deeper to see how Jesus meets our needs. This discussion guide hopes to uncover how. You will also notice that I added two needs that Mr. Robbins does not identify, to be part of a bigger picture than oneself and to find a way to restore broken relationships. These I added as a result of observing and listening to people’s needs. Also, to be clear, the spiritual perspective regarding the six emotional needs come from my own observations not from Mr. Robbins. The topics come from Mr. Robbins, but the spiritual content is from the Bible, not Mr. Robbins.

We used these discussion guides for those investigating faith. They take about an hour each, depending on how talkative your group is. Some of the titles have two or three parts. If the number of weeks you will be meeting will not accommodate all of the discussions guides, choose the ones that will best meet the curiosity and needs of your group.

1. Is Faith Relevant to My Life- Certainty

2. Is Faith Relevant to My Life, Uncertainty

3. Is Faith Relevant to My Life- Love

4. Is Faith Relevant to My Life- Significance

5. Is Faith Relevant to My Life- Growth

6. Is Faith Relevant to My Life- Contribution

7. Is Faith Relevant to My Life-To Be Part of a Bigger Story

8. Is Faith Relevant to My Life,
Forgiving Others

9. Is Faith Relevant,
Receiving Forgiviness

Chart of Eight Human Needs