SERMON SERIES
Consumed
Gossip, Gluttony & Greed
Discussion Guide
Week One
- James says our external conflicts start with internal battles (“What causes fights and quarrels among you?”). Think of a recent moment you felt tempted to gossip. What desire or unmet want was really underneath it?
- The message says we dress up gossip in spiritual language: “I’m just concerned,” “I’m just praying about it.” Where have you seen this in your own life or conversations, and why does that language make it harder to recognize as gossip?
- “Isolation feeds it. Community starves it.” What is one thing you’ve been carrying alone that you could bring into the light with your group this week?
Week Two
- Pastor Miles talks about swapping one form of consumption for another (social media for YouTube, scrolling for “research”). What’s something in your own life that looks productive or harmless on the surface, but is really just feeding an appetite instead of forming your character?
- “Their mind is set on earthly things” is described as the root of the other three problems in Philippians 3:19. Looking honestly at this past week, what has actually occupied most of your thoughts? Does it match what you say matters most to you?
- Paul says our bodies and appetites won’t just be managed, they’ll be transformed. Where in your life have you been trying to white-knuckle or manage an appetite instead of surrendering it to Jesus? What would it look like to actually bring that into the light with your Community Group?
Week Three
- Miles asks, “What do you want that your effort cannot buy?” The rich young ruler had everything money could get him and still felt like something was missing. What is it you actually want most right now, and can money get you there?
- Coveting is the one commandment nobody else can see. You can smile at someone while wanting what they have. Where have you caught yourself doing this lately, even while looking fine on the outside?
- “When the bigger boat pulls up, what happens in your heart?” Think of the last time you saw someone else’s house, salary, marriage, or platform and felt that pull. What did it reveal about where your treasure really is?
More on Psalms 32
David — reflecting on his own failure, confession, and the joy of God’s forgiveness (set in the Bathsheba/Uriah context; see 2 Sam 11–12). Our commentary notes Psalm 32 was likely written after Psalm 51, following reflection.
Psalm 32 was likely written in the latter part of David’s reign, after his confrontation by Nathan (2 Samuel 12), following his confession in Psalm 51, and after a time of reflection. It stands as David’s testimony to the joy of forgiveness, written some time after the Bathsheba/Uriah incident (c. 1000–970 BC).
Used historically as one of the penitential psalms; early church tied it to baptismal instruction; Reformers emphasized it for justification by faith—picked up by Paul in Romans 4:6–9.
Psalm 32 matters because it shows us the real cost of hiding sin and the deep joy of experiencing God’s forgiveness. Written by David after his darkest failure and eventual confession, the psalm reminds us that silence and secrecy drain the soul, while confession restores life. It shifts our view from God as an accuser to God as a refuge—our hiding place who surrounds us with songs of deliverance. Historically, the church has turned to this psalm as one of the great penitential prayers, teaching believers that forgiveness is not earned by works but received by grace, a truth Paul reinforces in Romans 4. For us today, Psalm 32 holds out a promise: we don’t have to stay buried in shame, because God offers full pardon, loving protection, and renewed joy to all who trust Him.
DEEP DIVE
More Resources
COMMENTARY
James (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on The New Testament series Book 16)
Visit TC3
© 2026 TC3 Church.