The 2014 movie, “Wild” starting Reese Witherspoon is based on the experience of Cheryl Strayed who hiked 1,100 miles of the 2,650 mile Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, from the Southern California desert to the lush forests of Oregon,

on a journey of self–discovery and healing. This trek chronicled Strayed’s attempt to ‘recalibrate’ herself following several unfortunate choices she made during a difficult period in her life.

Throughout the movie, Witherspoon’s character is seen carrying a backpack bigger than she is! It held the essentials for her trip but it was a large backpack.

Have you ever considered the backpack of life you carry every day? Do you sometimes feel like you are carrying an oversized emotional or spiritual backpack in life? Sometimes we need to remove the junk we are carrying around and figure out what to do with it. What are the perceived limitations that weigh us down? What fears add unnecessary weight to life’s backpack? Do we allow our imperfections and strivings to hold us down in our walk with the Lord?

As we name the things in the backpack of our lives, we do so because we believe that God is able to take them from us. God is not surprised by our failures and disappointments…..or our baggage! He is ready to take the heavy load from us and make our journey lighter.

Proverbs 3:5–6 (MSG) Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

After sharing the Scripture, use at least three of the questions below with your group:

• Can you identify the things – both good and not so helpful – that you’ve packed in life’s backpack?

• What are some things in the backpack of life that are heavy for you right now?

• What is difficult for you to remove from your backpack? Why?

• Can you trust God to unpack your backpack and allow him to give you rest?

TRUST

Gathering

October Leader’s Page

Proverbs 3:5–6 (MSG)

TRUS

TGa

ther

ing

Can

you

iden

tify t

he

thin

gs –

both

good

an

d n

ot s

o h

elpf

ul –

that

you

’ve

pack

ed in

life

’s ba

ckpac

k?

TRUS

TGa

ther

ing

Wh

at a

re s

ome

thin

gs in

the

backp

ack o

f lif

e th

at a

re

hea

vy fo

r yo

u ri

ght n

ow?

TRUS

TGa

ther

ing

Wh

at is

diffi

cult

for

you

to

rem

ove

from

you

r ba

ckpac

k? W

hy?

TRUS

TGa

ther

ing

Can

you

trus

t God

to u

npa

ck

your

backp

ack a

nd

allo

w h

im

to g

ive

you

rest

?

Trust God

keep you on track.

from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

he’s the one who will

for God’s voice in you do,you go;

Listen everythingeverywhere

Proverbs 3:5–6 (MSG)

Trust God

keep you on track.

from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

he’s the one who will

for God’s voice in you do,you go;

Listen everythingeverywhere

Proverbs 3:5–6 (MSG)

Take

som

e tim

e th

is w

eek

to

mak

e an

inve

ntor

y of

you

r life

ba

ckpa

ck. A

s you

reco

rd w

hat’s

in

side

cons

ider

the

follo

win

g:

• Hig

hlig

ht it

ems t

hat a

re

esse

ntia

l for

you

r jou

rney

• Circ

le it

ems t

hat m

ay n

eed

to co

me

out o

f the

bac

kpac

k.• S

pend

tim

e in

pra

yer

offer

ing

thos

e ite

ms,

daily

, to

the

Lord

and

rece

ivin

g H

is pr

omise

of r

est!

Life’

sB

AC

KP

AC

K√ √√ √√ √√ √ √√ √√ √ √√ √√ √ √

Take

som

e tim

e th

is w

eek

to

mak

e an

inve

ntor

y of

you

r life

ba

ckpa

ck. A

s you

reco

rd w

hat’s

in

side

cons

ider

the

follo

win

g:

• Hig

hlig

ht it

ems t

hat a

re

esse

ntia

l for

you

r jou

rney

• Circ

le it

ems t

hat m

ay n

eed

to co

me

out o

f the

bac

kpac

k.• S

pend

tim

e in

pra

yer

offer

ing

thos

e ite

ms,

daily

, to

the

Lord

and

rece

ivin

g H

is pr

omise

of r

est!

Life’

sB

AC

KP

AC

K√ √√ √√ √√ √ √√ √√ √ √√ √√ √ √