Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala
Week 6: Chapter 5 — God's Cure for Spiritual Boredom
Read Chapter 5 of Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. Key passages: Revelation 3:14–22; Romans 8:26–27.
Previewing Week 6 of Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 13-week guide when you’re ready.
Cymbala diagnoses one of the most common ailments in the Western church — a creeping spiritual flatness — and points to prayer in the Spirit as the only real cure.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Cymbala uses the language of "spiritual boredom" to describe a state where church has become routine, faith has become familiar, and the supernatural seems far away. Be honest — have you ever been spiritually bored? What did that feel like?
2.He connects the lukewarm church of Laodicea in Revelation 3 to the self-satisfied American church. Jesus says to that church, "I wish you were cold or hot" — meaning flat indifference is worse than open hostility. Why is spiritual lukewarmness so dangerous, and so hard to detect in ourselves?
3.Cymbala argues that the antidote to spiritual boredom is not more programs, better music, or a more dynamic preacher — it is genuine, Spirit-led prayer and encounter with God. Have you ever tried to cure spiritual dryness with activity? What happened?
a.What activities or strategies have you used in the past to try to "feel" more spiritually alive?
b.In hindsight, were any of them substitutes for what you actually needed?