Group Guide
This Week's City 7:
5. Why do I follow Jesus? I follow Jesus because Jesus rose from the dead proving that He is the way, the truth and the life.
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
Ice-Breaker:
When you have to assemble the coffee table from Ikea that comes in 8 different boxes... directions or no?
Discussion Questions:
- There was a lot on the line for this father that brought his son to Jesus. It was his only son... this would be the extension of his legacy and his family name. He brings his son and asks Jesus to "look at him". He mentions to Jesus that he had asked the other 9 disciples to cast out the demon, the ones that weren't on the mountain to see the transfiguration, and they couldn't do it. Why? Did they lose faith somewhere along the way? Remember, they had already been given authority by Jesus to heal and cast out demons when he sent them out at the beginning of chapter 9. But something seems to have shifted. The father also seems to have lost some faith because of the disciples' failure. But they brought their unbelief to Jesus. Have you ever been there? Has your faith ever wavered because of difficult things in your life that happened to you? How did you handle that? Is there any unbelief in you that needs to be brought to Jesus?
- The first point on Sunday was, "Don't miss his GREATNESS". We can't lose the awe and wonder we have for him. Do you remember how you felt when you first said YES to Jesus? Do you remember how fired up you were? How loved you felt? How much faith you had in him? Over time, and as life sets back in, how has that changed in your life? How do we do better at maintaining our level of passion and confidence in our great God?
- After this miracle, and after "awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God's power" and after Jesus talked about the fact he was going to be betrayed, the disciples start arguing about which of them was the greatest. Talk about tone-deaf! They completely missed the point! So Jesus, instead of rebuking them, responded by redefining what it means to be "great". For the disciples, being great was all about having the highest status. But in the Kingdom of God, it's just the opposite. Greatness is not about status, it's about SERVICE. It's about loving others... laying yourself down for them. One of the greatest examples of this was when King Jesus washed his disciples' feet. Included in that group was Peter (who would deny him), Thomas (who would doubt his resurrection) and Judas (who would betray him). And ultimately Jesus would go even further, laying his life down for all of humanity. In your life and in the way you relate to others, does this reflect your mentality? Do you put others before yourself or is it your first reaction to be selfish? What are some ways you can find to become the "least of these"?
- Next, we can't miss his MISSION. God's will for our lives isn't OUR greatness. It's about HIS greatness. Our purpose is to serve him and others. Our purpose is to BE the CHURCH! The church is a people, not a building. Our purpose is to join with other believers, the Church, and go out and be the light in a dark world. We are supposed to bring Jesus to a hopeless and dying world. When you look at your life and circles of influence, when you look at how you spend your time and money, can you truly say that you are engaged in his mission to reach the lost around you? What are you doing currently to be a light in the darkness?
- Finally, don't miss his CALLING. Following Jesus isn't always comfortable, but it's ALWAYS worth it. Jesus promised us that his Spirit would empower us to be his "witnesses" to the ends of the earth. The Greek word used for "witnesses" has its roots in the word "martyr". Being a witness for Jesus will cost you. Maybe even cost you everything. We must be willing to be so bought into HIS Kingdom and will that we, as almost all of his disciples did, would be willing to die for HIS cause. Paul, right before he died, encouraged Timothy to NEVER be ashamed to tell others about Jesus. He told him NEVER stop telling them, NEVER give up. Like Paul and Timothy, we carry the message of life and hope. What would you be willing to sacrifice for this calling? How much urgency do you carry with you to share this message? How committed are you, really? How do you up your commitment if needed?
Prayer Topics:
- That you would constantly be aware of his greatness.
- That you would put others first.
- That you would be the light in darkness.
- that you would be willing to give it all for the mission of Jesus.
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