Announcements
- Volunteer for Kids Ministry- Going to be in Abilene for any of this summer? Consider discipling our little ones by volunteering for the kid’s ministry on Sunday mornings! You can submit a volunteer application on the app!
Objectives
- Compare and contrast the cost and prize of the discipleship.
- Identify and apply what it means for Jesus to be “Lord” of our lives.
Key Passages
Matthew 8:18-22
Summary
The Sermon on The Mount in chapters 5-7 was a holistic summary of Jesus’ teaching ministry in which he described the nature of His Kingdom of Heaven and its citizen’s righteousness. Now in chapters 8-9, he reveals by word and deed his authority over the consequences of sin and all things. Not just through preaching and teaching, but now through signs and wonders, he is showing his fulfillment as the prophesied Jewish Messiah.
In Matthew 8:18-22, Jesus continues to reveal his authority over all areas of life. In this passage, Jesus’s authority over his disciple’s lives is revealed to the extent that he would ask them to prioritize following him over their homes and families.
Helpful Resources for Leaders
This article speaks to the application of this passage, in that one of the greatest calls of discipleship is making other disciples. However, it also speaks to some of the particular challenges that the Scriptures prepare us to receive as we truly live out a life of discipleship.
Sample Questions
Feel free to use or reword the questions below that you think will be most helpful to meet the objectives above. Remember, these questions should ultimately cultivate discussion of ways to respond to or apply what the Holy Spirit has revealed to us through Scripture.
- What must one leave behind in order to be a disciple of Jesus?
- What does it mean to have faith?
- What is the prize for becoming radical disciples of Jesus?
- Why is the cost of being a disciple of Jesus worth it?
- How is Jesus “enough” in all seasons and states of our life? (Ex. little vs. plenty, suffering vs. flourishing, joy vs. sorrow)
Sample Responses
Either in smaller groups or as a whole GC:
- Spend time confessing the areas in our hearts that we are unwilling to leave behind to follow Jesus, then pray for one another that Jesus would give us a heart for him and the kingdom.