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Today, we’re continuing on in the Gospel of Matthew. In this passage of God’s Word, we see Jesus interacting with different people. Through these interactions, we can learn what it looks like to follow Jesus.
The Cost of Following Jesus
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
Jesus Calms a Storm
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Following Jesus Looks like:
1. Living a simple, Holy Spirit led life, trusting in God for the next step
Matt. 8:18-20, 18:2-5, James 4:15, Heb. 6:3, Prov. 19:21, Acts 18:21
2. Following Jesus now, and having Him be our first priority
Matt. 8:21-22, 6:33, John 6:37, Ps. 34:9-10, Mark 10:29-30
3. Not turning to fear when, inevitably, life isn’t perfect
Matt. 8:23-27, 1 Pet. 4:12, 2 Cor. 4:7-10, 2 Tim. 3:12, 1 Pet. 1:6-7
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
- Take some time to read over Matthew 8:18-27 and pray.
- Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it?
- Among unbelievers and society in general, what do you think is the most common misconception about what it looks like to genuinely follow Jesus?
- Among Christians, what do you think is the most common misconception about what it looks like to genuinely follow Jesus?
- What in your past has been your biggest misconception or mistake about what it actually looks like to genuinely follow Jesus? How did you overcome that misconception?
- What, during this season of your life, is the biggest mistake about what it actually looks like to follow Jesus, that you’re trying to overcome? Where does that misconception come from? How is the process of overcoming that misconception going? Who in your life can you ask to help you through that process?
Diving In
Read Mathew 8:18-20. Why do you think Jesus responded the way that He did?
- We don’t get to see what the scribe’s reaction is to what Jesus told him. How do you think he responded?
- Jesus’ response teaches us that following Him looks like living a simple life, led by the Holy Spirit, always trusting God for our next step. Take some time to think about your own life. How well does it line up to how Jesus responds to the scribe? What needs to change?
Read Matthew 8:21-22. Why do you think Jesus responded the way that He did?
- We don’t get to see how this person reacted to what Jesus told him. How do you think he responded?
- Jesus’ response teaches us that following Him looks like making Him our first priority right now. Have you ever been guilty of pushing off your relationship with God down the road? How so?
Read Matthew 8:23-27. Why do you think Jesus responded the way that He did when His disciples were fearful?
- Be honest with yourself: if you were the disciples in that situation, how would you have handled it?
- Jesus’ response teaches us that following Him looks like not being fearful, even when life inevitably has hardships. What causes you to be fearful? Why is that?
- How can you better trust in God during the storms of this life?
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?