Group Notes | March 15

The Road to the Cross: Walking the Road
March 15, 2015
Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Open:

It’s usually easy to begin a new job, a marriage, or a new endeavor with enthusiasm; however, if we don’t work to keep the fervor alive, apathy can easily settle in. What are some examples of this truth?
Most people who become a follower of Jesus Christ are zealous as they begin their life with Him. Today we will concentrate on continuing to live our lives devoted to Him, keeping that “first love” for Him as the priority of our being.

Discuss:

1. Read Mark 12:30, 31. It is hard to think of anyone we know who fulfills this commandment. What are some reasons God would “command” us to do what seems impossible?

2. Read Mark 12:41-44. What was the widow’s motive in giving everything she had to God?

3. What are some things we can do to make sure we are giving our “all” to God?

4. Read Luke 14:27. List disciplines required in our lives in order to wholly follow Christ. Mentally put a check beside those you need to work on.

5. God, by the very nature of who He is, deserves our utmost reverence. What are some ways we give Him this respect, and what are some ways He is held in contempt by the world?

6. Read Luke 5:4-6. A child, no matter his age, shows his love for a parent by obedience. Why does following Christ require our obedience, even when it doesn’t make sense?

7. Can you think of examples in your life when you have obeyed by faith?

Close:

Holding God in a place of highest esteem, obeying Him, and serving Him all are evidences that we love Him. Did you notice in the story of Peter that Jesus told him to “let down [the] nets” and Peter said, “Ok, I’ll let down the net.” In a few minutes the net “was breaking” under the weight, but if Peter had obeyed fully, letting down nets, he would have been prepared for what Christ was going to do! As we go into our small groups, search your heart to find if there are areas where you are holding back from completely obeying; confess these areas, and ask Him to reveal anything that would keep you from being, like the widow, totally sold out to Him. Use the Life Groups at church to enrich your walk with Him, and pray for constant opportunities to share what He has done for you.

Memory Verse: Mark 12:30, 31: “’And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”