Living | Oct 15 – 21, 2017
Series Big Idea
Jesus’ life and teaching can help us simplify our lives and experience a clutter-free soul.
Message Big Idea
We can be freed from living for lesser goals, lesser pursuits, lesser purposes by orienting everything in our lives around Jesus and his mission.
Scripture
Ice Breaker and Opening Thoughts
- Would you rather win a million dollars by playing the lottery, or never have to pay for anything ever again but enjoying the same standard of living?
- The famous basketball coach John Wooden once said: “There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make, makes you.” In what ways have you found that to be true or not true in your life?
Bible Discussion
- Read Matthew 4:18 – 22. What do you notice about this passage? What questions does it raise for you?
- A fisherman made enough money to sustain their lives with a little money left over and, so they did better than the average person in Galilee. What would it mean for them to leave their nets and family to follow Jesus?
Life Application
- Whenever we say yes to anything, we say no to other options. When a person decides to reorient their lives around Jesus, what options or priorities get shifted?
- Are there any lesser pursuits in your life you may need to give up? What are they?
- What do you think it takes to give up a lesser pursuit in favor of a greater one?
- Jesus invites us into a relationship with him. In what ways have you responded to that invitation both in the past and today?
Challenge
For us to say, “Yes!” to Jesus isn’t just a decision we make once in our lives. It’s a decision we make every day. We learn to make little incremental choices to travel with him, to live with him at the center of our thoughts, to imitate him, and carry out his mission. This kind of living will help us eliminate distractions, define our priorities, and keeps us from filling our lives with lesser goals and purposes.
