3. THE RADICAL COST
Eat & Connect
How is your life different now from before you were a Christian?
Worship
Remind yourselves in worship of the vastness and majesty of our God. When he speaks… galaxies are born! What does he want to say to us today? Listen to the following song and read the words - but feel free to express with your bodies a willingness to surrender by kneeling together.
Or…
Ben referred to the song Jireh on Sunday. Take some time to ponder how much you are loved and allow your heart to respond to His love afresh.
(This might be a great response song at the end ot the bible study too?)
Bible
Read Matthew 10:24-39 together. What strikes you from these verses?
“It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism, that in our day and in this land is likely to quench the light of the gospel. It is a proud, sensuous, selfish, luxurious, church-going, hollow-hearted prosperity.”
- Frederic Huntington
What does it mean for us to take up our cross and follow Jesus? How does His example impact our understanding of discipleship?
What did you make of some of the stories from the persecuted church that Ben shared on Sunday? How do these stories change your perspective and how you pray and live for Jesus?
How can the pursuit of comfort and prosperity hinder our commitment to following Jesus? How can we prioritise the Kingdom of God over worldly success?
What does it mean to acknowledge Jesus before others? Why is it important, and what are some practical ways we can do this in our daily lives?
How does our cultural context affect our understanding of the cost of following Jesus? How can we overcome the challenges and temptations of a comfortable faith in the Western world?
Are we willing to follow Jesus, whatever the cost? What steps can we take to surrender our lives fully to Him and live out radical discipleship?
Prayer
Response
What do I need to surrender today?
Pray for courage and strength to live a radical life for Jesus.
Thank God for His love and grace that enables us to follow Him.
Prayer
In pairs, share with each other what you would love to stop doing in order to do more of what God wants you to do - and pray for one another. Don’t forget to check in with each other during the week to see how you are doing with that!
Ben reminded us about the persecuted church and how many people are willing to literally die or be tortured for their faith in Jesus. Spend some time praying for your brothers and sisters around the world.
Last week we thought about the harvest being plentiful but the workers are few. Pray that no matter the cost you would say “yes” to the opportunities He gives you this week. Pray with the expectation that God loves to use you to speak His love to those who don’t know Him yet, and ask Him to give you lots of opportunities to do that.