Weekly Teaching Reflection

May 3rd Reflection

Discussion Questions

1. Where do you see a  “consumer mindset” show up in your own approach to faith?

2. Why do you think Jesus often made following him sound harder instead of easier? What does that reveal about his priorities?

3. Which part of Jesus’ call (denial, surrender, or dependence) feels most challenging to you right now? Why?

4. If Jesus is most compelling to the “poor in spirit.” What do you think that means in real, everyday life?

5. Where in your life do you feel most self-sufficient? How might that make it harder to follow Jesus?

6. Think about the contrast: people who were desperate ran toward Jesus, while the comfortable often walked away. Where do you see yourself in that spectrum?

7. If there were no fear of hell and no promise of reward, what would make Jesus worth following to you personally?

8. How does the idea that “love invites but doesn’t pressure” change the way we think about sharing faith with others?

Scripture for Reflection

Encourage the group to sit with a few of these slowly rather than rushing through all of them:

• Matthew 10:38–39
  “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me… whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

• Mark 8:34–36
  “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves… What good is it to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul?”

• Luke 14:27
  “Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

• John 6:66–69
  “From this time many of his disciples turned back… ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’”

• Matthew 5:3
  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

• Luke 5:31–32
  “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick… I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Practice for This Week: Choosing Dependence Over Self-Sufficiency

Each day this week, intentionally step into one small act of dependence on God:

• Start your day with a simple prayer: “I don’t have what I need on my own today, help me trust you.”

• Notice where you instinctively rely on control, comfort, or self-sufficiency (decisions, stress, relationships). Pause and invite God into that moment.

• Choose one concrete act that reflects Jesus’ way (forgiveness, generosity, serving someone, honesty), even when it costs you.

At the end of the week, reflect:

• Where did I resist dependence?

• Where did I experience life when I let go of control?