Message Notes
Look Back
What did you learn about God in your moments of pain this week?
Look Up
Read Luke 18:18-21
- What specifically did the leader desire according to Luke 18:18? How common is this and how much time, thought and energy do people typically put into answering this question and why?
- What can a person “do” to inherit something from another person? What does the leader’s question of Jesus say about the leader’s relationship with Jesus?
Read Exodus 20:3-17
- What commandments from Exodus 20 were not mentioned by Jesus in Luke 18? What do the “missing” commandments have in common and how are they relevant to the leader’s desire?
- What do these commandments say about how God views “riches” and relationships? Which commandment is the most challenging for you to understand and apply in your life?
Read Luke 18:22-27 / In Luke 18:22, Jesus challenges the man to do “one” thing, that actually involves 3 steps, or separate actions. What was required for the man to act on Jesus’ command?
- What does the man’s response to Jesus say about his relationship with Jesus and other people? Why is it so hard for a “rich” person to enter the Kingdom of God and how is this related to God’s command in Exodus 20:17?
- What does Jesus’ answer to the people in Luke 18:27 say about Jesus and God? How easy or difficult is it for you to accept this truth?
Overall (Discovery Bible Study)
- What do these scriptures say about God?
- What do they say about people?
- How will I apply this to my life?
Look Ahead
What’s the “one” thing you lack? What’s the “one” thing holding you back from surrendering to God and allowing HIM to transform you?
Notes
Jesus challenges His followers to follow Him into a relationship that transforms our desires, perspective and actions. However, we often seek a “transactional” relationship where we feel like we can influence and control the outcome by doing “good” things. Jesus challenges this thinking and reminds us that we have a loving God who wants our heart, even when we are least likely to surrender it. God wants to, and is able to transform us, but not without our permission.
