community group notes
INTRODUCTION
We've all tried to run from something. A conversation. A calling. A nudge from God we didn't want to hear. Three thousand years ago Jonah ran too —and he ran hard in the opposite direction. But God's mercy is relentless. You can run from God, but you can't outrun Him.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. When have you tried to run away — as a kid or as an adult? What were you running from?
2. Is there something God is nudging you toward right now that you keep avoiding? What makes it hard to say yes?
3. Read Jonah 1:1-4 and Proverbs 3:12. Jonah didn't just run FROMGod — he ran TO Tarshish. Where do you tend to run TO? What if the hard thing in your life is God's pursuit, not His punishment?
4. Reluctant to obey. Reluctant to follow Jesus. Which one is you right now? What's one step you can take this week to stop running?
CHANGING YOUR MIND
Because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. PROVERBS 3:12 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
We've all hit rock bottom. The moment options run out. The moment hope runs out. Three thousand years ago Jonah hit bottom in the belly of a fish. And he prayed. His prayer wasn't perfect. But one word turned everything around — "yet." Running ends where repentance begins.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. When have you hit rock bottom — or a mini rock bottom? What did it feel like when the options ran out?
2. When you were there, what did you reach for (a prayer, a person, a drink, a distraction)? Where did you actually turn?
3. Read Jonah 2:1-4. Jonah's prayer starts in distress and pivots on one word: "yet." What in your life right now needs a "yet"?
4. The sermon named three grace truths: I don't deserve it. I can't earn it. God saved us anyway. Which one is hardest for you to fully believe? What changes this week when you do?
CHANGING YOUR MIND
"But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, 'Salvation comes from the Lord.'" Jonah 2:9 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
Most of us are trying to be good, not perfect (we gave up on that), just good. Nineveh got “good” down. Fasting, sackcloth, the king in the dust. And two generations later they were right back where they started. They turned from their violence, but they never turned to God. Jonah chapter three teaches us this valuable lesson: Turning “from” isn't the same as turning “to”.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What's something you've quit, and then quit again? What made it stick or not stick?
2. Where has willpower run out on you? What were you relying on to change?
3. Read Jonah 3:1-10. What stands out to you in these verses?
4. Read Jonah 3:5. Nineveh believed Elohim (the generic word for God), not Yahweh, His personal name. They changed their behavior without ever turning to Him. Where have you done the same thing?
5. What have you turned from but never turned to God about? Name it. What's one thing you bring to Him this week instead of just managing?
CHANGING YOUR MIND
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 2 CORINTHIANS 7:10 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
This week we kicked off our new series, Christian-ish, by looking at Jesus' invitation to count the cost of following Him. In Luke 14, Jesus didn't hide the terms and conditions of discipleship. Instead, He challenged the crowds to think carefully about what it means to truly surrender their lives to Him. Following Jesus is not simply adding Him to our lives or carrying the label "Christian." It is a call to place Him above everything else and trust that what He offers is worth whatever it may cost us.
As we discuss together, let's reflect on what we may be holding onto, what it means to fully surrender to Christ, and whether we have truly considered both the cost of following Jesus and the cost of not following Him.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. The sermon opened with the idea of "terms and conditions." Why do you think many people are willing to accept something without fully understanding what they are signing up for? How can that happen in our faith as well?
2. Read Luke 14:25-35. Jesus spoke challenging words to large crowds following Him. Why do you think Jesus seemed more interested in making disciples than attracting crowds?
3. The sermon contrasted viewing Jesus as a politician versus a mountain guide. Which picture stands out to you more, and why? How does each view change the way someone approaches following Jesus?
4. Jesus used the examples of building a tower and going to war to teach about counting the cost. What do these illustrations reveal about the commitment required to follow Christ?
5. In his message, Lance asked, "What am I willing to lose?" Which area is hardest for you to surrender to Jesus: relationships, finances, future plans, feelings, comfort, reputation, or something else? Why?
6. The sermon emphasized having an eternal perspective. How would your priorities change if you thought more often about eternity instead of just the next week, month, or year?
7. The statement was made: "Following Jesus will cost you. Not following Jesus will also cost you." Which side of that statement challenges you the most, and why?
8. If someone looked at your life right now, would they see someone who is part of the crowd or someone who is truly following Jesus? What evidence would support your answer?
CHANGING YOUR MIND
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. MATTHEW 16:25 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
This week, we explored the difference between being a FAN of Jesus and being a FOLLOWER of Jesus. We were challenged to move beyond selective obedience and partial surrender toward a life that is fully and completely ALL IN for Jesus.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. The sermon defined Selective Obedience as "the dangerous illusion that doing some of what God commands is enough - when it's
really disobedience in disguise." Where in your life have you found yourself being selectively obedient - obeying God only when it's convenient or comfortable?
2. Read Proverbs 21:3 - this passage says that doing what is right and just is more acceptable to God than sacrifice. In what ways are you tempted to substitute religious performance - church attendance, Bible reading, giving - for genuine heart surrender? What's the difference between the two in your daily life?
3. In John 6, many disciples walked away when following Jesus got hard. but the 12 stayed - not because they understood everything, but because they trusted Jesus completely. Has there been a moment in your life where you had to trust God through something you didn't fully understand? What did that look like?
4. Judas walked with Jesus for three years - heard every sermon, witnessed every miracle - and yet surrender never made it from his feet to his heart. What does that say about the difference between being close to Jesus and being surrendered to Him? What does genuine heart surrender look like practically?
5. The sermon described a FAN of Jesus vs. a FOLLOWER of Jesus. Honestly reflecting on your own life right now - which one best describes where you are? What would need to change to move from fan to follower?
6. Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew 9:13 "I desire mercy not sacrifice" - exposing that they had mastered religion but missed relationship. Where in your own life might you be checking religious boxes while missing what God actually wants from you - mercy, compassion, and knowing Him personally?
7. The invitation of this message was not to try harder but to surrender deeper. What is one specific area of your life that you have not fully surrendered to God? What is one practical step you can take this week toward full surrender in that area?
INTRODUCTION
This week, we discovered that idols are often good things that quietly become more important to us than God. God's jealousy is the loving, protective response of a Father who knows that nothing else can satisfy or sustain us the way He can. Jesus doesn't ask us to give up what is good because He wants less for us; He invites us to surrender anything that keeps us from experiencing what is best: a life centered on Him.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What’s one hobby, activity, or possession that you really enjoy? Why is it meaningful to you?
2. Read Matthew 19:16–22. The rich young ruler had wealth, morality, and influence, yet he still asked, “What do I still lack?” Why do you think he felt something was missing?
3. What are some “good things” that can quietly become more important than God?
4. Read Luke 10:38–42. Martha wasn’t doing anything sinful. Why do you think Jesus corrected her?
5. Have you ever found yourself so busy doing good things that you neglected your relationship with God? What did that look like?
CHANGING YOUR MIND
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” MATTHEW 6:33 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
This week we explored what it means to have genuine evidence of a relationship with Jesus. Jesus warned that knowing about Him isn't the same as truly knowing Him, and that authentic faith is demonstrated through a life that listens to His words and puts them into practice. As you discuss together, consider what evidence your life is producing and what it looks like to build your life on the firm foundation of Christ.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. If someone who didn't know you had to describe you in three words, what do you think they would say? What three words would you hope they would use?
2. Read Matthew 7:21-29. Jesus describes two builders who both heard His teaching and both experienced storms. What was the only difference between them, and why do you think that difference mattered so much?
3. The sermon challenged us to move from simply knowing about Jesus to actually knowing Jesus. What do you think is the difference between having information about Jesus and having a genuine relationship with Him?
4. The statement was made, "Information without application leads to frustration." What is one truth from Scripture that God has been asking you to put into practice rather than simply know?
5. The sermon reminded us that salvation is a gift of grace, but our lives should display evidence of that gift. Where have you seen the fruit of the Spirit growing in your life? Is there an area where you'd like to see more evidence of God's work?
6. If someone looked at your conversations, priorities, relationships, spending, and time over the past month, what evidence would they find that Jesus is shaping your life? What is one practical step you can take this week to make your faith more visible through the way you live?
CHANGING YOUR MIND
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Matthew 7:24 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
It is incredibly easy to view our faith through the world's transactional lens, mistakenly believing that our good works obligate God to move on our behalf.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever caught yourself treating a relationship—like a friendship, marriage, or work dynamic—as a transaction where you were strictly keeping score?
2. Have someone in the group read the parable in Matthew20:1–16. In this story, why were the workers who labored all day so angry with the landowner, and how does their reaction mirror our own frustrations with God at times?
3. In John’s message this week, he noted that "what God does for other people is none of our business." Why is it so tempting to compare our blessings or breakthroughs to others, and how does that breed envy?
4. A transactional faith often collapses during difficult seasons because we feel God "broke the contract." How does shifting from a contract mindset to a relational mindset help us find peace when life gets hard?
5. How does understanding that "your good works don't purchase God's good works"completely change the motivation behind your daily habits like prayer, giving, or serving?
CHANGING YOUR MIND
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)