"Upside-down Love" // March 16, 2025

READ: LUKE 6:27-36

1. What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?

2. This week’s teaching focuses on one of Jesus' most challenging commands: to love our enemies, do good to them, and expect nothing in return. When someone hates us or wrongs us, we typically respond in one of two ways: by fighting back or by retreating. But Jesus rejects both options, urging us to ”do good, bless them, and pray for them.” He introduces a new approach to human relationships, which moves beyond the typical "negative reciprocity" (evil for evil) and "balanced reciprocity" (good for good). Instead, Jesus teaches "gospel reciprocity," where evil is met with good!

   a. Do you naturally fight back or do you retreat? Which response do you typically gravitate toward when someone wrongs you?

3. Identify Your Enemy. We live in a culture where we are constantly encouraged, through social media and politics, to view certain people or groups as enemies threatening our values, resources, and way of life. We also experience "temporary" enemies—people close to us - who may oppose us or create conflict, making them feel like enemies. Jesus does not say His disciples will not have enemies; in fact, He assumes they will, and wants us to recognize both the obvious and more subtle enemies in life.

   a. What/who are the enemies we are told to have? How can we actively resist the cultural pressure (ie. social media, news, politics) to label certain groups or individuals as enemies?

   b. Is there a person/group that you have a hard time blessing or speaking well of? Praying for? Seeking good for?

4. Commit to Loving Your Enemy. Jesus tells us that we should not seek revenge or repay harm with harm. Instead, our reaction should be based on a commitment to the enemy’s ultimate good, regardless of their actions. (Read Romans 12:19-21) In addition, Jesus does not tell us to be a passive doormat but rather to show strength and resolve, showing our enemies that we are not controlled by their mistreatment but that we are choosing to respond with love and goodness. We can respond with the surprise counterattack of good.

1. How can we be like Jesus, who did not strike back and who did not shrink back? What would this look like for us at our workplace, in our relationships with family members and friends?

2. How might your relationships change if you approached those who mistreat you with a commitment to their ultimate good, responding with love and goodness instead of retaliation or passivity?

5. Remember How You Have Been Loved As An Enemy. Read verses 35-36 and reflect on this: A Christian is someone who knows, better than anyone else, how God treats his enemies. A Christian is someone who knows how they have been treated as an enemy of God. We struggle with Jesus' command to love our enemies because we fail to see ourselves as reconciled enemies of God. We often view ourselves as neutral, not recognizing that all sin is hostility toward God. The Bible reveals that while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son (Romans 5:8-10). You were once alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions BUT now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death. (Colossians 1:20-22)

1. According to vv. 35-36, what is the basis or foundation of Jesus’ command to love our enemies? Does this provide you with the strength to achieve what often seems impossible - to love your enemies?

2. Think about Jesus’ body and blood shed for us on the cross. Does this image suggest a passive response to His enemies? How is His death on the cross a demonstration of love displayed in beauty, strength and power toward his enemies?

3. Do you struggle to see yourself as an enemy of God who was reconciled to God through the death of His Son?

4. How might your response to your enemies change if you truly believed you are a reconciled enemy of God?

BONUS RESOURCE: This teaching of Jesus can be particularly difficult for those in relationships marked by ongoing mistreatment and abuse. Jesus’ teaching does not mean we don’t confront abuse, fail to create boundaries and ensure our/others’ safety. But if retaliation and passivity are not options, what are someone’s options in these situations? The best resource I know of for this is the book Bold Love by Dan Allender and Tremper Longman.

“Upside-down Blessing” // March 9, 2025

read: Luke 6:20-26

1. What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions? 

2. The word “Blessed” translates in Greek to "Makarios", which means “truly happy or flourishing,” far beyond the shallow concept of happiness we often use in our everyday language. In this passage, Jesus lays out the way of life for a disciple who lives a truly happy, flourishing, blessed life. 

a. What is your honest reaction after reading this passage? 

b. What questions does it raise? 

3. The Blessed Life. Every culture and every person has a picture of the good life in their mind and heart. On Jesus’ list of a good life – happy are the poor, hungry, weeping, the hated and the rejected. Why? There is something about being in a state of need, longing, grieving, and rejection that opens us up, makes us receptive, to the true, deep happiness that is found in the kingdom of God. 

a. What is on your list of things that characterize “the good life”? (ex. career, family, money, health, etc.) 

b. How can seasons of need, grief, or social rejection be opportunities to experience the deeper happiness Jesus promises? Have you experienced this? How can we cultivate a heart that is receptive to the true happiness that is found in the kingdom of God? 

4. The Woeful Life. "Woe" in this context is not a curse, but an expression of deep pity and sorrow for those experiencing profound misery. Everyone has a “woe” list – a list of things we wish we’d never have to experience – but on Jesus’ woe list are people who are rich, full, laughing and well-liked by everyone. Again, in his upside-down kingdom, there is something about being in a state of wealth, comfort, complacent laughter that closes us off, makes us more likely to resist the true and deep happiness that is found in the kingdom of God.

a. What is on your “woe” list? What are things that you wish you’d never have to experience? 

b. Do you sense that your desire for comfort, wealth, or social status is hindering your openness to the deeper happiness and transformation that is only found in the Kingdom of God? 

c. In what ways can we challenge ourselves to embrace the “upside down way of Jesus”, especially when we are tempted to hold on to the comfort and security that this world offers? For parents: how should this impact our parenting? What we model for our kids? 

5. How to get the blessed life. We all have a picture of the "blessed life" based on who or what we trust—whether it's ourselves, culture, or social media—but Jesus offers a radically different view of happiness and flourishing. Jesus not only lived the upside-down life of blessing, experiencing poverty, hunger, weeping, and rejection, but He did so for a specific purpose: to give us true happiness and flourishing! He became poor, hungry, rejected, and sorrowful (lived the upside down blessed life) so that ultimately we can be invited to the kingdom of God and be turned right side up. 

a. How can we trust Jesus more deeply and align our lives with the values of His Kingdom, even when it feels so difficult and countercultural? b. Practically, on a daily basis, what would the life of a disciple of Jesus look like? In what specific areas of your life do you feel challenged to be more radically generous, to let go of comforts, and live out the blessed, truly happy life as Jesus’ disciple? 

c. How might the Lord be calling you to bring the “blessed life” to the world, especially to those who are poor, hungry, grieving, or rejected?

Jesus the Bridegroom // March 2, 2025

READ: Luke 5:27-39 

1. Icebreaker question: What is the best wedding you’ve been to as a guest? What about the wedding made it so special? 

2. What is your first reaction to the idea of “Lent”? Do you find yourself feeling drawn to it or skeptical towards it? Why do you think the practice of fasting and mindfulness/meditation is trending in our culture today? 

3. Jesus is the bridegroom. When questioned about why He and His disciples aren't fasting and praying, Jesus used the analogy of a wedding celebration. Just as a wedding is a time for feasting, His presence with His disciples is a time for joy, not fasting. While the Pharisees were so caught up in spiritual disciplines and practices, Jesus wants us to first understand that He is like a bridegroom who has come for his bride to start the wedding and feast with his bride. 

a. What are some barriers to seeing Jesus as our Bridegroom? What difference would it make to see Jesus first as your Bridegroom before entering into spiritual practices, i.e. prayer, reading Scripture, fasting? 

4. One of the great themes of the whole storyline of the Scripture is God’s relationship to His people as the relationship between a groom and a bride. (See Jeremiah 2:2, Hosea 2:18, Isaiah 54:4, Isaiah 62:4-5) In order to get ready for the Groom and longing for His coming, the Pharisees fasted at least twice a week. But when Jesus actually came and showed himself to them, they completely missed Him, because they thought their fasting and praying was what would win them the love of the bridegroom. 

a. In what ways might we also “miss Him” by believing our actions make us more "spiritually attractive" to Him? How can we shift our focus to embrace God's unconditional love instead? 

b. Do you see yourself in the Pharisees, who faulted Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners? How can we guard against the subtle temptation to view others as less deserving of God's love based on their actions or (lack of) spiritual practices?

5. A disciple is someone who knows they are passionately loved by Jesus, not because of their spiritual attractiveness or beauty, but despite their being utterly spiritually unattractive. A disciple of Jesus is someone who is set free from this pressure and knows that none of these things is why they are loved. Rather, a mark of a true disciple is a joyful refreshing honesty about their shortcomings and weaknesses. 

a. How can God who is pure, perfect, faithful in his love, who is utterly and unimaginably beautiful in his holiness, beauty and glory unite himself to an unfaithful, impure and sinful bride? Read Ephesians 5:25-27 for hint. 

b. In light of Jesus' sacrificial love, what helps you to embrace and confess our weaknesses and shortcomings without fear of judgment, and instead, find freedom in His unconditional grace? Do you struggle with this? 

6. Why disciples of Jesus need spiritual practices. If you are a disciple of Jesus, we do not fast or observe regular times of prayer to earn love, attention and affection from Jesus. Instead, we fast and pray because we are loved and want to purify and direct our love, attention and affection to Him. Jesus compares spiritual practices to drinking new wine. When we become new people because of the love of Jesus, fasting and regular prayer become like that wine – a drink served at a wedding feast, where the whole purpose is joyful connection and communion. What a beautiful image of spiritual disciplines! 

a. How would you like to grow in the spiritual practice of regular prayer time? What changes can you make in your prayer life to focus more on deepening your relationship with Him? 

b. Fasting is the practice of saying no to lesser loves to direct our heart to our first love. Why do you think fasting, in particular, is such a powerful spiritual practice to experience intimate communion with Jesus? In what areas of your life could fasting help you focus more on Jesus’ love for you and less on distractions or desires?

Jesus the Healer // February 23, 2025

read: Luke 5:12-26

1. What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions? 

2. Does the version of Jesus in our minds match the Jesus of the Scripture? There are many different versions of Jesus out there today, e.g., the conservative Jesus, the progressive Jesus, the morally intense Jesus, the accepting Jesus. Specifically in this passage, we see Jesus as Healer, and we are challenged to see a true, full version of Jesus, one who is not small or limited. 

a. How might your version of Jesus be too small or limited? How do the different versions of Jesus out there influence (positively or negatively) your understanding of who Jesus really is? 

3. Jesus is the healer of our bodies. In v. 12-14, Jesus heals a man with leprosy and in v. 17-26, Jesus heals a man with a type of paralysis. We see clearly that Jesus values the body, showing that His ministry is not solely focused on the soul, but also on the physical well-being of people. Through his healing of physical bodies, He demonstrates a deep compassion for their bodily suffering, expressing His desire to heal, not just the soul, but the body as well. 

a. In what ways does our world devalue or treat the body as just a “husk” or container for the soul? Like Jesus, how can Christians value and dignify the body? 

4. “Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him…” v. 13. Jesus goes beyond just wanting to heal the man's body by physically touching him, an act that would have shocked others and made Him ceremonially unclean. Jesus offers a powerful expression of value and affirmation for the human body, showing His deep compassion for those others might avoid. 

a. In a world where the sick and vulnerable are pushed out of sight, how should we approach and care for those who are sick in our communities today?

5. Jesus is the healer of our relationships. The leper’s illness also had deep social and relational impact and made him an outcast. Jesus' healing goes beyond physical restoration, as He instructs the man to follow the proper steps to be reintegrated into the community. (v. 14) Jesus values the health of our relationships and His healing power extends to the areas of loneliness and relational brokenness. It also challenges any version of Christianity that focuses solely on private faith. Instead, Jesus calls us into community and relationships with others. 

a. So much of the self-help, life-hack, self-care advice in the world and in the church is DIY. Do it yourself. But Jesus came to heal us from DIY spirituality. He came to heal us with a DIWO spirituality. Do it with others. In verse 20, Jesus saw “their” faith, then healed the paralyzed man. Think about your relationships with others. In your life, who needs your help in getting to Jesus? 

b. When you are feeling spiritually or relationally stuck, who do you have in your life who can help you to get to Jesus? Name at least one person. (And let them know!) 

6. Jesus is the Healer of our souls. The deepest healing He offers is not only physical, because the root of all true healing is forgiveness of sins. “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (v. 20) Jesus explains that the sin that separates us from God is the source of all that corrupts and harms us, and without addressing it, any other healing would just be temporary. But if we have the forgiveness of our sins, all our other healing is guaranteed in Christ. How? Jesus went to the cross for our sins. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 

a. What does it mean to be forgiven? How does forgiveness guarantee our eventual full and complete healing in every other area of life? How can knowing this help us as we wait on Jesus for the full, complete healing of our bodies, relationships and souls? 

b. In what areas of your life do you tend to focus on the "symptoms" of your problems rather than addressing the root issue of sin and forgiveness? How might the understanding that forgiveness of sins is the deepest and hardest healing change your relationship with Jesus?

Jesus the Discipler // February 16, 2025

read: Luke 5:1-11, 27-32

1. What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions? 

2. The closest definition of a “discipler” can be found in Luke 6:40: “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” In other words, discipleship is training, not just of the mind, but of the whole life to be like the teacher. Discipleship is learning to become like the discipler. 

a. How does this perspective change your understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus? 

3. These two stories are about two very different people – Simon/Peter and Levi - and they have very little in common. Peter was a fisherman (making an honest living) and Levi was a tax collector (exploiting those who make an honest living). Yet, in this story, they both meet Jesus and become His disciples.. 

a. Despite their differences, what do they have in common when they encounter Jesus? (See v. 8 and v. 30) Do you find their reactions surprising? Why or why not? 

b. What does it mean to admit that you are a sinner? How is knowing that you are a sinner different from just admitting that you are imperfect, or sometimes that you make mistakes? 

4. When Peter got a glimpse of who Jesus really is, he did not get closer to Him with peace and tranquility. The opposite happened - Peter fell down and said “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man!” In the Bible, what happened to Peter here is what happens to everyone who gets a glimpse of God (Prophet Isaiah, Ezekiel and John). Seeing ourselves as a sinner is seeing ourselves in light of the holy and awesome and fearful presence of the Lord Almighty. 

a. How does seeing ourselves in light of God's holiness, rather than in comparison to others, deepen our understanding of sin? Our need for discipleship? 

b. When was the last time you experienced a moment of being "rendered immovable" (v.9) by the glory and the holiness of God's presence? How did it change your view of God, your view of yourself and your relationship with Him?

5. How Jesus calls His disciples: There are three steps that show us how Jesus calls disciples. 

a. First, He sees them. (v. 2 and v. 27) Jesus does not see them as how others see them in their culture and society. Jesus sees them as people who can admit their sin and need. He sees them as people that He can teach and train to become like Him and He can use them in ways no one could ever imagine. 

i. How do you view yourself? Do you see yourself like the way Jesus sees you? What are some factors that hinder you from seeing yourself the way Jesus sees you? 

ii. Do you see people like the way Jesus sees them? 

b. Second, Jesus draws near to them. He does not draw near to them like throwing out a cockroach or taking out garbage. But He reclines at the table with them - with acceptance, fellowship and shared standing. This is the heart of the Gospel. When sin comes into the presence of Jesus Christ – it doesn’t push him away and it doesn’t drive him away. When sin comes into the presence of Jesus Christ – He pushes it away, he drives it away, its guilt and its shame. 

i. Do you know that Jesus draws near to you when you confess your sinfulness to him? Do you know that when you see your own sin and feel like no one can accept you - even then, that Jesus draws near to you? 

ii. Do you feel tempted to figure out your sins THEN go to Jesus? Do you feel guilty going to Jesus WITH your sins? How does understanding that Jesus drives away sin, rather than being repelled by it, change our approach to repentance and coming to Him with our struggles? 

c. Third, Jesus says “Follow Me.” This does not mean first, take care of your issues, or first, resolve your questions. No, Jesus makes it very simple. Follow Him, watch Him, listen to Him. 

i. When life feels complicated or we’re struggling with questions, how can we simplify our approach by focusing on the simple call of Jesus to “Follow Me,” and what might that look like for you right now? 

6. For both Peter and Levi, when Jesus calls them to be his disciples, they leave everything and follow Him. Verse 31 can help us understand what this means: “Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick…” The more serious the sickness is, the more there would be absolutely no question that we’d leave everything behind to get to the doctor who has the cure! 

a. In what areas of our lives might Jesus be calling us to leave behind certain comforts, priorities, or attachments? 

b. How does understanding our need for His healing, like a sick person seeking a physician, help us recognize what we may need to let go of in order to follow Him?