Group Leader- Check-in with your group, take prayer requests, and pray before or after group discussion as appropriate.
Pastor David titled this message, Jesus was a Jaywalker. Make sure everyone in your group knows what jaywalking is and how it applies to this message.
Pastor David challenged us with these questions, "How well do we really know Jesus?" "How have we put Jesus in a box according to our comfort level?"
In the humor of his examples of Jesus' radical behavior, what made you laugh? What made you think?
- Examples: slept in a boat in a raging storm, was ok with offending people, had questionable friends, went to questionable places, procrastinated when urgency was requested, esteemed, empowered and at times depended on women for financial support, took a kid's lunch.
- Discuss the point of these humorous examples.
- What motivated Jesus to go against the grain of the cultural norms?
Have someone read the passage in Luke - the Demoniac. Take a few minutes as a group to unpack this story, verse by verse, in order to fully understand what was going on.
- How did Jesus push against the cultural norms of that time?
- Read John 7:24 (in the HCSB translation if possible).
- How did Jesus not allow human sight to distort Kingdom sight?
Discuss what it might look like to truly follow Jesus in such a way and brainstorm ideas on how your group could show radical love to those around you.
Close in prayer.
"Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.”
John 7:24 HCSB
Read
Luke 8:27-35
John 7:24
Reflect
How have we distorted the Jesus we actually see in Scripture?
How has our human sight distorted the people and situations we see around us?
What does it look like to follow this more "revolutionary" Jesus?
What holds us back?
Do
As a group, talk about specific ways to transform these concepts from idealistic words to tangible actions. Then offer ideas about how to take this "jaywalking" attitude into our neighborhoods and communities.