Begin with opening ice-breaker, like “Let’s suppose it’s Friday night after a terribly busy week, how would you like to spend it?” and then have some one pray as you get started with discussion questions.
1) Is there anything God is showing you through your studies this week that you would like to share? Generally speaking, what have you learned, or what questions do you have, or what are you getting out of this series so far?
2) Does anyone remember the memory verse from week one, week two, week three, week four, week five, week six or week seven?
3) THIS week the memory verse is:
Luke 14:33
(33) Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
4) This week we are looking at Reality #6. As a group see if you can remember the first five realities in order.
This week’s – (6) You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.
5) What are ways God leads us to adjust to him in how we THINK. About people? About issues? About biblical principles that we struggle with? For example, has God ever led you to let go of a prejudice, hurt, or preconceived notion that would keep you from being ‘the hands and feet’ of God in another person’s life? What about in the area of obedience? A sin or behavior pattern that God has led us to give up before we can ‘go with him’ in the next stage of our relationship with him?
6) WHY does God lead us to adjust to him? Why is this important? What is God doing when he asks us to adjust to him? WHY is His way best, and do we really believe this?
7) What about BIG adjustments? Has God ever led you to make a major life adjustment, such as ending an unhealthy relationship, changing jobs, moving, stepping into a ministry role, letting go of something you really wanted?
8) Have someone read Luke 14:31-33
9) The BIG IDEA here is the reality of SURRENDER. This is the emphasis in the passage from Luke 14 (below). What does it mean for us as disciples of Jesus to truly have a spirit of surrender to God? Are their patterns/thoughts in our life that indicate that we are not surrendered to God? What are reasons we may fear the idea of total surrender to God?
10) Luke 14:33 is a HUGE statement from Jesus! Really think through what Jesus meant by this. What does it look like for us to say “Yes” to this call from Jesus? If this is frightening, then why? What is it in us that would hold us back from saying “yes, I trust Jesus enough”, to have this spirit of total surrender?
11) What is the alternative to absolute surrender to Jesus?
12) Can you think of some people in the Bible who made adjustments to God, and what adjustments did they have to make? What was the result?
13) Can you think of some people in the Bible who were asked to make adjustments but did NOT adjust? What was God asking them to do? What was the result?
14) Do you see any adjustments God is asking you to make?
*CLOSE IN PRAYER, asking for God’s perspective on our willingness and action to surrender to Him!