Follow 5 – The Fine Print (Mark 8:27-38)

Welcome to CROLCC, we are so glad you are here! Before we talk about today’s topic, can I ask what you are wearing to church today? If you have no idea why I am asking this question you can ask the ones who were here last week. Better yet, you can go online and listen to last week’s message and process the questions and you will know why we were talking about Christian dress code. If we could tell who people are following by what they wear, then what should we wear if we are followers of Jesus? How could people tell that you are a Jesus’ follower? That’s what we talked about last week.

We have been saying throughout this series that Jesus invited misbehavers and unbelievers to follow him during his time on earth. We are all invited to follow him. You are invited to follow him. But there’s something you need to know about following Jesus. It will cost you something eventually. It may cost you money, career advancement, or even relationships. That’s because Jesus offers us the choice of denying ourselves now or losing ourselves later. But you’ll find that when you pay the price for following Jesus, you’ll be glad you did.

Moving Forward

Salvation is a free gift. It costs us nothing. Following Jesus eventually costs us something. But your soul is worth more than whatever following Jesus costs you. God has been faithful to you in the past and he will continue to be faithful to you during challenging seasons. One day, you’ll look back on the price you had to pay, the things you had to give up, and you’ll be glad you chose to follow Jesus.

Discussion Questions

1. When you were a child, what did you dream your adulthood would be like? How does your current reality align with those childhood dreams?

2. Talk about a time when you knew you were supposed to do something that was difficult. Did you do it? What was the outcome?

3. Have you ever seen someone else pay a price for his or her decision to follow Jesus? How did that person’s experiences influence your own faith?

4. Has your faith ever cost you something? If so, how has paying that cost changed your relationship with God?

5. Read Mark 8:34–36. How do Jesus’ words challenge you? In what ways do they give you comfort?

6. Are you currently being nudged to do something, say something, quit something, start something, or give up something? What can this group do to support you?