Follow (3) – Fearless (Matthew 10:16-31, 1 John 4:18)

We have been in this series Follow and I hope that no matter where you are on this journey of following Jesus you have been encouraged. Last week we talked about the four stages of following Jesus –listening and learning; taking a small, inconvenient step; allowing Jesus to do something unusual in one area of your life; and surrendering all aspects of your life to him. Did you know you the fact that you are reading this you are currently in one of these four stages? But don’t stay there, Jesus is inviting you to take that next step, and when your faith intersects with his faithfulness, you will realize why He is your Lord and Savior.

Now the next logical question would be sure, we want to follow Jesus, but where is he leading? What is the payoff to following him? Is it being a better person? Is it life in Heaven after we die? Is it a pain-free life? If you follow Jesus, you will be a better person. If you follow him, you will go to Heaven. If you follow him, you won’t have a pain-free life. But that’s okay because Jesus offers much more—a faith so strong it frees us from fear.

Moving Forward

Have you ever met someone who is choosing to trust God through enormously difficult circumstances? Did you find yourself wanting some of that? That’s where following Jesus leads. Over and over in the gospels, that’s where he points people. The Sermon on the Mount is a picture of what a life of perfect faith looks like.

Discussion Questions

1. Do you tend to be a worrier or do you deal with circumstances as they come?

2. What circumstances, consequences, or possibilities do you fear? How does that fear limit your choices in life?

3. Think about a time when you felt close to God. Were your circumstances at that time good or bad? How did those circumstances, good or bad, influence your relationship with God?

4. Have you ever met someone who was choosing to trust God through difficult circumstances? What impressed you about that person? Can you imagine yourself having a faith like that? Why or why not?

5. What circumstances do you face right now that you need to entrust to God? What worries are you struggling with that you need to entrust to God? What can this group do to support you?