1. God often calls His soldiers (us) to do something uncomfortable for us, and it will always be something beyond our abilities. Despite this, we know that His orders are always good for us. Since we know God is good, and that all things work together for the good that loves Him, we should trust whatever He’s calling us into and enlist with enthusiasm. Think back to when you first decided to commit your life to Christ. What aspect of following Jesus excited you the most? Has that changed, and if so, how?
2. In Luke 9:49-56 we see James and John let their enthusiasm for Jesus turn into tribalism as they attempt to stop people who “weren’t with us” and even considered calling fire to strike someone down. Jesus rebuked them because this is not the spirit in which He came, but many of us still find ourselves wanting to turn our power on others. It’s especially saddening when we aim it at other Christians since “no house divided can stand.” Why do you think it’s so common for people who claim to follow Jesus to turn on each other? What can you do to combat this attitude in yourself and others?
3. After we’ve gotten proper training and received the Holy Spirit, Jesus sends us into the world to disciple, baptize, and teach (Matt. 28:18-20). Sometimes, we allow our families to be our world, not obeying Jesus’ command to go to all nations. We may not all be called to do overseas missions or even to leave our state, but each of us are called to minister to more than our families. What’s the furthest you’ve allowed yourself to go while following this instruction? What’s preventing you from going further?