Parent Connection: HSM
Series: “Radical”
Focus: What does it mean to truly follow Jesus?
Family Discussion:
There’s a myth floating around that following Jesus is easy. You just pray and read the Bible, try to do some good stuff, and call it a day. But that’s not the radical life that we see Jesus living in the Scripture. The Gospels are loaded with stories of Jesus breaking traditions and baffling the religious leaders. He was radical, and if we are to follow Him, we must be just as radical in our obedience.
“I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming.
He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that
I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” -John 14:30-31
One of the most radical things we can do in following Jesus is to simply obey. We see Jesus’ obedience to the Father even in His death on the cross as not just a sacrifice for our sins, but an example of how to radically obey.
Discussion Questions:
- What was the last decision you made for God that could be seen as radical?
- When did you last obey God when you really didn’t want to?
- How do you think that praying and reading the Bible fit in with obedience?
- If you obeyed God every time you had the chance, how would your life look differently?
- What’s keeping you from the radical obedience that Jesus modeled?
It’s certainly not easy to follow Jesus. That’s why in Luke 14 Jesus tells us to count the cost before committing to it. But when you are in love with Him, and you have a relationship, not just a “get-out-of-Hell-free” card, the cost becomes worth it, and the obedience that may seem so radical right now will be absolutely worth it. Following Jesus is radical. Listen and obey, and know that you aren’t doing it alone!
