Sometimes your religious experience may leave you with a tame view of Jesus rather than a revolutionary leader who ultimately was executed by the authorities of his day.  Not only were many of Jesus’ disciples executed for their faith, Jesus’ followers all over the world today are killed for what they say and do!  You are also called to do more than revere Jesus but follow him into the trenches of life.

• Does your personal image of Jesus reflect a nice man who has pet sheep or a revolutionary who was executed for insurrection?
• How has this perception affected your Christian walk?

Read Matthew 4:18-22.  The first disciples were personally invited by Jesus to follow him and they readily did, but that meant a lot more than what today’s western culture understands.  The tradition of Rabbi and student in Jesus’ culture not only reflected being hand selected but being chosen to fully devote their whole life to the Rabbi.  Even though Jesus’ first disciples were chosen totally unexpectedly, they had been previously rejected and working at their father’s trade, they were expected now to totally give their lives, thought and energy to Jesus.

• Describe a time you were unexpectedly chosen to do something significant.  How did that make you feel?
• Does your relationship with Jesus inspire you to be a true follower of Jesus’ practices and lifestyle? Explain.

Read Luke 6:40.  It was through the relationship with the Rabbi that the disciples learned about the Rabbi’s life, teaching, habits, and actions.  In fact the students would literally live with the Rabbi, go wherever the Rabbi went, eat what the Rabbi ate, and sleep when the Rabbi slept.  It was in totally replicating the Rabbi’s life and life rhythm that they too would become just like their Rabbi.  Jesus’ goal with his disciples was the same; that they would become like him and replicate all that he did and said, so that they would live and love like God!

• How is your lifestyle/your actions like Jesus’ lifestyle/actions?  How is it different?
• Do you need to follow Jesus more closely?  What do you think that will entail?

Read Luke 14:16-24.  To accept Jesus’ invitation to follow, you must first realign your life priorities.  Like described in the parable of the banquet, material possessions, work, and relationships often keep people from experiencing the abundance of God’s kingdom.  It’s also too easy to settle into a religion of convenience, revering Jesus rather than following him in a lifestyle of sacrificial service.

• What keeps you from participating in God’s abundant banquet: material possessions, work or relationships?
• Have you moved beyond revering Jesus toward replicating Jesus? How are you replicating Jesus in your life today?
• Describe your own “drop your net” moment to the group.
• What do you hear Jesus calling you to do today?