Follow Me, Part 1: Jesus’s Invitation
January 5, 2025

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Message Review

Many people have come to equate Christianity with believing in all the right things and behaving in all the right ways.  But Jesus didn’t call us believers or behavers; instead, His invitation was, “Follow Me.”

Main Point: Jesus doesn’t call us to be believers or behavers. He invites us to be His followers.

Scripture References: Matthew 9:9-13

Bible Study      

The focus Bible passage from the sermon was Matthew 9:9-13. Before going to the Sermon Discussion Questions, study the passage by reading through it together, then talk through it using the following Inductive Bible Study Method questions that follow:

  • Context: Discuss the context of this passage (Use the Bible Overview to learn the context)

  • Observation: What do you notice in this passage? What words or phrases stick out to you? And why?

  • Interpretation: What was Jesus’ original intent in this passage? What main point(s) was he trying to communicate, and why is that important?

  • Application: What is one key takeaway or insight you had from this passage? How can or should you apply it to your life?

  • Questions: What questions/tensions do you have from this passage that you want to discuss?

Discussion Questions

  • What were your initial thoughts or takeaways from the sermon?

  • Did you make any New Year’s resolutions/goals this year concerning faith or spirituality?  If so, what are they, and why did you reach that resolution/goal?

  • Like the childhood game “Simon Says,” to many people, Christianity can feel like a game of “Jesus Says.”  Has it ever felt like that to you?  How has that affected your spiritual journey? 

  • People often associate religion with God, Jesus, the church, or faith. Jesus connected the reason for His coming with a different word: Relationship. 

    • What is the difference between religion and relationship with God?

    • How can we tell if we view God through a religious or a relational lens? 

  • Read Matthew 9:9-13 as a group.

    • What made Jesus' invitation to Matthew to “Follow Me" so amazing?

    • Why did the Pharisees question Jesus about dining at Matthew’s house?

    • Who did Jesus “come to call”?  Who are sinners?

  • Jesus doesn’t call us to be believers or behavers. He invites us to be His followers.  What is the difference between being a believer, a behaver, and a follower of Jesus?

  • Ronnie said four statements about Jesus’ invitation to “Follow Me.”  Discuss each of the following four statements and what the significance of each means for you

    • (1) Being a sinner does not disqualify you; it’s a prerequisite

    • (2) Having doubts and unbelief doesn’t disqualify you; none of Jesus’ earliest followers believed

    • (3) The invitation to follow Jesus is purely an invitation to a relationship

    • (4) Actively following Jesus forces you to focus on where you are rather than where you are not

  • Have you accepted Jesus’ invitation to “Follow Me” by putting your faith in Him, asking Him to be the Forgiver of your Sin and Leader of your life?  If not, what’s stopping you from doing that today?

  • If you have put your faith in Jesus, are you actively following Him?

To watch or listen to Sunday’s sermon, visit our Sermons page.