Icebreaker

Tell us something about your name.  What does it mean?  Why were you given it?  What do you like, or dislike, about it?

Read verses 17-19

Which of these men do we know most about?  And which do we know least about?

What do you think these disciples were expecting when they first responded to Jesus’ call to follow him?

Look back at Luke 1:1-4.  What aspects of this list of disciples gives us confidence that they were reliable ‘eyewitnesses’ of Jesus?

What does it mean for Christ’s church to have been built ‘on the foundation of the apostles’ (Ephesians 2:20)?

Read verses 20-26

Which two groups of people are being addressed here?

What is most people’s idea of a ‘good life’?  How does that contrast with what Jesus is teaching here?

Jesus says that a disciple must be willing to embrace poverty, hunger, sorrow and rejection.  Does this leave no room for satisfaction and enjoyment?  What example did he himself set in this regard?

What can Jesus’ friends expect here, and what can they expect hereafter?  How does this contrast with what he says about those who reject him?

Read verses 27-36

Jesus commands: “Love your enemies.”  How does God treat his enemies?  In what ways does Jesus himself set an example of love for enemies?

What sorts of hostility do Jesus’ disciples face today?  (Think of legislators, media, colleagues, close family members and so on).  Have you experienced any of this hostility yourself?

What does this passage have to say to those who teach that material wealth, success, popularity, and pleasure are the expected norm for Christians today?

Looking back over the entire passage, what do you find the most difficult, challenging, surprising or exciting?