Welcome to week five of our summer series, Dinner with Jesus. This week, we discuss one of the most well-known stories from Jesus’ life and how it should challenge us today.
SHARE LIFE
Building healthy and life-giving relationships.
Updates
What has been new or challenging in your life since last time the group met? Spend 20–30 minutes checking in with each other.
Share Part of Your Story
What’s one of your favorite places to eat outside?
Prayer
What’s one thing your group can be praying for you about in your relationship with Jesus this summer?
PURSUE GOD
Taking next steps toward Christ together.
Have someone read Luke 9:10-17 aloud. What jumps out to you about the story?
The Host
Where is Jesus headed at the beginning of this story, and why? How does Jesus respond to seeing the crowd? What do you think sheep without a shepherd means?
How are we like sheep without a shepherd today? How would you feel if someone described you that way? Why is it crucial to recognize that is who we were?
Jesus provides them with truth and healing. How have you experienced that in your own life?
The Setting
Jesus is in an area known for zealot activity. Who were the zealots? Considering the setting, what do you think the crowd wants from Jesus?
The crowds had already decided what they wanted from Jesus and what kind of role he should play in their lives. What are some ways people do this in our culture?
We don’t follow Jesus to get where we are going. We follow Jesus to get where he is going. How does that apply to your life?
The People
What job does Jesus give the disciples? What do you think he wants them to learn?
We can’t accomplish what Jesus wants for us on our own. What are some commands of Jesus that we can’t pull off on our own?
Jesus asks the disciples for their inadequate resources. Have someone share about a time when they felt completely inadequate, but God used them.
How can we bring our inadequacies to God and simply give them to him? Where do you struggle to do this?
The Food
The crowd was looking for a new Moses. Who was Moses, and why was he so important? What are some ties between this story and Moses?
Jesus came to liberate people not from Rome, but from their sin. He came to offer himself to pay our sin debt and remove the power of sin over our lives. What questions does this bring up for you?
This past weekend, we celebrated communion. What’s the significance of communion? When you participate in communion, what are some of the emotions you feel? As a group, take some time to thank God for sending Jesus to free you from sin.
This week our conversation is about our view of Jesus. What’s one thing that challenged you? How can that change the way you think, feel or act this week?
INVEST IN OTHERS
Valuing people outside the group and outside the faith.
Discuss how you and your group can better engage the people in your life outside your small group.
Serve
Summer is often a busy time, but is also a good time to begin planning to serve as a group. Discuss ways your group serve together this summer. Maybe you can serve together at church or in the community. For ideas, visit adabible.org/serving.
Download a printable PDF here.