Week 5: What Good Is It For A Man To Gain The Whole World?

September 4 & 7

  • Jesus refrains for His followers what Messiahship means… suffering before glory.

  • Matthew 16:24

  • To be a disciple you must:

  1. Give up your own way.

  2. Take up your cross.

  3. Follow me.

  • Matthew 16:25

  • The more you let go for Jesus’ sake, the more life you find.

  • Matthew 13:44

  • What do you need to lose this week?

  • Matthew 16:26

  • Antallagma - ransom price

  • What would you trade your soul for? What’s your price?

  • Matthew 16:27-28

  • The cross is not the end of the story…glory is coming!

[d]Group questions

  1. Read Matthew 16:24-28 with your group.

  2. Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Where in your life do you struggle most with letting go of control and letting Jesus lead?

  3. What are some practical ways you can “lose your life for Jesus’ sake” this week—things you might need to release in order to know Him more deeply?

  4. Jesus asks, “What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” What’s the “exchange” you’re most tempted to make—what competes for your soul’s attention and affection?

  5. When you think about Jesus paying the ransom for your soul with His blood, how does that reshape the way you see your worth and your daily choices?

Prayer Prompt

Take time as a group to pray for strength against what was shared in question 4. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us away from those temptations and back to what Jesus has for us.