1.     How did this sermon speak to you?

2.     What social or cultural norms do you recognize that affect/shape your relationship with God?  How do those norms align with the Bible?

3.     Pastor Joe spoke about the difference between being a fan of Jesus and being a follower of Jesus.  In what ways are you more of a fan of Jesus than a follower?  How is God asking you to go beyond the norm, beyond a fan to a follower of Christ?

4.     Read Luke 9:57-58.  In essence, Jesus tells the man it would not be easy or comfortable to follow Him.  How important is your comfort in following Jesus?  Are you willing to give up comfort, security, and the “American” dream to follow Jesus?  Or is Jesus yet another means for you to get the American dream?

5.     Continue reading Luke 9:59-62.  Here Jesus gets radical!  In essences, Jesus highlights that a fan is committed but a follower is 100% committed.  In these two examples Jesus explains that He has to be the number one priority.  It is not that Jesus does not want us to honor our parents or our family it is just that Jesus does not want to be second to anything.  Is Jesus the number one priority in your time and treasure?  If not why?  What is more important?

6.     Obviously we cannot keep adding stuff to our calendars.  So how may God be asking you to go beyond the norm and rearrange your priorities, perhaps give something up, so that you have the ability to place Him first in all areas of your life?

7.     One practical step in moving beyond the norm of a fan to a follower is moving from a spectator to a participator.  Read John 15:8.  Here we read that it is God’s glory that we bear fruit, or in other words that we participate in His kingdom.  In what ways are you actively participating or can you actively participate in building God’s kingdom?   What may be keeping you from participating in God’s kingdom?

8.     Spend some time praying together asking God to reveal how each of you can go beyond the norm of your relationship with God to a deeper level.