Life is not about us—it’s about Jesus’ mission of love and forgiveness. Instead of making life about us, Jesus invites us into a healthy spirituality. As we finish our series on the Christian holiday of Palm Sunday, we will look at the story of when Jesus’ entered the gates of Jerusalem with people celebrating him as their King! We’ll be invited to take practical steps to welcome Jesus as the King of our lives.

Group Discussion Guide

To see the leader guide for this week CLICK HERE

Introduction

Spend a few minutes discussing with your group how their week is going. What are some of their highs and lows?

After your time of connecting, begin your meeting with prayer.

Key Verse

John 15:5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” 

Opening

It can be easy to become hyper-focused on ourselves in our culture. Many times, the message we hear glorifies the idea of doing everything for ourselves, because we are the number one person that matters. However, that idea creates a tension for followers of Jesus. When we read the story of Jesus, it becomes apparent that he does not want us to only think about ourselves, because the truth is that we are not the main character of our lives – he is. As we approach Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus as the King of the universe, we must ask ourselves this question: Is Jesus the King of my life? If so, how can I put Jesus as the center of every part of my life?  Making him King of everything in our lives is something that will help us rejoice and celebrate God’s leadership.

Big Idea for the Week: We can celebrate that Jesus is the King of our lives.

Connect

• Take a moment to think about how you spend your time each week. What fills your time the most?
• What does it mean for something to be the center, or ruler/king, of your life?
• What would an objective observer think is the most important thing in, or at the center of, your life, based on how you spend each day?

Unpack

Go around your group and have someone read each of the following verses, then discuss the connected questions.

READ

• John 15:9-11
• Colossians 2:6-7

DISCUSS

• The verses in the book of John we just read come from Jesus speaking to his disciples about how to follow him well.
• What do you think Jesus meant by the concept of remaining in his love? How can we put this into practice in our lives? In what specific aspects of your life do you find most difficult to be faithful to God in?
• Why would following God faithfully and building our lives on him lead us to thankfulness? When have you experienced this?

READ

• Matthew 5:14-16
• Matthew 28:19-20

DISCUSS

• How could trusting Jesus in every part of your life change your relationship with Jesus and others?
• How can our lives reflect the goodness of Jesus and his teachings to others because of our reliance on him?
• What should us making Jesus the center of our lives cause us to do, according to the two verses we just read?

Apply

Based on the verses we just read, there are some things that we can do in response. Take a moment to discuss these questions as a group in order to determine what your personal action steps for the week can be:

• The idea of Jesus being at the center of our lives is not restricted to the shameful or sinful parts of our lives; we should give all things to him. What is one good area of your life you can focus on putting Jesus at the center of this week?
• How can the group help you stay committed to this goal for the week?
• How can you give yourself and each other grace, without being complacent in this process?

Closing

As believers of Jesus grow in their faith, there should be a natural progression from simple faith and acceptance of who he is to following Jesus in every aspect of their lives. This goes for all things in our lives, the good and the bad. Sometimes we can focus on only the ugly or painful things, but Jesus invites us to make everything in our lives reflect him: our jobs, our demeanor, our finances, and our relationships. As we embrace Jesus as our King and center of our lives, let’s try to take simple steps each day to put him at the center of all parts of our lives. We can do this together, with Jesus and the Bible guiding us!

Daily Bible Reading

Use the S.O.A.P. method to reflect on the verses below.

Scripture: Read the verses several times out loud.
Observation: As you read the scripture what do you observe.
Application: What is God wanting you to believe, do or feel based on what you have read?
Pray: This is a chance to talk to God about what you have read, and ask him for help in living out what you’ve learned.

• Day 1: John 14:6
• Day 2: Isaiah 33:22
• Day 3: Philippians 3:20
• Day 4: John 15:4
• Day 5: Ephesians 3:14-19
• Day 6: 1 Chronicles 29:11-12