When you think of the word authority, what comes to mind? You might think of someone who used their authority to control or manipulate you. If that’s the case, the word authority may cause a negative reaction. But as Jesus used the authority given to him by God the Father, he completely flips our ideas about authority upside down. This week, we’ll discover the life-giving authority of Jesus Christ.

Discussion Questions

Read Matthew 20:25-28 again. Have you ever had an experience where someone “lorded” their authority over you?

How does Jesus turn the disciple’s view of authority upside down? How does Jesus express his authority?

Who are the people in your life that have been good authority figures?

Think of areas in your life where you are in a position of authority – maybe as a parent or teacher, as a supervisor or boss. What does it look like to use your authority to serve those under your authority?

Read John 13:34-35. What does the way we use our authority to serve and love teach others about God’s authority?

Who are the people in your life that have been good authority figures? What are the things they did that modeled good authority?

Think of areas in your life where you are in a position of authority – maybe as a parent or teacher, as a supervisor or boss. What does it look like to use your authority to serve those under your authority?

Read John 13:34-35. What does the way we use our authority to serve and love teach others about God’s authority?

Discovering and Doing the Will of God

Finding the will of God is both a mystery and an adventure. Certainly, we would be short-sighted if we didn’t curiously and diligently pursue the path God wants us to walk. If Jesus is our Lord, it makes sense for us to do what He wants us to do. Can we know what He...

Where You Do Not Want to Go

Saying that Jesus is Lord, implies surrendering to His will over ours. No matter how you frame it, surrender is frightening. When we surrender, we are vulnerable. When we surrender someone else determines our path and can take us where we do not want to go. Jesus...

Aware of the Dangers

Temptation is real. And so is the danger of making sinful choices that displease the Lord of our lives. Fortunately for our sakes, others before us have made unfortunate choices that we can learn from. While the Bible is filled with examples of success, it is just as...

The New You

If we grudgingly view Christ’s lordship in our lives as a threat to our freedom, we don’t understand the real freedom we’ve been given through Him. Jesus has come to make us new, literally! Through the new birth, we’ve been given a new nature and the cord to sin and...

The Glory of God

The glory of God can seem like a confusing idea. The Bible makes a big deal of it, even making it a matter of life and death. But we tend not to think about it very much. What exactly is God’s glory? What if understanding and seeking God’s glory dramatically changes...