Small Group Discussion Guide

What Jesus Demands: Loving God and Loving Jesus

Based on Sunday's Sermon | Week of Discussion

A Note to Facilitators: This guide is designed for 60–90 minutes. You don't need to use every question — feel free to choose what fits your group best. The most important thing is creating space for honest, unhurried conversation. Trust the Holy Spirit to work through the discussion, and don't be afraid of silence. Sometimes the best moments come after a pause.

OVERVIEW

Sunday's sermon explored two of the most foundational commands Jesus makes of us: to love God the Father with everything we have, and to love Jesus above every other relationship in our lives — including our closest family members. The sermon challenged us to go deeper than mere religious duty or behavioral obedience, asking us to consider whether our love for Jesus is truly a matter of the heart — a genuine treasuring of who he is. Ultimately, this kind of love isn't something we manufacture; it flows from being overwhelmed by how much God has first loved us.

ICEBREAKER (5–10 minutes)

To open your time together, ask everyone to respond briefly:

"Think of someone you love deeply — a parent, a child, a close friend. Without using their name, describe in one sentence what it is about them that makes you treasure them."

After a few people share, transition with something like: "Today we're going to talk about what it looks like to love Jesus with that same kind of deep, personal, heartfelt love — and why Jesus says that love is the most important thing he asks of us."

SCRIPTURE READING (5 minutes)

Ask a volunteer to read each passage aloud. Encourage the group to listen for words or phrases that stand out to them.

Matthew 22:37–38 "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment."

Matthew 10:37 "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."

John 8:42 "Jesus said to them, 'If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.'"

John 14:15 "If you love me, keep my commands."

Luke 7:44–47 "Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — as her love shows. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.'"

Philippians 3:8 "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ."

1 Corinthians 16:22 "If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!"

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (30–45 minutes)

Work through as many of these questions as time allows. Questions are organized by theme and move from observation toward personal application. Choose the ones that feel most alive for your group.

THEME 1: The Relationship Between Loving God and Loving Jesus

1. What was one thing from Sunday's message that surprised you, challenged you, or that you're still thinking about?

[Leader Tip]: This is a gentle opener that doesn't require theological knowledge. It also helps you quickly learn where your group is engaging. Affirm all responses — there are no wrong answers here.

2. In John 8:42, Jesus says to the most religiously devoted people of his day: "If God were your Father, you would love me." In other words, loving Jesus is the test of whether someone truly loves God. Why do you think that's such a striking and even offensive claim?

[Leader Tip]: This question is especially rich for groups with members who have friends or family of other faiths. Keep the tone curious and non-combative. If it feels too abstract, try the follow-up: "Have you ever met someone who seemed very religious but whose life didn't reflect love for Jesus? What did that look like?"

3. The sermon pointed out that according to John 5:42 and 8:42, you cannot truly have love for God the Father while rejecting Jesus the Son. How does this reshape the way you think about conversations with people of other faiths — or even people who describe themselves as spiritual but not Christian?

THEME 2: The Nature of Love — More Than Obedience

4. The sermon addressed a common misreading of John 14:15 — "If you love me, keep my commands." Some people interpret this to mean that love for Jesus is basically the same thing as obeying Jesus. How would you describe the difference between obeying someone and treasuring someone? Can you have one without the other?

[Leader Tip]: This is one of the most important questions in the guide. If the group gets stuck, try this illustration: "Think about a teenager who follows every house rule but resents their parents, versus one who genuinely loves their parents and obeys out of that love. What's different?" The goal is to help people see that obedience flows from love, but love is deeper than obedience.

5. The sermon pushed back on the idea that love can't be commanded because it's an emotion. The argument was: of course God commands our emotions — he commands us to fear, to hope, to be thankful, to love. What do you think about that? Does it feel strange to think of love as something God can rightly demand of you?

6. Paul writes in Philippians 3:8 that he counts everything as loss compared to "the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus." The sermon described this as treasuring Jesus — valuing him above every other thing. What does it look like practically when someone genuinely treasures Jesus in this way? What might be different about their daily life?

THEME 3: Where This Love Comes From

7. The story in Luke 7 contrasts two people: Simon the Pharisee, who is religiously correct but emotionally cold toward Jesus, and a woman who was known as a sinner, weeping and washing Jesus' feet with her hair. Jesus says the difference between them is this: "Whoever has been forgiven little loves little." What do you think Jesus means? What does this tell us about where deep love for Jesus comes from?

[Leader Tip]: This is often the most personally moving question in the guide. Give people space to sit with it. Some group members may have powerful stories of forgiveness and grace — invite sharing gently. Others may quietly be realizing their love for Jesus has grown cold. Both responses are valuable. You might say: "Take a moment before answering — this one's worth thinking about."

8. The sermon said that love for Jesus comes from "being stunned by being loved by God" — from being overwhelmed by the reality that Jesus died for us while we had no merit of our own. Can you think of a moment in your life when the grace of God felt especially real or personal to you? How did that affect your love for him?

THEME 4: How Important Is This Love?

9. Jesus says in Matthew 10:37 that whoever loves father or mother — or son or daughter — more than him "is not worthy of me." The sermon explained that "not worthy" doesn't mean "not deserving" (none of us deserve Jesus), but rather "not suitable" — like being in a place where you don't belong. In your own words, what do you think Jesus is saying here? Why does he frame it so strongly?

10. 1 Corinthians 16:22 says, "If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed." That's one of the most jarring verses in the New Testament. The sermon described it as Paul being as stark as possible about the importance of loving Jesus. How does a verse like this make you feel? What does it stir up in you — and why might Paul have written it?

[Leader Tip]: This question may feel heavy or even alarming to newer believers. Reassure your group that the goal isn't fear but honest self-examination. You might add: "The good news is that we're not left on our own to manufacture this love. The whole sermon pointed us to grace as the source."

PERSONAL APPLICATION (10–15 minutes)

Invite the group to reflect quietly for a moment before sharing. These questions are more personal — remind everyone that sharing is always voluntary.

1. If you're honest with yourself, would you say your love for Jesus right now is more like Simon the Pharisee's — dutiful but somewhat distant — or more like the woman at his feet — overwhelmed and expressive? What do you think accounts for the difference?

2. The sermon said that Christianity, at its core, is not primarily about decisions of the will or religious behavior — it's about a deep transformation of what we treasure and love. Is there anything in your life right now that you honestly treasure more than Jesus? What would it look like to begin loosening your grip on that?

3. Where in your life do you most need your love for Jesus to be rekindled or deepened right now — in your marriage or family relationships, in your work, in your inner thought life, in your prayer life? What's one small step you could take this week toward that?

🗓 THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

Choose one (or more) of the following to practice this week:

• Reflect: Spend 10 minutes each day this week reading slowly through Philippians 3:1–11 and asking God: "What am I treating as more valuable than knowing you?"

• Remember: Write down one specific way God has forgiven you or shown you grace — something personal and real. Keep it somewhere visible this week as a reminder of why you love him.

• Respond: Is there someone in your life — a friend, a family member, a coworker — who worships God but doesn't embrace Jesus as the Son of God? Pray for them by name every day this week, and ask God for an opportunity to have a gentle, honest conversation.

• Reconnect: If your love for Jesus has grown cold or routine, consider talking to a trusted friend, your small group leader, or your pastor about it. Sometimes naming it out loud is the first step toward renewal.

PRAYER FOCUS (5–10 minutes)

Close your time together in prayer. You can pray as a group, in pairs, or have one person pray on behalf of everyone. Here are suggested prayer topics drawn from the sermon:

• Gratitude — Thank God for loving us first, before we had anything to offer him.
• Honesty — Ask God to reveal the places in our hearts where other things have taken his place.
• Transformation — Pray for the kind of deep, heart-level change that only God can bring — not just better behavior, but a genuine treasuring of Jesus.
• Others — Pray for people in your lives who are spiritually seeking but haven't yet embraced Jesus as the Son of God.
• Each other — Pray for the members of your group by name, that this week's conversations would bear fruit in their lives.

You may want to close with the prayer from the end of the sermon: "Father, we ask that love would be awakened because of what you have done. We love you because you first loved us. We praise you for that. Make it happen in us. In Jesus' name, Amen."

OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE

For groups with extra time or those who want to go further:

Deep Dive 1: The Uniqueness of Jesus

Read John 14:6 — "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

The sermon touched on how the relationship between loving God and loving Jesus is deeply relevant for conversations with people of other faiths. Jesus makes an exclusive claim here that many people find offensive. How do you hold together genuine love and respect for people of other faiths with a firm belief that Jesus is uniquely the Son of God and the only way to the Father? How have you navigated this in real conversations?

Deep Dive 2: Can You Command Love?

The sermon challenged the idea (from the book Situation Ethics) that love cannot be commanded because emotions can't be commanded. Read Deuteronomy 6:4–6 — "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts."

This command to love appears in the Old Testament centuries before Jesus. What does it tell us about God that he commands love rather than just behavior? And if we find ourselves unable to love God the way this verse describes, what does that say — and what should we do about it?

Deep Dive 3: Treasuring vs. Performing

Compare these two passages:

Isaiah 29:13 — "The Lord says: 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.'"

Psalm 73:25–26 — "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

The sermon described the difference between religious performance and genuine heart-love. These two passages capture that contrast vividly. Which one more honestly describes where you are right now? What would it take to move from Isaiah 29:13 territory toward Psalm 73:25 territory in your own life?

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE FOR FURTHER STUDY

For individuals or groups who want to explore these themes further during the week:

This guide was prepared for small group use based on Sunday's sermon. Feel free to adapt questions to fit your group's needs and context.

May your time together be marked by honesty, grace, and a deeper love for Jesus.

End of Guide