This small group discussion guide draws directly from Drew Reding's sermon “Week Recognizing Jesus Road Road” so you can keep engaging with the message all week. Read, reflect, and share it with your small group or friends.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE Sermon: "Recognizing Jesus on the Road" Series: Road Trip, Week 4 Scripture: Luke 24:13–35 Time Needed: 60–90 minutes
OPENING PRAYER (2–3 minutes)
Leader, read this prayer aloud or pray in your own words:
Heavenly Father, we come to you as people on a road. Some of us are walking toward something with hope. Some of us are walking away from something with grief. Some of us aren't sure where we're headed at all. Just as you drew near to those two disciples on the road to Emmaus, draw near to us tonight. Open our eyes to recognize your presence, set our hearts on fire, and help us see what you are doing in and among us. In Jesus' name, amen.
ICEBREAKER QUESTION (5–10 minutes)
Share this with the group before asking the question:
This week's sermon opened with a story about showing up somewhere and being completely confident — and completely wrong about where you were.
Question: Have you ever been absolutely certain about something, only to discover later you had it totally wrong? What happened, and how did you feel when you figured it out?
Leader tip: Keep this light and fun. This is a warm-up, not a deep dive.
SCRIPTURE FOCUS (5–10 minutes)
Primary Passage: Luke 24:13–16, 28–32 (ESV)
Ask a volunteer to read this passage aloud:
"That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and was walking with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him."
"So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, 'Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.' So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?'"
Observation Questions:
- What words or phrases stand out to you in this passage?
- What do you notice about the timing of when the disciples recognized Jesus?
- What questions does this passage raise for you?
MAIN DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (30–40 minutes)
Sermon Understanding
1. Pastor Drew described three movements in this story: disappointment can blind us, Jesus walks with us in confusion, and Jesus reveals himself in ordinary moments. Which of those three resonated most with you from Sunday's message, and why?
2. The sermon made a distinction between Jesus waiting until the disciples "had their theology straight" before showing up — and what actually happened. How would you describe in your own words what the story shows us about when Jesus draws near?
Personal Application
3. Cleopas and his companion said, "We had hoped…" — past tense, a hope that had been wrapped up and put away. Is there a "we had hoped" in your own life right now — a dream, a prayer, a relationship, or a season where your expectations didn't match reality? How has that disappointment shaped the way you've been seeing things lately?
4. The sermon suggested that "disappointment causes spiritual blindness" — that broken expectations can make it hard to see what God is actually doing right in front of us. Where in your life might a gap between what you hoped God would do and what actually happened be making it difficult to see what God is actually doing?
5. The disciples' eyes were opened not in a dramatic supernatural moment, but at an ordinary table, in the familiar gesture of breaking bread. Where have you seen or experienced God showing up in an ordinary moment — a conversation, a quiet morning, a time of worship — that you only recognized as significant later?
Spiritual Growth
6. The disciples said, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road?" They had felt something the whole time without knowing what to call it. What practices — reading scripture, worship, community, prayer — have most consistently helped you recognize Jesus's presence on the road you're walking?
7. The sermon closed with this question: "What road are you on — and have you looked to see who is walking beside you?" What would it look like this week to actively look for Jesus's presence on the road you're currently on, rather than waiting until the confusion clears?
PERSONAL REFLECTION (5–10 minutes)
Leader, invite the group into 2–3 minutes of quiet reflection. Read these questions slowly, then allow silence:
Take a moment on your own with these questions. You won't be asked to share unless you want to.
Reflection Questions:
- Is there a season, relationship, or circumstance in your life where you have been walking away from something — and where Jesus might already be walking beside you?
- What "ordinary moment" in your daily life might God be using to reveal himself to you right now — one you may have been overlooking?
- What is one thing from this message that you sense God is specifically saying to you?
After 2–3 minutes, gently invite anyone who wants to share a word or phrase from their reflection — but make clear that sharing is completely optional.
GROUP ACTIVITY (10–15 minutes)
Activity Title: "Heart Burning" — A Testimony Exercise
Materials needed: None
Instructions:
Ask everyone to think silently for one minute about a time — past or present — when they look back and realize God was present in a situation they didn't fully recognize at the time. It could be a closed door that led somewhere better, a conversation that came at exactly the right moment, or a scripture that suddenly meant something completely new.
Break into pairs or groups of three.
Each person shares their moment in 2–3 sentences, finishing this prompt: "Looking back, I can see that Jesus was walking with me when…"
After pairs share, bring the full group back together. Ask: "Did hearing someone else's story help you see your own more clearly?" Allow 2–3 minutes for responses.
Purpose: The disciples returned to Jerusalem and told their story — and in the telling, their personal recognition became a shared testimony. This activity helps your group experience that same dynamic: our individual stories of recognizing Jesus strengthen everyone's faith when we share them together.
CLOSING PRAYER (3–5 minutes)
Leader, close in one of these ways — choose what fits your group best:
Option 1 — Leader-led prayer: Pray over the specific roads represented in your group. Thank God for the truth that he is already walking with each person, and ask him to open eyes and set hearts on fire this week.
Option 2 — Conversational group prayer: Invite anyone who wants to pray one sentence aloud. Encourage people to pray for the person next to them or for something that surfaced during the discussion.
Option 3 — Guided closing prayer (read aloud):
Lord, we leave tonight as people still on roads — some hopeful, some grieving, some confused. Thank you that you do not wait for us to have everything figured out before you draw near. Open our eyes this week. In the ordinary moments — the conversations, the meals, the quiet mornings — help us recognize you. Set our hearts on fire. And when we see you, give us the courage to go tell someone else. Amen.
TAKE-HOME CHALLENGE
The "Eyes Open" Practice
The Challenge: Each day this week, set aside five minutes at the end of the day to ask God one simple question: "Where were you walking with me today that I might have missed?" Write down whatever comes to mind — a moment, a conversation, a feeling, a scripture. By the end of the week, you'll have a short record of where Jesus was on the road with you.
Why it matters: The disciples on the Emmaus road felt their hearts burning the whole time — they just didn't know what to call it yet. This practice trains us to look back with open eyes, building the habit of recognizing Jesus's presence in the ordinary moments of everyday life.
How to begin: Tonight, before you go to sleep, ask the question once. Don't overthink it. Write down whatever comes. Repeat each day through the week.
Next week: Be ready to share one moment from your list — even just a sentence — with your group. Your recognition of Jesus on your road might be exactly what someone else needs to see him on theirs.
"You may feel like you are walking away from something. But Jesus may already be walking beside you."