ICEBREAKERS
Make sure to start off with prayer. Then choose one or more questions to open up with.
- What are the first things that come to mind when you think about Easter?
- What did you want to be when you were growing up?
- What is the worst food you have ever eaten?
Message Review
Main points and scriptures from this week's message.
This Easter season, we’re going to focus on what we call “The Week that Changed the World.” We’re going to begin by talking about the perseverance of Jesus and how it changed everything.
In the final week of Jesus' life, we see him push past some walls of adversity to walk on the path toward the cross. Here is a scene occurring on Thursday, the day before he would be killed on a cross.
Matthew 26:38–39 (NIV)
Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
These words and this decision is evidence of a decision Jesus had been making for 33 years. To walk the path God had for his life.
POINT 1: DON’T UNDERESTIMATE SMALL DECISIONS THAT MOVE YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
The greatest demonstration of faith was Jesus' repeated daily decision to keep walking toward the cross.
If you could get an air view of your life, you’d see that every decision matters, even the little ones.
Here are some examples of "little" decisions that have a huge impact on your life.
- When you make church a priority.
- When you are intentional about hanging out with the right people.
- When you do daily reading/listening to put the right things in your mind.
POINT 2: EVERYONE HAS A PREORDAINED PATH OF LIFE.
Your greatest achievement is not going to be measured by how popular you are, how educated you are, or how many people think you’re a nice person. Your greatest achievement is walking the path.
POINT 3: AT THE END OF YOUR LIFE, YOUR GREATEST REGRETS WON’T BE THE THINGS YOU DID BUT WISH YOU HADN’T. YOUR GREATEST REGRETS WILL BE THE THINGS YOU DIDN’T DO BUT WISH YOU HAD.
There are things you are meant to do that no one else can do. There’s a path your meant to walk. There’s decisions you need to make.
Jesus gave us the ultimate example of what it looks like to make decisions today that lead to the joy and victory in store for us tomorrow.
TALK-IT-OUT
The following questions will help guide your discussions and give your group some opportunities to open up and share.
- Why did the week of Easter change the world forever?
- What are some little decisions that you have made that have had a huge impact on your life?
- What did God put you on this planet to accomplish?
- At the end of your life, what are some regrets you don't want to have?
- What can you do to better tap into Jesus' perseverance and endurance to stay on the path?
WRITE-It-Out
Encourage your group to start writing things down. In a journal or on paper, do the following exercises.
- Draw a large pathway down the middle of your paper.
- At the end of the pathway, write down where it is you think God wants you to be. For Jesus, it was the cross, but for you, it could be a loving parent or a career or ministry goal.
- Now write down all the daily decisions on the path you will need to make to reach the end.
- Finally, on the outside of the pathway you drew, write down all the things and temptations that could take you off of the path.
Live-It-Out
Encourage your group to start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.
- Commit to one daily decision you will make this week.
- Read the Easter story. You can find it in Matthew 26–28, Mark 14–16, Luke 22–24, or John 18–20.
- Complete Growth Track. Every Saturday in Tacoma 6:00pm, and every Sunday at all of our campuses. Bellevue 9:45am & Tacoma 11:30am.
- Serve together as a group. To view serving opportunities with Champions Foundation, click HERE.
Closing Thoughts
- Finish group with prayer requests and praise reports.
- More resources are always available here: Group Resources.