Opening Question:

Have you ever been completely confident about something and later found out you were wrong? What happened?

Key Takeaways:

• Confidence is only valuable when it is connected to reality.
• You can be sincere, passionate, experienced, or religious—and still be wrong.
• Saying Jesus is Lord is different from actually allowing Him to lead your life.
• We can confuse proximity to Jesus with actually surrendering to Jesus.
• Knowing facts about Jesus is not the same as personally knowing and following Him.
• Religious activity and good works cannot replace a surrendered relationship with Jesus.
• We don’t obey and serve Jesus to earn salvation; we obey and serve because of what Jesus has already done for us.
• Jesus invites us to honestly examine our faith instead of becoming casual about the most important relationship in our lives.

Discussion Questions:

Part 1: Who Is Calling the Shots?

1. Pastor said, “The key question is not ‘What do you call me?’ The real question is ‘Who is calling the shots?’” What do you think that means?
2. Are there areas of your life where it is easy to let Jesus lead? Are there areas where you tend to want control? Why?

Part 2: Close to Jesus or Surrendered to Jesus?

1. The sermon asks: “How close are you to Christianity?” and “Have you actually surrendered your life to Christ?” Why is there a difference between those two questions?

Part 3: Knowing About Jesus

1. Pastor said, “The goal isn’t just to get Jesus into my head. It’s to give Jesus my life.” What do you think giving Jesus your life looks like in everyday situations?

Part 4: Your Spiritual Résumé

1. Pastor said, “You can be involved in the work of Jesus without being surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus.” What is the difference between being busy for Jesus and actually following Jesus?
2. Ephesians 2 reminds us that salvation is a gift from God and not something we earn through our works. How should that change the way we think about serving and obeying God?

Part 5: Examine Your Faith

1. Consider this question: “When Jesus and I disagree, who wins?” What does your answer reveal about who is really leading your life?
2. What is one area of your life you feel challenged to honestly examine after hearing this message?
3. What is one step you can take this week to move from simply being around Jesus to more fully surrendering your life to Him?