The Hidden Kingdom - Part 2: "Follow the Way"

God made us to live and rule in a wonderful environment, enjoying the benefits of a good life with him as our guide. Now in our sin-soaked world, his plan still hasn’t changed, but the way to this kind of life is hidden from many of us. In today’s sermon, we explore Jesus as our way back home and discover the awesome power of living life to the fullest even in a hostile world. May we purpose to follow him and discover the kingdom of God in our midst. Discussion Questions: 1) What stood out to you from this week’s sermon? Was there something specific you felt like Jesus was saying to you? 2) What does the story of Genesis and God’s creation of mankind teach us about him? What does it teach us about ourselves? How does the story of God’s original plan for us to live in a beautiful garden environment help us today? 3) How did Jesus live his life like we were meant to in the garden? How was this possible even in a now hostile world? How does this help us to experience God’s Kingdom now ourselves? (See: John 5:19, 8:28-29, 14:6-7) 4) Jesus called us to follow him - how can we practically do that in our lives? Why is this difficult? What do you think it means to violently take hold of the Kingdom of God (see: Matthew 11:12 & Luke 16:16)? Why does following Jesus require sacrifice? What might I have to sacrifice now to follow him more fully?