Discussion Questions:

1. Slowing Down & Paying Attention

• Pastor Mark began by reflecting on how time can either fly or crawl. Why do you think the Gospel of John slows down during Jesus’ final week?
• What might change in your life if you intentionally “slowed down” during Lent to notice where love is needed?

2. Love in Action

• Jesus washes the disciples’ feet — a radical act of humility. Why is this moment so powerful?
• What does it mean that Jesus communicates love not just in words, but in embodied action?
• Where in your life might love require action rather than explanation?

3. Seeing Ourselves in Peter and Judas

• Peter resists. Judas betrays. Pastor Mark suggests we see ourselves in both. Where do you recognize yourself in these responses?
• The sermon invites us to imagine a love that “waits until the end of the world.” How does that image challenge your understanding of grace?

4. Love That Leads to Justice

• Jesus’ command is simple: “Take care of one another.” Why is living this out so difficult?
• The sermon connects foot washing to reparative justice and confronting systemic racism. How is justice an extension of Jesus’ command to love one another?
• What does “reordering our lives” look like in practical terms?

5. Living the Command

• Pastor Mark said, “It’s really just that simple. And it’s really just that hard.” What makes loving others hard for you right now?
• What is one concrete way you can practice Jesus’ kind of love this week — in your family, workplace, neighborhood, or city?
• How can RPPC embody love that welcomes, serves, and repairs the world?

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Discussion Questions

1. Wrestling with the Good and the Bad

• In the sermon, Pastor Mark suggests we often define “good” by what benefits us. How do you personally define “good news”?
• Have you ever experienced something that felt painful in the moment but turned out to be transformative later?

2. Hitting the Pause Button

• The sermon references Barbara Brown Taylor’s idea that the Gospel can be about where we hit the pause button. Where might we “pause” the story of Abraham and Isaac and call it “bad news”? What changes when we keep reading?
• Can you think of a moment in your life where the full picture revealed deeper meaning or grace?

3. The Risk of Freedom and the Nature of God’s Power

• Pastor Mark posed a question: “What if God’s love means letting go?” How does that reframe your understanding of God’s power?
• What does it mean to you that God may not always rescue us, but never leaves us?

4. Faith Amidst Suffering

• Ellen Davis says Genesis 22 is the story to turn to when we don’t understand our suffering. Have you ever turned to scripture during a time of pain? What did you find?
• Why do you think people often search for meaning in suffering?

5. Good News for All

• The sermon closes by reminding us that good news that is only good for me is not worthy of the name Gospel. How does this challenge or affirm your understanding of your faith?
• How can RPPC continue to share good news for all in its worship, ministries, and relationships?

6. Applying the Sermon

• What would it look like to trust God more deeply this week—even when you don’t understand the full story yet?
• How can we, as a community, hold space for each other in moments when the world feels upside down?

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