Discussion Questions:

 1. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

• What does Jesus’ prayer—“Remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want”—reveal about the place of honesty, fear and struggle within a faithful life?
• Pastor Mark describes Jesus as “both a window into divinity and a mirror to our humanity.” What do you recognize about yourself in Jesus’ experience in the garden?

2. The Spirit Is Willing

• How does the passage change when you hear “Spirit” as a reference to the Holy Spirit rather than only to the disciples’ human determination?
• When have you experienced help, strength or prayer beyond what you felt capable of producing on your own?

3. From Fear to Trust

• What images or teachings have encouraged people to see God primarily as an opponent waiting to punish them?
• How does trusting that God is on our side affect our ability to pray honestly, acknowledge failure and seek a life of meaning?

4. Disputing with God as Partnership

• Pastor Mark observes that Abraham, Moses, Jonah, the psalmist and Jesus could argue with God because they were already invested in a relationship with God. How might questioning God express commitment rather than rejection?
• Why might God want our honest, unguarded “Garden of Gethsemane selves” instead of the carefully managed versions of ourselves we present to the world?

5. Applying the Sermon

• Where are fear, disappointment or uncertainty making it difficult for you to trust that God is with you?
• What courageous act of God’s will—particularly one involving meaning, purpose or service to others—might you undertake this week with the Spirit’s help?

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