SERIES SUMMARY

At Fellowship Greenville, we desire to re-introduce people to Jesus and the life that He offers. We realize that each of us growing as disciples of Jesus is imperative to us being about God’s mission of redemption in our circle of influence. Therefore, as we continue to grow with more and more people joining us, we want to take several Sundays this summer and articulate our discipleship values, while also inviting everyone to the discipleship pathway available to them here at Fellowship Greenville.

PASSAGE GUIDE

In Matthew 16:21–28, Jesus begins a pivotal shift in His ministry by revealing to His disciples the true nature of His mission: He must go to Jerusalem, suffer at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and on the third day be raised. This announcement directly follows Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ, but it challenges the disciples' expectations of a victorious, triumphant Messiah. Peter, still operating from human assumptions, rebukes Jesus, unable to reconcile suffering with messiahship. Jesus responds by rebuking Peter, identifying his resistance as satanic in nature—an obstacle to the divine plan. The necessity of Jesus’ suffering is not accidental but essential, grounded in the will of God and the fulfillment of Scripture.

Jesus then turns to His disciples and explains that following Him means walking the same path of self-denial and sacrificial obedience. To deny oneself is not a matter of rejecting one’s personality or identity but of surrendering self-centeredness and worldly ambition. Taking up the cross involves more than enduring hardships; it is the daily decision to align oneself with Christ, even in suffering, rejection, and sacrificial service. The world offers temporary gain and self-glory, but Jesus calls His followers to find true life through losing their life for His sake. The paradox is clear: only in surrender is there salvation, and only in death to self is there lasting life.

This call to discipleship carries eternal weight. Jesus affirms that the Son of Man will return in glory to judge according to each person’s response to His call. Some standing with Him would see His kingdom inaugurated—not necessarily in the final return, but in the resurrection, exaltation, and proclamation of His divine authority. Discipleship, therefore, is not optional or secondary in the Christian life; it is the very essence of belonging to Jesus. It involves a life shaped by gospel transformation, intimate relationship with God, deep community with others, and active engagement in God’s redemptive mission in the world. True worth is not found in gaining the world but in being united to Christ and living out His kingdom in every area of life.

SCREENSHOTS & HIGHLIGHTS

• Disciple: A learner…one who is being mentored by another with a view to put into practice and share what is learned.
• The cost of following Jesus is your life. The reward of following Jesus is true life.
• Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me
• There is a common philosophy that permeates our culture…Comfort and Happiness above all.

*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.

OPENING PRAYER

Open by asking the Lord to show you where you are holding back, where in your lives you can take up the cross and more fully follow him. Ask the Spirit to be at work in your conversation during the group but also as we journey through Disciple.

READ THE TEXT

Matthew 16:21-26 - Listen for verses that stand out or that challenge how you live and how you think.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What stood out to you or what aha’s did you have? 
2. What does our culture define as “the good life,” and how does Jesus challenge that definition in Matthew 16?
3. In what ways have you been tempted to follow Jesus for what He gives rather than for who He is?
4. What does it mean in your daily life to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus?
5. What are the idols of self-centeredness you personally wrestle with, and how might Jesus be calling you to surrender them?
6. What obstacles or comforts tend to keep you from fully embracing the life Jesus offers?
7. What practical steps can you take to “pick up your cross” in your relationships, work, or service this week?
8. How can we avoid turning discipleship into a passive or programmatic experience rather than a lifestyle of obedience and growth?
9. How do you currently invest your life in others for the sake of the gospel, and what opportunities might God be placing before you?
10. Which of the discipleship essentials is most alive in you right now—and which one might need more attention?
• Story: Our story of grace intentionally lived out in God’s story of redemption.
• Gospel: Our life change is motivated by the same gospel that redeemed us.
• Heart: Our lives are transformed by the gospel, not simply our behavior.
• Intimacy: Our lives are marked by being with and enjoying God.
• Community: Our lives are shaped by the people of God.
• Mission: Our lives are engaged in the redemptive work of God.
• Serving: Our lives given away with no expectation of return.
• Risking: Our lives are marked by walking in faith as we walk with Jesus.
• Questioning: Our lives are shaped by asking gospel motivated questions that help others see what they can’t see.

PRACTICE OPTIONS

• LIFE IN COMMUNITY: Who is someone you can, weekly, discuss each of these characteristics of a disciple with over the coming weeks? 
• LIFE WITH JESUS: Read through Matthew 16:21-26 each day this week asking the Spirit to make your life reflect Jesus’s call in the text. 
• LIFE ON MISSION: Encourage one other follower of Jesus with one of these three truths. 
1. All of God’s people matter in God’s mission.
2. Every place and every person matters because of God’s mission.
3. God has given an interdependent gift of leadership to equip His people for His mission.

CLOSING PRAYER

Break out in smaller groups and have a time of confession, confessing to each other where we are holding onto comfort, refusing to take up the cross Christ. Speak the good news of the Gospel to each other in this confession and thank God for the redeeming work of his Son.