1.22.22 - In Search of Confidence, Part 2: One Step at a Time (Kenny Camacho)
SCRIPTURE: Mark 10:17-31
“If the rich young ruler’s mistake was searching for safety in what he has already done, and if the disciples’ mistake was resting in what Jesus will eventually do, the actual place where confidence seems to grow is in a daily, living relationship walking alongside Jesus right now.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
This week’s message was all about where we find our “wealth,” or the sense of security and safety we create for ourselves…and which we struggle to “give up” in order to fully commit to our relationship with Jesus. What is your “wealth”? In what areas of your life are you slow to trust? Why?
One of the most striking parts of the rich young ruler story is that even after the man boasts to Jesus that he has kept the entire Law without making a mistake, Jesus looks at him and loves him (Mark 10:21). What do you think of Jesus’s response? What does it teach us?
Kenny made the case that when the disciples boast about their own sacrifices and commitment to following Jesus, they reveal that they aren’t exactly “living in the moment” either: instead, they are expecting rewards in heaven in exchange for their time suffering with him on earth. How does this connect to the story of the rich young ruler? How does it relate to the topic of “confidence”?
One of the hurdles when it comes to taking our confidence out of ourselves and putting it in God is confusing submission and self-loathing: the goal is not to see ourselves as puny or useless, but to see God as loving, faithful, wise, and generous towards us. What is a Jesus-centric view of self-esteem or self-confidence? How can we hold onto a sense of deep self-respect while also placing more of our confidence in Christ?
What steps can you take towards placing more confidence in your relationship with God? How can your friends in our community help walk with you towards this goal?