SERMON RECAP
This Easter message centered on the resurrection of Jesus and the way it meets us in the middle of confusion, doubt, and spiritual fog. From Luke 24, Pastor Justin Kendrick showed how even the first disciples were confused by the resurrection. They had expectations of what God should do, and when Jesus died, it seemed like everything had fallen apart. But the resurrection revealed that God was doing something far bigger than they could see. Jesus was not defeated. He was alive, and his resurrection changed everything.
The message also walked through the evidence surrounding the resurrection and the meaning of the resurrection for our lives today. If Jesus truly rose from the dead, then he is who he said he is. That means there is a God, our lives have purpose, sin is real, grace is available, and hope is stronger than death. The invitation of the sermon was deeply personal: Jesus still comes to people through the fog. He still calls our name. And through faith in him, we can find forgiveness, peace with God, and a living hope that changes how we live right now.
SCRIPTURE
Luke 24:1–12, 36, 1 Corinthians 15:14–19, John 11:25, 1 John 2:25, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6–7, Isaiah 53:5–6, Romans 3:21-26
HOW TO USE THIS DISCUSSION GUIDE
As you lead the discussion, note there is a specific framework. We believe that spiritual growth works best through a specific “working model of change” that includes three key growth areas: Head, Heart, and Hands.
HEAD: These questions help us examine what the scripture shows.
HEART: These questions help us wrestle with what we believe.
HANDS: This is where you encourage a response to obey and apply what God is speaking.
Leader Reminder: The goal of this discussion is not just conversation but transformation. Encourage participation, honesty, and practical obedience.
ICE BREAKER
- Have you ever had a moment where what you expected was different from what you experienced? What happened?
- Think of a time when you felt totally out of control of a life situation. What was this moment like for you?
- When life feels uncertain, what is your natural response: take control, ask for help, shut down, or something else?
HEAD
What does the scripture show?
- In Luke 24:1–12, 36, what details show us that the women and disciples were not expecting the resurrection?
- How do the angels’ words point to what God had planned from the beginning?
- What does Jesus’ resurrection reveal about his identity and the kind of Savior he is?
HEART
What do we believe?
- The disciples’ struggle to believe, even after all Jesus had told them, highlights how the God people expect and the God they experience can feel very different. Where have you felt that tension in your own life?
- What makes it hard to trust God when life feels confusing, painful, or out of control? How does the truth of the resurrection speak into that place?
- If the resurrection is really true, what part of your thinking, priorities, or way of living needs to change?
HANDS
Practice Together in Community
- Where in your life right now do you need to let Jesus meet you “through the fog” with his peace, truth, and love?
- What is one specific way your life will change this week in light of the truth of the resurrection?
- What do you need from the group right now—prayer, encouragement, wisdom, or accountability?
SHARE: MISSION
Living Out the Message This Week
Intercede
- Who is one person you will pray for every day this week? (Say their name out loud in the group.)
- What is one specific request you will bring to God on their behalf?
Share (Mission & Obedience — Individual)
- Who will you share this takeaway with this week?
- Ask God for one opportunity this week to pray for someone in real time.
Action Step
Complete this sentence: “This week, I will live out this sermon by __________.”
NEXT WEEK CHECK-IN
- Encourage the group to return next week ready to share how they practiced the HANDS step and how they lived out the SHARE: MISSION step.
PRAYER
- Pray for strengthened faith in the God of the resurrection.
- Pray for fresh peace with God through the finished work of Christ and deeper confidence in his love.
- Pray for those who feel lost, discouraged, or spiritually distant, that Jesus would meet them personally and call them out of the fog.
- Pray that our church would live as resurrection people—full of hope, courage, and a readiness to share the good news with others.