Read Matthew 12:46-50, 1 Timothy 3:14-15; 5:1-2
1. Main Point: The mission of Jesus was to establish a family of disciples. One of the most powerful aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry is how deeply personal he was—he called Peter while he was fishing, spoke directly into the life of the woman at the well, visited Zaccheus and sparked his transformation, taught Mary and Martha in their home, and wept at the death of Lazarus. These moments reveal that Jesus knows, calls, and cares for each of us as individuals. However, we can miss that, while our relationship with Jesus is personal, it is never meant to be private. Jesus came not just to save individuals, but to form a new, collective family of disciples.
a. Do you usually think of the Christian life mainly in terms of your personal relationship with Jesus, or as being part of a larger family of disciples? Share how your background, today’s culture, or other influences have shaped that perspective.
2. Few examples from Scripture: In Matthew 12:46-50, Jesus does something radical. By stretching out his hand toward his disciples and calling them his true family, he shows that those who do the will of his Father are his primary family, even above biological relatives. In Matthew 23:8-12, Jesus rejects the hierarchical model of religious community and instead calls his followers into a family, where all are brothers and sisters under one Father, and redefines discipleship as a relationship of deep loyalty, allegiance, and shared identity among fellow believers. In Matthew 10:29-30, Jesus promises that anyone who gives up family or possessions for His sake will receive a hundred times more in this life and eternal life to come. This is only possible if the church truly functions as a real, committed family—offering the care, support, and shared life for the sake of following him. And finally in Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gives his disciples the mission to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to follow all his commands. This language of baptism highlights the beginning into a new family name—the family of disciples. Jesus formed his followers into a community, and the mission is to establish such families of disciples around the world, making the church a family of believers.
a. Have you ever experienced the church functioning as a true family? What made that experience meaningful or difficult? In what ways do you find it hard to see fellow believers as your primary family, especially over biological or social ties?
b. What might Jesus be inviting you to loosen your grip on—whether certain comforts or independence—for the sake of deeper connection to His family,
and how could the church become a place where you can experience receiving such care and support?
3. Implication #1: We can’t become faithful disciples without this family. Jesus did not form individual, isolated disciples during his time on earth, and he doesn’t do so now. He chooses to give us what we need through other disciples in the family. As challenging, awkward, and painful as church can sometimes be, it is Jesus' idea. We need an unchosen family, not just a "chosen family" based on preference. Jesus intentionally gathered people who would never have chosen each other—like Simon the Zealot, fishermen, and a tax collector—to be his disciples. To become mature disciples of Jesus, we need people who are the opposite of us, not just those who think, act, and live like us. Becoming a disciple requires practicing "inconvenient commitment," just as family obligations are rarely convenient.
a. How might embracing those "inconvenient commitments" with people who are different from you help you grow as a disciple of Jesus?
4. Implication #2: We can’t make disciples without this family. No one person can fully disciple another or carry out the mission of Jesus alone—it is given to us as a family. One of the most powerful ways we can advance Jesus’ mission in Orange County is by becoming a true family—sharing life, resolving conflict, welcoming all backgrounds, and including not just biological families but people in all kinds of households. When we do this, we will be in a position to become disciples and make disciples as a church.
a. How can our church create an environment where people from all backgrounds feel welcomed and included? How does this kind of community help us fulfill Jesus' mission of making disciples together?
5. Implication #3: We can’t become this family without Jesus. Church can be messy, painful, and disappointing—like any real family—but becoming a true family means resisting the urge to stay distant or treat church like a convenience. Instead, we remember how we were brought into God’s family. Jesus, seeing our sin and brokenness, was not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters, but willingly suffered to make us sons and daughters in His family. To bring us to our true, glorious selves, Jesus became like us in every way—our brother—bearing our shame and bleeding for us so he could share his glory with us as family. As we bear the cost of loving others, we become more like Jesus, grow into who we were meant to be, and help our brothers and sisters do the same.
a. When you think about the cost Jesus paid to bring us into God’s family, how does that motivate or move you to respond in your relationships within the church family—especially when it’s messy or difficult? What are some specific ways you can embrace the cost of loving others in our church family, even when it requires personal sacrifice?