Summary

In this sermon, Pastor Chris opens by sharing a deeply impactful trip to Rosarito, Mexico, where he helped build a church with a ministry called Kingdom Builders. The experience shifted his perspective on the kingdom of God and set the stage for a new series exploring the question Jesus asked His first disciples:

'What do you want?' The pastor acknowledges that Americans commonly desire close relationships, financial security, meaningful work, happiness, and freedom. While affirming these as good and God-given desires, He points out a troubling contradiction: despite pursuing these things, rates of depression and loneliness continue to rise. His conclusion is that we are not pursuing bad things, but we are pursuing them in the wrong order. Drawing from John chapter 1 and Matthew chapter 6, the pastor traces how Jesus's early disciples followed him with their own expectations of a better life, yet were transformed over years of walking with Him into people willing to sacrifice everything for the mission.

The key insight is that when we place Jesus first, everything else falls into proper order. Financial security becomes rooted in trust in God rather than a bank account. Purpose is found in living out what we were uniquely created to do. Joy replaces circumstantial happiness. The pastor also addresses doubt honestly, sharing a personal challenge from a Nicaraguan pastor: 'God does not work in doubts, He works in decisions.' The sermon closes with a call to seek first the kingdom of God, trusting that everything we truly need will follow.

Intro Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come together today with open hearts and honest questions. We ask that You would quiet the noise of our daily worries and desires, and help each person in this group to hear clearly what You want to speak to them. Give us the courage to be vulnerable with one another and with You. May Your Spirit guide our conversation, challenge our thinking, and draw us closer to the life You have designed for us. In Jesus' name, amen.

Ice Breaker

What is one food or meal that you could eat every single day without ever getting tired of it?

Key Verses

John 1:35-38Matthew 6:25-34

Matthew 6:19-21

Questions

The pastor said that Americans commonly want close relationships, financial security, meaningful

work, happiness, and freedom. Which of these five desires resonates most with you right now, and

why?

The pastor observed that we often pursue good things in the wrong order. Do you agree with that

idea? Can you think of a time in your own life when you pursued something good but in a way that

left you feeling empty?

Jesus asked His first disciples, 'What do you want?' If Jesus asked you that question face to face

today, how would you honestly answer Him? The pastor noted that we often say we want something until it is time to sacrifice for it. What is one thing you say you want but have struggled to make the necessary sacrifices to pursue? The Book of Acts records both the victories and the very real costs the early disciples paid for following Jesus. Does knowing that following Jesus can be costly change how you think about your own commitment to Him? Why or why not?

The pastor shared that a Nicaraguan pastor challenged him with this statement: 'God does not work

in doubts, He works in decisions.' How does doubt show up in your own spiritual life, and what

would it look like for you to make a decision in spite of that doubt?

Jesus promised in Matthew 6 that if we seek first the kingdom of God, everything we need will be

provided. How does that promise challenge or comfort you, especially in areas where you feel the

most anxious or uncertain?

The pastor described witnessing deep joy among people in a poor Rosarito neighborhood who did

not know where their next meal was coming from, yet chose to worship. What does that kind of joy

look like in your own life, and what do you think it would take to experience more of it?

Life Application

This week, take a few minutes each morning to honestly ask yourself, 'What am I seeking first today?'

Write down the top two or three things that are competing for first place in your heart. Then, in a simple

prayer, intentionally hand those things over to God and ask Him to reorder your priorities. At the end of

the week, reflect on whether placing Him first changed how you approached your relationships, your work, or your worries.

Key Takeaways

The desires we have for relationships, security, purpose, happiness, and freedom are not bad. They

are God-given. The problem is that we often pursue them in the wrong order, placing them ahead of

God rather than allowing Him to be the foundation from which they flow.

Jesus asked His first disciples 'What do you want?' and He is asking us the same question today.

Answering that question honestly is the starting point for a life of genuine fulfillment.

The early disciples were transformed from people seeking personal comfort into people willing to

give their lives for the mission of Jesus. That transformation came through years of walking closely

with Him and building a relationship of deep trust.

Doubt is a real and common experience, but God works through decisions, not doubts. We do not

need to be free of doubt to take a step of faith. We simply need to make a decision in spite of the

doubt we carry.

Seeking first the kingdom of God does not guarantee an easy life, but it does reorder every other

priority and provides the peace, joy, purpose, and provision that we are all ultimately longing for.

Ending Prayer

Lord, thank You for the time we have shared together today wrestling with this important question of

what we truly want. We confess that we often chase good things in the wrong order, and we ask You to

gently reorder our hearts. Help us to place You first, not just in our words but in our daily choices and

sacrifices. Where there is doubt, give us the courage to make decisions anyway, trusting that You are

faithful. Where there is loneliness, bring connection. Where there is anxiety, bring peace. Where there is

confusion about purpose, bring clarity. May each person in this group leave today with a renewed sense of

Your love and a deeper desire to seek Your kingdom above all else. In Jesus' name, amen.