Follow Along

Big Idea: Proximity to Jesus does not guarantee receptivity to Jesus. Familiarity can become a barrier to faith if our hearts are closed.

Journal Prompts:

• In what ways have I grown too familiar with Jesus or the gospel?

• What would it look like to approach Jesus again with humility and expectancy?

Big Idea: Jesus sends His disciples out with authority—but also with dependence. God’s mission is carried out through obedient, surrendered lives.

Journal Prompts:

• Where do I feel God sending me right now (work, neighborhood, relationships)?

• What “extra baggage” might I be tempted to rely on instead of God?

• How does trusting God deepen holiness in everyday life?

Big Idea: John the Baptist’s life reminds us that faithfulness to God does not always bring comfort—but it always matters.

Journal Prompts:

• Where do I feel tension between faithfulness and comfort?

• What truths am I tempted to soften or avoid?

• How does God’s grace sustain holiness when obedience is costly?

Big Idea: Jesus sees the crowd not as an interruption, but as people in need. Holiness expresses itself through Christlike compassion.

Journal Prompts:

• When do I view people as interruptions rather than opportunities?

• Who around me feels like “sheep without a shepherd”?

• How is God shaping my heart to reflect His compassion?

Big Idea: When we offer what we have—even when it feels insufficient—Jesus multiplies it for the sake of others.

Journal Prompts:

• What feels “not enough” in my life right now?

• What is Jesus asking me to place in His hands?

• How does surrender play a role in sanctification and trust?

Big Idea: Jesus meets His disciples in the storm and calls them to deeper trust. Holiness grows as we learn to recognize His presence.

Journal Prompts:

• What storms am I facing that challenge my faith?

• Where might fear be clouding my understanding of who Jesus is?

• How can I practice trusting Jesus more fully in uncertain moments?

Big Idea: True holiness begins in the heart, not in external performance.

Journal Prompts:

• Where am I tempted to substitute religious routine for genuine devotion?

• Are there spiritual habits I practice that need renewed heart engagement?

• Invite the Holy Spirit to search your heart. What does He bring to your attention?

Big Idea: Tradition is valuable—but never when it replaces obedience and love.

Journal Prompts:

• Are there ways I justify disobedience while maintaining a religious appearance?

• How does my faith shape the way I treat my family?

• What is one act of obedience God may be calling me to today?

Big Idea: Sin flows from the heart—and so must holiness.

Journal Prompts:

• Which attitudes listed by Jesus (pride, envy, deceit, etc.) challenge me most?

• Do I focus more on managing behavior or surrendering my heart fully to God?

• Ask God to purify your motives. What would it look like to love Him with an undivided heart?

Big Idea: Persistent faith meets abundant grace.

Journal Prompts:

• Where do I need to persist in prayer right now?

• How does this story challenge assumptions about who “belongs” in God’s kingdom

• What does humble faith look like in my current season?

Big Idea: Jesus restores what sin and brokenness have silenced.

Journal Prompts:

• Where do I need Jesus to say “Ephphatha” (“Be opened”) in my life?

• How can I be an instrument of Christ’s restoring touch to someone else?

• What does this miracle reveal about the heart of Jesus?

Big Idea: When Jesus transforms lives, praise overflows.

Journal Prompts:

• What has Jesus done in my life that I need to speak about more boldly?

• Is gratitude a regular rhythm in my spiritual life?

• How can my life reflect the declaration: “He has done everything well”?

Big Idea: Jesus’ compassion moves Him to act. Holiness is not detached spirituality; it is love expressed in tangible provision.

In this second feeding miracle, Jesus says, “I have compassion for these people.” His concern is not theoretical. He sees hunger, exhaustion, and need — and He responds. In the Wesleyan-Nazarene understanding, entire sanctification does not remove us from human need; it fills us with Christlike love that moves toward it.

Journal Prompts:

• Where do I see physical or spiritual hunger around me?

• Do I believe Jesus is moved with compassion toward my needs

• How might the Spirit be inviting me to participate in meeting someone’s need this week

• What small offering (like loaves and fish) can I place in Jesus’ hands?

Big Idea: Spiritual dullness grows subtly. A holy heart stays alert to the “yeast” that shapes belief and behavior.

Jesus warns about the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod — influences of hypocrisy, unbelief, and compromise.

Journal Prompts:

• What “yeast” might be influencing my thinking — cynicism, pride, fear, distraction?

• Where might I be missing what Jesus is doing because I’m preoccupied?

• What practices help me stay spiritually attentive?

• Is there anything clouding my trust in God’s provision?

Big Idea: Spiritual clarity is sometimes progressive. Jesus patiently completes what He begins.

The blind man at Bethsaida sees people “like trees walking” before receiving full sight. This two-stage healing is unique and powerful. It reminds us that transformation can unfold over time. In Wesleyan theology, sanctifying grace is both instantaneous and progressive. God works decisively, yet we grow into maturity. Jesus is patient with partial sight.

Journal Prompts:

• Where is my spiritual vision still blurry?

• What has Jesus already healed or clarified in my life?

• Am I discouraged by gradual growth, or do I trust His ongoing work?

• What step of obedience might bring clearer vision?

Big Idea: Everything hinges on who we believe Jesus is.

When Peter confesses Jesus as the Messiah, it marks a turning point. Right belief is not merely intellectual — it reshapes allegiance, priorities, and identity.

Journal Prompts:

• If Jesus asked me today, “Who do you say I am?” how would I answer?

• Is my understanding of Jesus shaped more by culture or by Scripture?

• How does my confession of Christ influence my daily decisions?

• What areas of my life have not fully aligned with my confession?

Big Idea: God’s ways often confront our expectations.

Peter rebukes Jesus for predicting suffering. He wanted glory without a cross. Jesus responds firmly because any attempt to remove the cross removes the mission.

The Nazarene tradition embraces cruciform holiness — dying to self so Christ reigns fully. Entire consecration requires surrendering not only sin, but also control and preference.

Journal Prompts:

• Where am I resisting God’s plan because it doesn’t match my expectations?

• What “cross” might Jesus be asking me to accept?

• Have I tried to shape Jesus into my preferences?

• What does surrender look like in this season?

Big Idea: True life is found in self-denial and wholehearted allegiance to Christ.

“Whoever wants to save their life will lose it…” Jesus calls the crowd — not just the disciples — to take up their cross. Holiness is not private devotion alone; it is public identification with Jesus.

In the Wesleyan way, this is entire surrender — placing reputation, ambition, security, and self-will on the altar. We lose the small kingdom of self and gain the life of Christ.

Journal Prompts:

• What am I trying to “save” that Jesus may be asking me to release?

• What does taking up my cross look like in practical terms today?

• Am I hesitant to identify fully with Christ in certain settings?

• How might surrender actually lead to deeper freedom?