Categories: Digging Deeper

by Rob Hans

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Categories: Digging Deeper

by Rob Hans

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Series: The Stories That Read Us
Sermon Title: 4 of the Biggest Lies We Believe That Keep Us From Responding to God’s Invitation 

Passage: ‭Luke‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

SERMON POINTS: 

  1. “God is not the business of throwing parties”
  2. “I’ve Got to Bring Something to the party”
    ‭‭Luke‬ ‭14‬:17
  3. “My Life Is So Great—I Don’t Really Need This”
    ‭‭Luke‬ ‭14‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬
  4. “My Life Is Such a Mess—Jesus Wouldn’t Want Me”
    Luke‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. What if God’s party is better than your plans?
  • We often say “no” to God’s invitation—not because it’s bad, but because we think we have something better. What’s one “field,” “ox,” or “wedding” in your life that you might be putting before God’s invitation?
  • Follow-up: What are you afraid might happen if you say yes to God and no to something else?
  • Supportive Scripture: ‭‭Luke‬ ‭14‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬
  1. Do you believe God actually throws parties?
  • What comes to mind when you hear that God is throwing a feast—and you’re invited? Joy? Pressure? Suspicion? Why?
  • Follow-up: If your image of God doesn’t include celebration, where do you think that came from?
  • Supportive Scripture:‭‭Luke‬ ‭14‬:17
  1. Do you think you need to earn your seat at the table?
  • Sometimes we think we have to bring something, prove something, or clean ourselves up first. What “offering” are you tempted to bring to God to prove your worth?
  • Follow-up: How would your life change if you really believed God wants you as you are?
  • Supportive Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9 
  1. What keeps you from trusting that God’s invitation is personal?
  • The servant goes out again and again to invite people, even to the alleys and country roads. Why is it hard to believe you are the one God is calling?
  • Follow-up: Where in your story have you felt unworthy of being chosen?
  • Supportive Scripture: Luke 14:23 
  1. Where are you making excuses in place of surrender?
  • Excuses are usually rooted in fear, shame, or control. What is one area of your life where you feel God calling—but you’re still holding back?
  • Follow-up: What would it look like to turn that excuse into a step of faith this week?
  • Supportive Scripture: Romans 12:1 
  1. What if your “mess” is actually the very reason Jesus is inviting you?
  • Jesus names the poor, blind, and lame—not as a cautionary tale, but as the honored guests. Why do you think Jesus draws near to those who feel unqualified?
  • Follow-up: What parts of your story feel like reasons to disqualify you… and how might Jesus see them differently?
  • Supportive Scripture: Luke 14:21
  1. Is it possible you’ve mistaken comfort for abundance?
  • Having “a good life” is not the same as having the abundant life Jesus offers. What’s something in your life that appears full—but feels hollow when you’re honest?
  • Follow-up: How might God be using that emptiness to draw you into something more real?
  • Supportive Scripture: John 10:10 
  1. What if God’s best will cost you—but satisfy you more?
  • The narrow way often means saying no to things that aren’t bad—but that block the banquet. What do you feel God asking you to lay down right now?
  • Follow-up: What would trust look like if you believed what He offers is better than anything you’re clinging to?
  • Supportive Scripture: Philippians 3:8

PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

Day 1 – What am I really chasing?

  • Question: What are the fields, oxen, or relationships I’ve used to justify saying “no” to God’s invitation lately?
  • Follow-Up: How might these “good” things be crowding out the best thing?
  • Scripture to Reflect On: Luke 14:18-20

Prayer Prompt: Lord, help me see where I’ve made excuses rooted in fear or pride rather than trust.

Day 2 – What does the feast mean to me?

  • Question: When I imagine God inviting me to His banquet, what emotions rise up—joy, guilt, suspicion, unworthiness?
  • Follow-Up: What do those emotions reveal about how I see God and how I see myself?
  • Scripture to Reflect On: Luke 14:17

Prayer Prompt: Father, heal my distorted images of You. Teach me to trust that Your invitation is for my good.

Day 3 – Where am I living from my false self?

  • Question: What parts of me feel pressure to earn God’s acceptance, impress others, or hide my weakness?
  • Follow-Up: How would it feel to be fully seen and still fully loved?
  • Scriptures to Reflect On: Luke 14:24. Ephesians 2:8–9

Prayer Prompt: Jesus, help me shed the masks I wear and live from my true identity in You.

Day 4 – Who do I exclude—from God’s table and my own?

  • Core Question: Who are the “poor, crippled, blind, and lame” in my life that I unconsciously ignore, avoid, or judge?
  • Follow-Up: What does that reveal about the condition of my soul?
  • Scripture to Reflect On: Luke 14:21

Prayer Prompt: Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours. Help me love beyond convenience.

Day 5 – What am I afraid will happen if I truly surrender?

  • Question: What’s the hidden fear that holds me back from trusting God’s plan over my own?
  • Follow-Up: What would it look like to lay that fear down this week—just one step?
  • Scripture to Reflect On: Romans 12:1

Prayer Prompt: God, I don’t want to hold back. Give me courage to step into the life You are preparing for me.

Day 6 – What if the messiest parts of me are the most welcome?

  • Question: Is there a place in my life I’ve declared “off-limits” to God because it feels too broken or shameful?
  • Follow-Up: What might it look like to believe Jesus wants to meet me in that place?
  • Scriptures to Reflect On: Luke 14:23, Psalm 34:18

Prayer Prompt: Jesus, I invite You into the hidden rooms of my soul. Remind me: nothing disqualifies me from Your love.

Day 7 – Am I living like the invitation is still in my hand?

  • Question: What’s one area where I need to stop delaying and step into God’s invitation with faith and action?
  • Follow-Up: How might obedience become a form of worship this week?
  • Scripture to Reflect On: Philippians 3:8

Prayer Prompt: Lord, help me stop delaying. Your banquet is ready—and so am I.

SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON:

RESOURCES:

MONTHLY SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE: Meditation

Creating Space to Be with God

By Rob Hans, Spiritual Formation Pastor at LifeChurch NV

In our modern world, one of the greatest adversaries to spiritual depth isn’t persecution or doubt—it’s busyness. We live in a culture obsessed with productivity, constant input, and a cluttered mind. We schedule, scroll, and strive, often at the cost of our soul. Jesus invites us into something far more life-giving: “He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15)

But how can we hear if we’re always moving?

This is where the spiritual discipline of meditation becomes essential. Biblical meditation is not about emptying your mind, but about filling it—on purpose—with the voice, truth, and presence of God. As Richard Foster writes in Celebration of Discipline, “Christian meditation… is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey His word.” It is a practice of slowing our pace of performance and cultivating the process of being.

We live in a world of “doing,” yet God calls us to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). Meditation is the sacred space where this knowing takes place—not just intellectual knowledge, but relational awareness. As we intentionally draw near to God with our thoughts, our focus, and our breath, we begin to dwell with Him in a deeper way. Our souls quiet down, our spiritual senses awaken, and we encounter a peace that doesn’t come from circumstances but from union.

Meditation is not performance. It’s posture. It is the stillness that creates capacity. Foster describes it beautifully: “What happens in meditation is that we create the emotional and spiritual space which allows Christ to construct an inner sanctuary in the heart.”

This is why meditation is considered an inner discipline. It shapes the internal architecture of our life with God. It is a deep reflection on our identity—letting go of the false self that strives for approval, and embracing the true self that rests securely in the love of Christ.

Through repeated practice, we begin to relate to God the way two lifelong friends or a married couple might—so familiar, so close, that a single glance or breath speaks volumes. This is intimacy with God: not distant, but personal. Not rushed, but rooted.

Meditation is not a task to complete, it’s a relationship to nurture. It will feel awkward at first, but over time, it becomes the sacred rhythm that re-centers your soul in God’s presence and goodness. You don’t have to strive for closeness with Him. He’s already near. Meditation is simply making space to notice.

7-Day Meditation Practice: Making Space for Union

Each day includes a Scripture, a reflective prompt, a practice, and a prayer.

Day 1 – Slowing Down to Be with God
Psalm 46:10 – “Be still and know that I am God.”
Prompt: Where in your life are you moving too fast to hear God?
Practice: Sit in silence for 5 minutes. Breathe deeply. Whisper “Be still…” on the inhale, and “…and know” on the exhale.
Prayer: Lord, teach me how to be still enough to hear You. I don’t want to just know about You—I want to know You.

Journal Space:

  • Where did your mind wander?
  • What was difficult about being still?
  • Did anything stand out in the silence?

Day 2 – Listening for His Voice

    • Read: John 10:27 – “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
    • Prompt: Do you believe God still speaks? What are you hoping to hear?
    • Practice: Read John 10 slowly and sit quietly. Ask, “Jesus, what are You saying to me today?”
      Prayer: Jesus, help me recognize Your voice above all the noise. I want to be familiar with Your presence.
  • Journal Space:
  • What word, phrase, or idea stood out from John 10?
  • What do you think God might be speaking to you today?

Day 3 – Letting Go of the False Self

    • Read: Colossians 3:9–10 – “You have taken off your old self… and put on the new self.”
    • Prompt: What identity or performance trap do you need to let go of?
    • Practice: Visualize removing a garment that represents your false self. In prayer, put on your “new self” in Christ.
    • Prayer: Father, help me release the masks I wear and embrace who You say I am.
  • Journal Space:
  • What false narratives do you struggle with?
  • What truths about your identity in Christ bring peace?

Day 4 – Creating Inner Sanctuary

    • Read: Ephesians 3:17 – “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”
    • Prompt: Is your heart a place where Jesus is welcome to dwell?
    • Practice: Light a candle or find a quiet spot. Invite Jesus to make His home in you. Stay in silence, resting in His nearness.
    • Prayer: Jesus, build Your home within me. Let me become a sanctuary for Your presence.
  • Journal Space:
  • Describe what it means for Christ to dwell in your heart.
  • What would need to change in your life to create more space for Him?

Day 5 – Meditating on the Word

    • Read: Psalm 1:2 – “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
    • Prompt: What truth of God’s Word do you need to internalize today?
    • Practice: Choose a short verse (e.g., “The Lord is my shepherd”) and repeat it slowly in rhythm with your breathing.
    • Prayer: Lord, plant Your Word deep in my heart. Let it reshape how I think, feel, and live.
  • Journal Space:
  • What verse did you choose?
  • How did it feel to sit with that truth?

Day 6 – Letting God Carry Your Concerns

    • Read: 1 Peter 5:7 – “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
    • Prompt: What’s weighing on you today that you haven’t given to God?
      Practice: In stillness, picture handing your burden to Jesus. Name it. Breathe deeply as you release it.
    • Prayer: God, I give You what I cannot carry. Thank You for caring for me so personally.
  • Journal Space:
  • What are you letting go of?
  • What do you sense God wants to give you in return?

Day 7 – Resting in Love 

    • Read: Zephaniah 3:17 – “He will quiet you with His love.”
    • Prompt: Do you feel loved by God—truly and deeply loved?
    • Practice: Sit quietly and ask, “God, what do You love about me?” Listen with open hands and heart.
    • Prayer: Father, quiet my soul in Your love. Let me live from this place of belovedness.
    • Journal Space:
  • What did you hear or sense in response to that question?
  • How might you live differently knowing you are loved like this?

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Trading the Grind for the Feast

By Rob Hans | Spiritual Formation Pastor

The grind. The hustle. The American dream.
 We’ve been soaking in these messages since we were kids. “Work hard enough, and you’ll earn your place.” “Keep pushing—don’t let them see you sweat.” “Fake it ‘til you make it.” Whether whispered through culture, family expectations, or the inner voice that’s afraid of being left behind, these ideas shape us. They form our sense of value, identity, and even our theology.

But Jesus offers something different… radically different.

The Kingdom of God is not a reward for the successful. It’s a feast for the willing. It doesn’t run on merit or momentum, but on mercy. And that’s hard for most of us to believe. Because it means we have to unlearn everything the world taught us about proving our worth. We must deconstruct the deeply held belief that our value comes from what we produce, and reconstruct a life shaped by the truth that we are loved simply because God invited us.

This shift starts with one honest question:
Do I really believe God knows and has what is best for me?

It’s easier said than believed. Many of us carry deep wounds, silent disappointments, fears we’ve tucked away. We’ve prayed prayers that went unanswered, dreams that got delayed, and disappointments that made us quietly say, “I’ll just handle this myself.” So when Jesus says, “Come, for everything is now ready” (Luke 14:17), our first instinct isn’t to run to the table, it’s to hesitate.

But here’s what I’m learning: the more I trust Him, even with the messy, unfinished parts of me, the more secure, known, and loved I feel. When I stop faking it and start facing it God is present, and reveals his loving nature.

That’s how transformation begins:

  • In our thoughts (What do I really believe about God’s goodness?),
  • In our choices (Am I saying “yes” to His invitation or making excuses?),
  • In our emotions (Do I feel safe enough to surrender?).

This is more than religious reflection. It’s soul work. It’s inner healing. It’s discipleship. So let me ask you, does this stir something in you? Do you feel a pull toward something deeper, quieter, truer?

Maybe, just maybe, God is inviting you to stop grinding and start receiving.
To come out of the streets and alleys of self-reliance, performance, or shame.
To take your seat at the table not because you earned it, but because Jesus made a way.

There’s still room! Will you say yes?

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