The Beatitudes, Guide 2: Submission
Leader Note: Have a Bible ready for the Practice later on; we’ll be reading Matthew 26v36-56.
Take Communion (2 minutes)
Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through Matthew 5v3–12 as written below, then take a brief moment to pray aloud and thank Jesus for the promise of his kingdom.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Leader Note: Before diving into the rest of this Guide, close this time in prayer, asking Jesus to now be your teacher as you seek to become more like him and do what he did.
Review The Last Practice (8 minutes)
Let’s take some time to reflect on how the last Practice went for everyone. As a reminder, last week we agreed to follow through on how you felt invited to respond to God’s movement in your life—even just one small step toward obedience.
For those of you who responded and reflected on what specific transforming work God is doing in your life, what steps did you take to carry that awareness into your week?
For those of you who sensed an invitation from God about turning from and turning to, what steps, big or small, did you take towards obedience?
As you heard from God and reflected on these themes, how could our Community pray for you in this?
Leader Note: Take the opportunity to pray in this moment for those who responded to question number 3, before moving onto the next section.
Read This Overview Aloud (5 minutes)
Submission is an ancient spiritual practice that invites followers of Jesus to embrace humility, surrender, and obedience to God’s will as a means of spiritual maturity. Rooted in the teachings of Jesus, particularly his call to “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me”, submission is not about passivity but a conscious choice to yield our desires and control to God’s greater purpose.
Submission, within God’s invitation, is a way of practicing honesty, surrender, and obedience to his plan of transformation in us. It acknowledges that God might want to meet us right in the middle of our circumstances that we find ourselves in. Whether these are circumstances that are neutral, or good but difficult, or outside of our control, or even outside of what God would desire for us – Jesus can be found right in the midst of them.
Submission also extends to our relationships with others, as modeled by Christ’s embodied life. When we choose to place the needs and even interests of others before our own, we develop empathy, patience, and humility. This self-denial, the letting go of our egos and aligning ourselves with God’s kingdom values, is not a loss of identity but rather a path to discovering true freedom.
Ultimately, the practice of submission invites us to examine the influences shaping our character. Are we allowing that difficult situation that we so desperately want fixed, or that recent job offer, or our current season-of-life limitations to deepen our dependence on God? Are we believing that God will be waiting to meet us there with love? By leaning into submission, we become more attuned to the ways God is shaping us into the person he desires us to be—humble, merciful, compassionate, and loving. Through this surrender, we get to draw closer to God and the Spirit’s whisper, while discovering surprising places of Jesus’ gentle work in us. It’s amazing what he can do with a mix of light and darkness.
Do This Practice Tonight (20 minutes)
Tonight, we are going to engage in the practice of Submission by reflecting on Jesus’ own embodied submission in the Garden of Gethsemane, as he offers up his feelings, desires, and will to the will of the Father. Then, we’ll take time to discuss together how we can follow his model in our own lives.
Get comfortable. Before we begin by reading tonight’s Scripture passage of Jesus in the garden, let’s get comfortable and bring ourselves into the presence of Jesus by asking him to guide our time together.
Read Matthew 26v36–56. Encourage the Community to listen closely to Jesus’ words and emotions during this pivotal moment.
Reflect on Jesus’ model of submission. Let’s take the next 5 minutes to discuss Jesus’ prayer and actions in the garden:
Honesty: Jesus openly expresses his own sorrow and asks, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me” (v39). He initiated this conversation with God and began with honesty. Have you ever found yourself praying a prayer like this?
Surrender: Despite His anguish, Jesus prays, “Yet not as I will, but as You will” (v39). God is always committed to entering right into the middle of our circumstances. Where is an unexpected place that God might be shaping you?
Obedience: Jesus submits fully, even when His arrest and suffering begin. Has there been a time where you’ve felt the weightiness of submitting during times you’ve sensed it was God’s will?
Pause. Let’s take a moment to sit in silence and welcome the Spirit. We don’t want to miss the opportunity to hear his voice speak about places in our lives that we might be trying to avoid or escape.
How can we practice submission in our lives? Let’s take the next 10 minutes to hear one another respond to these prompts:
What circumstances in your life might be inviting you to say, “Not my will, but Yours be done”?
Where do you need to be met with his hope?
Silent prayer. As we close this portion of the night, let’s take the next 2 minutes in silence to bring whatever has surfaced in your heart and mind, directly to God. This could be as simple as praying the Scripture we’ve been reflecting tonight – “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
Leader Note: Set a 2 minute timer for silence. Break the silence by thanking God for Jesus’ example and asking for strength to submit to his will in all areas of life.
Read The Practice for the Week Ahead (2 minutes)
Our Practice for the week ahead is to continue to meditate on Jesus’ model of submission in his prayer in the garden: “Not my will, but Yours be done.” Let’s come ready next week to share how it went.
End in Prayer (5 minutes)
Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, asking God to continue growing your Community through the Practice of Submission.