Palm Sunday
The Unexpected King | John 12:12-16 | Chris Meade | March 29, 2026
There’s something quietly sobering about this moment in John 12. The crowd is not indifferent—they are passionate, loud, celebratory. They are waving palm branches, shouting “Hosanna,” declaring Jesus as King. And yet…within days, many of those same voices will fall silent or turn away. Not because Jesus failed—but because He refused to be the kind of King they wanted. That tension still lives in us. The “not-so-triumphal entry” isn’t just about a crowd that misunderstood Jesus—it’s about how easily we can do the same. The invitation of Palm Sunday is not just to wave branches, but to lay down our expectations and receive the King as He truly is.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Where did the Holy Spirit speak or challenge you through God’s Word? Were there any “ah-ah” moments?
2. Heart Check: Read—John 12:12-16.
o The crowd worshiped loudly when Jesus looked like a conquering hero. But when He moved toward a cross instead of a throne, their praise faded. It’s easy to praise Jesus as long as He aligns with your expectations—your timeline, your outcomes, your idea of what “victory” should look like.
o But where might you be subtly asking Jesus to serve your agenda instead of surrendering to His?
o Has my been worship rooted in who Jesus is—or in what I hope He will do for me? How do we distinguish the difference? What are examples you where you have lived both scenarios?
3. The DIAGNOSIS: Let Scripture shape our expectations, not culture or circumstance.
o John tells us even the disciples didn’t fully understand what was happening until later. We are just as prone to misread Jesus if we filter Him through politics, comfort, or personal desire rather than the whole counsel of God’s Word.
o The people wanted freedom from Rome; Jesus came to bring freedom from sin and death. One is temporary, the other eternal. Where are you tempted to settle for short-term relief instead of the deeper, lasting work Jesus is doing in your life?
4. The ACTION ORIENTATION:
o The crowd had excitement, but not endurance. Deeply rooted faith is not just loud in moments of celebration—it remains steady through confusion, tension, and even silence. What would it look like for your faith to be deeper than the moment? What does it look like/take to turn toward Jesus in those moments?
Missions Week 2
Missions Week 2 | Psalm 67 | Chris Meade | March 22, 2026
Psalm 67 centers on aligning our hearts with God’s heart for the nations. It begins with a call to pray for God’s blessing—not as an end in itself, but so that His ways and salvation would be known throughout the world. God’s blessing is defined not by material gain, but by His grace, presence, and delight in His people. The psalm reveals that God’s mission has always been global, and now the Church is His chosen instrument to carry the gospel to all nations. Therefore, believers are called to live as missionaries where they are, while also engaging in global missions through prayer, giving, and going. Ultimately, the sermon challenges us to steward all that God has entrusted to us and to respond with a willing “Send me” posture, desiring that all peoples would know Him, rejoice in Him, and give Him praise.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Where did the Holy Spirit speak or challenge you through God’s Word? Were there any “ah-ah” moments?
2. Heart Check: Read Psalm 67:1-2
o When you think about your own life with Christ, what moments stand out as your “God story”—times when Jesus confronted you, revealed something about your heart, and changed your direction?
o The psalmist prays, “God be gracious to us…bless us…make His face shine on us.” Do you typically believe God delights in you, or do you tend to view Him as distant or disappointed? How might our view of God shape our willingness to step out in mission?
o Psalm 67 begins with a prayer for God’s blessing—but with a missional purpose. When you pray, what do you pray that God would bless? How does the purpose of blessing being to share the heart of God to the nations change your idea, purpose, and prayer for God blessings?
3. The ACTION ORIENTATION:
o “So that your ways may be known on earth…” What specific ways has God blessed your life (time, resources, relationships, gifts), and how could those be intentionally leveraged to help others know Him?
o Where in your daily life—home, workplace, neighborhood—might God already be inviting you to live as a missionary? What would it look like to take one intentional step this week to share His love or truth?
o God’s heart is for all nations to know Him, rejoice in Him, and praise Him. What is your current level of engagement with global missions (prayer, giving, going), and what is one step you sense God prompting you to take?
o The call is not just to admire the mission, but to respond: “Send me.” What fears, hesitations, or comforts might be holding you back from fully surrendering to God’s mission—and what would it look like to place those before Him in trust?
4. Prayer for Mountainview:
o The message emphasized praying for the church to be blessed for the sake of the nations. How can you begin regularly praying for your church, its leaders, and its mission with that outward focus? Would you pray the church body to “own the mission”?