What happens when Jesus is not just fixing your past, but staying close while your life is still unfinished?
This opening message in the Redeemer and Friend series looks at the calling of Levi, the man we later know as Matthew, and speaks to a quiet fear many long-time believers carry. Not the fear of forgiveness, but the fear of having taken a wrong turn that quietly altered their future. Matthew’s story shows that Jesus does not wait for lives to become fragile or desperate before stepping in. He enters a settled direction and redirects it, revealing that redemption is about reclaiming an entire path, not just a single moment. We also see what Jesus is like while that redirection is happening. From the tax booth to the dinner table, we see Jesus as both Redeemer and Friend – present, patient, and unafraid of unfinished lives.
If you missed the live service or want to reflect further, you can watch the full message above anytime after. We’ve also included discussion questions to dig deeper into the message and a handout with fill-ins to guide your reflection. You can find the handout by clicking the “Download” button above. Whether you watch this on your own or share it with your small group, we hope this message encourages you.
Discussion Questions
- Where do you notice the quiet fear of having limited God showing up in your own thinking or prayers?
- How do you personally separate forgiveness from direction, and where does that separation create tension in your faith?
- What does it stir in you to consider that Jesus called Matthew in the middle of a settled life rather than at a moment of crisis?
- In what ways do mature believers sometimes assume Jesus should stay at more of a distance than they actually need Him to?
- What do you think it says about Jesus that He went to Matthew’s table instead of asking Matthew to leave his world first?
- Where do you see yourself trying to self-manage growth instead of trusting Jesus with the process?
- How do shame or old labels try to speak into your present faith, even after years of following Jesus?
- What feels harder for you to trust – that Jesus can redeem the past or that He will stay close during the slow parts of change?
- How does the idea of Jesus being both Redeemer and Friend reshape how you think about unfinished areas of your life?
- What would it look like for you this week to stay at the table with Jesus instead of distancing yourself until things feel more resolved?
