We live in a culture that prizes control. From the way we track our fitness activity and nutrition, to how we plan our careers, to the endless advice on parenting or retirement, we are told that if we just manage everything right, we can guarantee the outcomes we want. And yet, so many of us feel restless, anxious, or worn down trying to hold it all together. In moments like this, the way of Jesus reminds us that real life is not found in control, but in weakness, dependence, and stillness before God.

Because God chooses to work through weakness and stillness, we are able to live with courage, curiosity, and dependence rather than control. This week’s passage comes from Luke’s Gospel, a book that highlights Jesus as the Savior for all people and lifts up the poor, the outsider, and the humble. In Luke 10, Jesus sends out seventy-two followers on mission. They return with joy, amazed that even spiritual powers submit in his name. But Jesus celebrates something even deeper: that the Father delights to reveal his kingdom not to the powerful or self-assured, but to the humble and childlike. Let’s read Luke 10:1–24 for the full context, and then we will focus in on verses 21–24.

Have someone read out loud.

10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.

16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

22 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Leader’s Note: You likely won’t get to every question. Choose the ones that seem like the best fit for your group.

1. When was the last time you felt powerless or out of control, and yet something good still came out of it?

   Leader’s Note: People may share vulnerable stories here. Gently affirm that weakness is a common human experience, not a personal failure.

2. After hearing Luke 10:1–24, what do you notice in the story? What words, actions, or images stand out most clearly to you?

   Leader’s Note: Encourage people to notice repeated words (joy, names written in heaven, revelation, childlike). This keeps the focus on what the text says.

3. Read verses 21–24 again slowly. What does Jesus actually say here? How would you put it in your own words?

   Leader’s Note: This is the “observation” stage. Let people paraphrase or summarize before jumping to meaning.

4. What do you think Jesus means when he contrasts “the wise and learned” with “little children”? What truth is he pointing out about God’s kingdom?

   Leader’s Note: “Wise and learned” often referred to elites who relied on self-sufficiency. “Little children” highlights humility and dependence. This is the “what does it mean?” stage.

5. Where do you most resonate: with the “wise and learned” who want control, or with the “little children” who receive in dependence? Why?

6. In verse 20, Jesus redirects the disciples’ joy away from power over demons and toward the assurance that “your names are written in heaven.” How does this reframe what really matters?

   Leader’s Note: Inductive flow: what does it say? → what does it mean? → what does it mean for us? The key is that joy is rooted in belonging, not in accomplishments.

7. Looking across Luke 10, what do you think this whole section teaches about the way God works in the world?

   Leader’s Note: Guide toward themes: God’s mission through ordinary people, joy rooted in belonging, revelation given to the humble.

8. If you were to live more like a child in your faith this week, what is one risk or step of curiosity you could take?

   Leader’s Note: Examples could include asking a simple question in prayer, serving someone without expecting return, or stepping into a new ministry opportunity without overthinking outcomes.

9. Take 1 minute in silence together as a group. Afterward, ask: what did you notice in yourself as you tried to be still before God?

   Leader’s Note: Many will find silence uncomfortable. Normalize that. Highlight that stillness creates space to hear God’s voice, just as Samuel and the disciples experienced.

10. As we close, what is one area of your life where you sense God is inviting you to let go of control and embrace dependence on him?

    Leader’s Note: Encourage concrete naming. Leaders may gently remind the group that surrender is not weakness but the posture where God’s power is revealed.

We’ve seen that Jesus rejoiced in the Father’s way of revealing his kingdom to the humble and childlike rather than to the self-sufficient. Because God chooses to work through weakness and stillness, we are able to live with courage, curiosity, and dependence rather than control. This is not just a truth for the first disciples, but also for us today. The kingdom is not something we master or manage. It is something we receive.

As we end, each of us has the chance to let go of striving for control and to open our hands to God’s presence. We can trade the posture of being “wise and learned” for the freedom of being children who are loved. The invitation is to entrust yourself again to the Father who delights to reveal himself to those who come with humility and openness.

Leader’s Note: Have people choose the practice that feels most comfortable to them. Also, for those who didn’t hear the sermon, the first practice draws from 1 Samuel, the sermon text.

Shallow end: Take 3 minutes one day this week to sit quietly before God without music, phone, or distractions. Simply pray, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” Notice what rises in your heart.

Medium depth: Choose one area of life where you tend to grasp for control (family, work, future plans). Write it down and consciously entrust it to God in prayer each day this week, asking for the courage to live in dependence and curiosity instead of control. description

As you finish, take time for prayer ministry using the 5-step model: invite the Spirit, wait, listen, pray, and respond. Ask the Spirit to highlight areas where people are being invited into childlike trust and dependence. Pray for release from control, renewal of courage, and deeper awareness of God’s presence.