The Depth of your Devotion

As a teenager, it can feel like devotion to Jesus is something that happens at church camps or in emotional worship moments — but this sermon challenges us to think bigger. Real devotion isn't just a feeling; it's a choice you make every single day, even when it's not exciting or obvious to anyone else. The woman in Luke 7 didn't care what other people thought — she just knew what Jesus meant to her, and she acted on it. That's the kind of faith worth building now, while you're young.

1. The woman in Luke 7 didn't care about what others thought of her — she just focused on Jesus. Is there anything stopping you from being that openly devoted to Jesus in your school or social life?
2. Jesus said she loved much because she'd been forgiven much. What's something Jesus has done for you that you don't want to forget?
3. Paul said he 'fought the good fight and finished the race.' What does 'the good fight' look like for a teenager in 2025?
4. Romans 12:1 talks about being a 'living sacrifice' — giving your life to God every day, not just in big moments. What would that look like in a normal school week for you?
5. Is your faith something you mostly feel on Sundays, or something you actually live out Monday to Friday? Be honest — what would need to change?

Your twenties and thirties are full of competing priorities — career progression, relationships, finances, figuring out who you are. In that noise, it's easy for faith to become just another item on the to-do list. But this sermon asks a deeper question: is your devotion to Jesus shaping your life, or is your life gradually shaping your devotion? Paul's picture of being 'poured out' isn't a warning — it's an invitation to live with real intentionality and purpose.

1. With so many things demanding your time and energy right now, how do you practically keep Jesus at the centre rather than at the edges of your life?
2. Paul found deep joy in a life fully given to God. Do you genuinely believe that a surrendered life leads to more fulfilment, or does part of you still feel like it means missing out?
3. The woman in Luke 7 was willing to be misunderstood and judged for her devotion. Is there a way you've been holding back in your faith because of what others might think?
4. Romans 12:1 says offering your life to God is your 'true and proper worship.' How does that change the way you think about work, relationships, and daily decisions?
5. What's one area of your life right now where you sense God is asking you to go deeper — and what's making that feel costly or difficult?

Family life is one of the most demanding and distracting environments for spiritual growth — and also one of the most important. This sermon is a reminder that devotion to Jesus isn't just a personal pursuit; it's something that shapes the culture of your home. When parents model what it looks like to love Jesus with sacrifice and joy — not just obligation — children catch something that no curriculum can teach.

1. How do you model devotion to Jesus for your kids in the everyday moments — not just at church or in family devotions?
2. The woman in Luke 7 was lavish and unashamed in her love for Jesus. Is there a way your family could be more openly expressive of your faith together?
3. Romans 12:1 talks about daily surrender. What does it look like to choose Jesus first in a household full of school runs, sport, and work commitments?
4. Paul said he had 'no regrets' about a life poured out. What kind of spiritual legacy do you want to leave for your children — and are you currently on track for that?
5. Where do you find it hardest to keep your devotion fresh as a parent or spouse — and what helps you come back to Jesus when life gets full?

Single life comes with a unique freedom — and a unique temptation to fill that freedom with everything except God. This sermon is an invitation to lean into that freedom as a gift, using this season to build the kind of deep, uncluttered devotion that will anchor you for the rest of your life. The woman in Luke 7 brought everything she had to Jesus without holding anything back. That's a posture worth cultivating now.

1. Being single can feel like a season of waiting, but Romans 12:1 describes a life fully offered to God right now. How does that change the way you see your current season?
2. The woman in Luke 7 wasn't thinking about what she'd get in return — she was responding to what she'd already received. How does remembering God's grace change the way you approach your relationship with him?
3. Paul talks about fighting the good fight and finishing the race. What does faithfully running your race look like in your specific life right now?
4. Is there anything you've been holding back from God — a dream, a fear, a habit, a relationship — that this message is prompting you to surrender?
5. How does your community of faith help you stay devoted? And are you investing in that community as much as you're drawing from it?

There's a particular challenge in this sermon for men: our culture rewards self-sufficiency, ambition, and keeping something in reserve. But Paul's image of being 'poured out as a drink offering' runs directly against that grain. Deep devotion as a man means leading not by holding back, but by going first — in prayer, in sacrifice, in service, in integrity. The men who leave the greatest legacies aren't the ones who played it safe.

1. Paul says he 'fought the good fight' and has no regrets. What does fighting the good fight look like in your specific roles — as a husband, father, friend, or leader?
2. Men often struggle to be as openly devoted to Jesus as the woman in Luke 7. What holds you back from expressing your faith more fully — is it pride, culture, fear of judgement?
3. Romans 12:1 calls us to be a 'living sacrifice.' Where in your life do you feel the most resistance to daily surrender?
4. 2 Timothy 4:5 includes the charge to 'endure hardship.' What hardship are you currently navigating, and how is your faith shaping how you handle it?
5. What would it look like for you to lead the people in your life — family, friends, workmates — more intentionally in the direction of Jesus?

It's no accident that one of the most powerful pictures of devotion in all of Scripture centres on a woman. Jesus honoured her publicly and extravagantly at a time when women were often invisible in religious settings. He sees your devotion too — the quiet sacrifices, the unseen faithfulness, the love poured out in everyday moments. This message is an invitation to let that devotion go even deeper, rooted in the certainty that you are seen, valued, and deeply loved by Jesus.

1. Jesus publicly praised the woman in Luke 7 at a time when she was being judged by everyone else in the room. How does it feel to know that Jesus sees and honours your devotion, even when others don't?
2. Her love was so great because her awareness of forgiveness was so great. Is there something in your own story — a season of grace, a moment of rescue — that you want to let fuel your love for Jesus again?
3. Romans 12:1 speaks of a living, daily offering. What does that look like in the particular rhythms of your life right now?
4. Women often give a lot to others. How do you make sure your own relationship with Jesus — not just your service for him — stays alive and growing?
5. Is there an area of your life where you've been holding back from fully trusting God — and what would it look like to pour that out at his feet?

Those who have walked with Jesus for decades understand something younger believers are still learning: devotion is not a sprint, it's a long and beautiful act of faithfulness. Paul's words — 'I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith' — resonate differently when you've lived enough of life to feel the weight of that sentence. Connect Together is a community of people who know what it costs to stay devoted, and whose faithfulness is one of the great gifts of this church.

1. Looking back over your walk with Jesus, what has helped you stay devoted through the seasons when faith felt costly or dry?
2. Paul's language of being 'poured out' implies nothing is held back. Is there anything you sense God is still inviting you to surrender or step into in this season of life?
3. The woman in Luke 7 wasn't deterred by the opinions of others. Has there been a time in your life when you had to choose devotion to Jesus over the approval of people around you — and what did that teach you?
4. What wisdom would you want to pass on to younger believers about what it means to live a genuinely devoted life?
5. Romans 12:1 says this kind of surrender is our 'true and proper worship.' After all your years of walking with God, what does that phrase mean to you personally?