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Come Follow Me - Week One

February 15, 2026 0 0

 

Come follow me, cairn by cairn — Revelation

 

Week beginning Sunday 15 February.

 

Introduction:

This week we take our folding table up into the hills as we consider mountaintop experiences with God seeking revelation. These are literal and metaphorical moments where we climb to experience something new of God. You could picture this week as a small cairn made of stones stacked together, signs left by the generations that went before and added to by us walking now.

 

Seeds to sow:

Where do you go when you want to ‘be’ with God? Are there 'metaphorical mountaintops’, meaningful places where you go to pray or to simply spend time with God?

 

Part 1 The Mountaintop — Matthew 17: 1–9

This encounter reveals Jesus’ divine nature and the continuity of God’s plan through the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah). Perhaps choose one or two to discuss.

  • In verse 2, Jesus’ face shines like the sun. When you think about "following Jesus," do you more often picture the humble carpenter on the road, or the radiant Lord of Glory? How does seeing his glory change how you hear his teachings?
     
  • Peter’s immediate reaction is to build shelters—to stay in the moment of awe. In your own spiritual life, do you find it harder to experience the "mountaintop" moments, or harder to leave them behind to go back down into the valley?
     
  • The Father’s voice says, "This is my Son... Listen to him!" As we begin Lent, what is one specific "noise" or distraction you can silence so that you can better hear the voice of the Son?

 

Part 2 The Call to Repentance — Joel 1:1–2, 12–17

Joel speaks to a community in crisis, using the imagery of a failed harvest to describe spiritual desolation. These questions bridge the gap between outward ritual and inward reality.

  • Joel asks the elders if anything like this has happened in their days or their ancestors' days. On this Ash Wednesday, what are the "barren places”, the places of desolation, in our current world or community that make a call to repentance feel urgent rather than just traditional?
     
  • Verse 12 notes that "surely the people’s joy is withered away" along with the crops. How does a disconnect from God lead to a "withering" of joy in our lives, and how might the disciplines of Lent (prayer, fasting, almsgiving) help irrigate that dry ground?
     
  • Joel calls for a fast and a gathering at the house of the Lord. Why is it important that we start Lent together as a community, rather than just as a private, individual New Year’s resolution?

 

Part 3 Seeking God’s Face — Exodus 33: 12–23

This intimate dialogue between Moses and God reveals a God who is both terrifyingly holy and deeply personal.

  • Moses asks God, "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways." Do you find it easy or difficult to believe that God is truly "pleased" with you as you start this journey? How does knowing you have "found favour" change your motivation for following Him?
     
  • Moses insists he won’t move unless God’s Presence goes with them. As you look at the "wilderness" of the forty days ahead from the vantage point of this mountaintop what does "The Presence" look like to you? Is it a feeling, a scripture, a person, or a practice?
     
  • God hides Moses in the cleft of the rock and covers him with His hand for Moses' own protection. Where in your life do you feel God’s "hand" protecting you from things you aren't yet ready to face? How does this reveal His compassion?