CoffeeChat 19 – The Way

Edition  19

The Way

Last Edition Recap
How have you applied the last edition to your life?
Opening Prayer
Dear Lord, teach us the importance of following what You command, not merely what we prefer. Amen.
Introduction
Two hikers stand at the mountain’s base. One sees an impossible climb—sheer cliffs, hidden crevasses, no clear path. The other holds a detailed map drawn by someone who’s already reached the summit. What we see versus what God already knows. We see giant obstacles; God knows the solution. We have questions; God has answers. We see problems; God sees possibilities. Before Christians had that name, they were “Followers of The Way.” Not followers of a philosophy or ideal, but imitators of a person—Jesus, who declared, “I am the way.” They literally applied Christ’s ways, fearlessly obeyed His commands. Today? We’ve downgraded commands into suggestions, mandates into maybes. Jesus commands all followers: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Yet churches overflow with people claiming to follow whilst doing nothing about this command. We embrace eternal life, celebrate mercy, sing about grace, but remain defiant about obedience. The statistics are damning: what percentage of your church actively fulfils Jesus’s command to make disciples? We’ve become tourists on The Way rather than travellers, spectators rather than followers. The path still leads to the same destination, but we’re no longer walking it.
Chat Point 1
  1. How would you describe the difference between seeing Jesus’s words as commands versus suggestions?
  2. What causes Christians to embrace God’s promises whilst ignoring His commands?
  3. When you honestly assess your church, what evidence shows people are actually following “The Way”?
  4. How do we reconcile wanting eternal life whilst refusing to obey the One who offers it?
  5. What would change if every church member took Jesus’s commands as seriously as they take His promises?
 
Read
Isaiah 55:8-9, Matthew 28:19-20, John 14:1-15
Key Focus
John 14:15 – “If you love me, keep my commands.”
Chat Point 2
  1. What stood out for you about the connection between love and obedience in Jesus’s statement?
  2. How does understanding Jesus as “the Way” change your approach to His commands?
  3. Why do you think Jesus gave the Great Commission as His final earthly instruction?
  4. What’s the difference between your minister obeying Christ for you versus you obeying Christ yourself?
  5. How would your spiritual journey change if you viewed commands as navigation rather than restriction?
Final Thought
The image shows two perspectives: what you see (an impossible mountain path) versus what God already knows (the exact route through). This is our spiritual reality. We treat Jesus’s commands as optional because we only see obstacles. God sees the path He’s already mapped. “Followers of The Way” understood something we’ve forgotten: Jesus isn’t offering advice; He’s giving directions. When you’re lost in the mountains, you don’t debate the map—you follow it. When the guide says “this way,” you don’t vote on alternatives. Yet we’ve made Christianity democratic, treating Christ’s commands as referendum items rather than rescue instructions. The Great Commission isn’t a suggestion for the spiritually ambitious; it’s GPS for the lost. “If you love me, keep my commands” isn’t emotional manipulation; it’s relational reality. Love without obedience is sentiment. Faith without action is theory. Following without going anywhere isn’t following at all. Your minister cannot obey for you, believe for you, or follow for you. That’s your job. The Way remains the same, but walking it requires movement. God knows what we don’t. The question isn’t whether His way works, but whether we’ll walk it.
My Action
What key insight or learning from this session resonates most with me, and what do I sense God is inviting me to do in response?
Shared Prayer
What are your prayer requests?​
Closing Prayer
God, our ways aren’t Yours; teach us to trust Your commands as much as we trust Your promises. Amen.
In-Between Chats: Personal Reflection
  1. What specific command of Christ have you been treating as a suggestion, and what would obeying it require?
  2. If you could do anything to help your church grow God’s Kingdom, what would you start doing this week?
  3. How can you move from being a spectator of “The Way” to an active traveller on it?
Edition Writer: Rev Kevin Zondagh

Ordained Minister, Life Coach, Couples Coach, Executive Coach. Founder of CoffeeChatConnect and Exemplar Coaching Pty Ltd.