First Baptist Church Delray

Sermon Application Questions

November 9, 2025

Pastor Steve’s Message: “Serving and Sitting”

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

Review the Exegesis of the Scripture

Read Luke 10:38-39

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.

1.     What might make us think that Martha was the older sister?

2.     How does this story add to our understanding that Jesus came to minister to both men and women?

3.     What clearly was Mary’s priority among everything else she could be doing?

Read Luke 10:40

But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”

4.     Why did Martha ask Jesus to intervene?

Read Luke 10:41–42

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

5.     What might have been the feeling behind Jesus’ words, “Martha, Martha?”

6.     What kinds of things would Jesus have seen Martha anxiously doing?

7.     Does a host sometimes fear that they may look incompetent?

8.     Can a person derive their sense of value by serving others?

9.     Does Jesus really need our service when he can feed millions with manna every morning and he can feed thousands with five loaves and two fish?

10.  What is the “one thing” that Jesus indicates is far more important than our troubles?

Make Personal Applications of the Lessons

11.  Say your name out loud to yourself twice as if Jesus was calling you to speak to what you’re anxious about. How does that feel?

12.  What does Jesus see you focused on more than Him?

13.  Do you sometimes fear that you may look incompetent?

14.  When you find yourself distracted from your relationship with Jesus where else might you be seeking your sense of value and identity from?

a.     getting your To Do List done

b.     keeping your house spotless

c.     the status of your family

d.     the success of your career

e.     what others think of you

f.      the time you put into interests, hobbies, sports, movies, and the gym

g.     your health

h.     living in shame and perhaps medicating yourself with drugs, alcohol, or food

i.      getting angry at social injustice

j.      judging the sin of others

k.     where you live

l.      how hard you work

m.   how good you are morally

n.     how much you know in your head

o.     how you serve Him

15.  Why does Jesus want us to sit at His feet before we serve Him?

16.  When you have jumped into serving Jesus before sitting at His feet, what have been some of your reasons?

a.     The uncomfortable awkward silence needs to be avoided.

b.     Encountering the God of the universe is too intense, scary, risky, or uncomfortable.

c.     That kind of experience doesn’t seem truly valuable.

d.     It’s not something that feels natural to do.

e.     There’s no time.

17.  Would you like to learn more about how to sit with Jesus in prayer by reading the Bible, listening to biblical preaching, and interacting with a small group?

18.  First, have you begun your relationship with Jesus by receiving the gift of salvation which includes His presence through the Holy Spirit?

19.  What plans can you make to improve your reading of the Bible?

a.     Get up earlier to read God’s word in the morning to help prepare for the day and be less likely to miss what God is doing.

b.     Read perhaps a chapter or more at a time, ready to pause and meditate when something sticks out.

c.     Record what God says – What did I learn about God, His nature, and His plan? How does this speak to my life? What questions do I have for further study?

d.     Pray over what I have read asking God to apply it to my heart.

e.     Be careful not to read the Bible only for information or self-help which misses the chance to actually know Jesus.

f.      Avoid the danger of reading the Bible to find a proof-text for something I have already decided upon or to twist it to suit my needs.

20.  What plans can you make to listen to biblical preaching?

a.     Be aware of my need to learn some original language, historical setting, context, and grammar that biblical preachers have learned how to research.

b.     Listen to biblical preaching that explains, illustrates, and applies what the Bible says.

c.     Take in what God has said in His Word.

d.     Process through prayer what God has said so that it takes root in my life.

e.     Be careful to investigate who I listen to and consider if they are just making it say what they want or if they are proclaiming what the Bible says, such as some of the great preachers listed on the church website under Next Steps.

f.      Ask the Holy Spirit to help me block out other thoughts and pay attention to what the preacher says, visualizing myself sitting at the feet of Jesus.

21.  What plans can you make to better interact in a small group?

a.     Value the fact that small groups help us process the Bible with others, hearing their perspectives and taking opportunities to ask questions.

b.     Discuss scripture with friends and family.

c.     Be part of a Life Group that is small enough to know each other, discussing what the Bible says and asking questions.

d.     Although conversations can include topics that help group members get to know each other, I will let the leader help my group avoid swerving off into divisive topics that distract from the message of Jesus, chase rabbits, overshare, and waste other people’s time.

22.  Will you regularly remind yourself to be a “Mary” rather than a “Martha?”