Sermon Study Guide | Series: Glitch | Sermon: Going Offline
Scripture: Matthew 11:28–30; 1 Corinthians 13:12 | Date: June 14, 2026

For this series we’ve developed a Glitch — Resource Guide and curated a list of Mental Health Professionals at menlo.church/mentalhealth

CONNECT - “A Personal Reflection”

This section is designed to help you relate personally to the theme of the sermon. It encourages you to reflect on your own life experiences and how they connect to the message.

Think about your relationships over the past few weeks. When have you chosen the convenience of a screen over the complexity of being present with another person? Where have you noticed yourself becoming less patient with disagreement, interruption, or another person’s needs? Share about someone whose honesty, presence, or loving pushback has helped shape you into a healthier person.

ENGAGE - “Exploring the Scripture”

This section invites you to dive into the biblical passage, discuss its meaning, and apply it to your life through thoughtful questions.

Read Matthew 11:28–30 and 1 Corinthians 13:12 together, and discuss:

• Jesus invites tired and burdened people to come to Him, walk with Him, and learn from Him. What is the difference between receiving rest from Jesus and simply escaping discomfort through technology?
  
  
• A yoke joins two lives together so that a burden can be shared. What burden are you currently carrying that Jesus may be inviting you to stop carrying alone?
  
  
• The message contrasts power that extracts with the power of Jesus, which restores. Where are you experiencing pressure to become more productive, available, impressive, or efficient at the expense of your humanity?
  
  
• Paul describes our present experience as seeing “in a mirror dimly,” while pointing toward being fully known face-to-face. Why is being fully known—and still loved—such an important part of real intimacy?
  
  
• Technology can mirror our preferences, respond quickly, and rarely challenge us. How might that experience change what we expect from friends, family members, coworkers, or our church community?
  
  
• “Friction is where formation lives.” When has a difficult conversation or disagreement helped you grow? What made that relational friction constructive rather than destructive?
  
  
• Consider the four capacities explored throughout the series: awe, agency, identity, and intimacy. Which one feels most underdeveloped in your life right now? What might Jesus want to restore in that area?

APPLY - “Putting the Scriptures into Action”

This section challenges us to take what we’ve learned and implement it in practical ways in our daily lives.

• Choose one meal each week to share with another person in which every phone is placed on a different surface—not face down on the table, but fully out of reach.
  
  
• Identify one person who is walking through something difficult. Show up physically through a visit, a shared walk, a meal, or another tangible expression of care.
  
  
• Ask someone you trust, “Is there anything you think I need to hear but may not want to hear?” Listen without defending yourself or immediately explaining.
  
  
• Set aside two quiet minutes each day to receive Jesus’ invitation: “Come to me.” Resist the urge to perform, produce, or solve. Simply remain present with Him.
  
  
• Notice one relationship in which you have been coasting and confirming rather than giving and receiving. Take one courageous step toward a more honest conversation.
  
  
• Pray this simple prayer over someone this week: “Lord, remind this person they are loved, known, and not alone.” 

PRAY - “Seeking God’s Guidance”

This section offers a short prayer to help us center our hearts and invite God to work in our lives through his scripture.

Jesus, thank you for knowing us completely and loving us without condition. Forgive us for the ways we have chosen convenient connections over the costly gift of real relationships.

Teach us to come to you when we are tired, to receive the rest only you can give, and to walk in your unforced rhythms of grace. Restore the parts of us that have been shaped by pressure, performance, and distraction.

Give us the courage to be fully present, to listen with patience, to speak the truth with love, and to remain when relationships become difficult. Help us become people who give and receive, push and pull, forgive and grow.

Remind us that we are loved, known, and never alone. Amen.

If you have feedback on this guide or ideas that would help your group engage more deeply, we’d love to hear from you. 

Your insight helps us continue growing as a church that wrestles honestly and walks faithfully together. Contact msummers@menlo.church

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