The Price for My Deliverance

A Small Group Discussion Guide | Pastor Mirek Hufton

1. SERMON RECAP

On Good Friday, Pastor Mirek walked us through the garden of Gethsemane and all the way to the cross, showing us that Jesus was never a helpless victim — He was a willing sacrifice who held all power yet chose to lay His life down for us. The price Jesus paid was staggering: betrayal, mockery, beatings, and crucifixion. Yet His final word, tetelestai — "It is finished" — declared that every debt of sin has been paid in full for anyone who receives Him as Lord.

2. KEY SCRIPTURE

Colossians 1:13 (NKJV) "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love."

Supporting Scriptures: - Romans 8:11 — "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." - Isaiah 53:7 — "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth."

3. ICE BREAKER

Start here to get everyone comfortable and talking:

"What's the most expensive gift you've ever received — one you knew cost the giver a great deal? How did it make you feel?"

4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Pastor Mirek described Jesus stepping forward to meet the crowd in the garden — hundreds of armed soldiers — rather than running away. What does that tell you about who Jesus is? Does that image of Jesus match how you usually picture Him?

2. When Jesus said "I am," the entire crowd fell backward to the ground. He then let them get up and willingly went with them. What does it mean to you personally that Jesus chose to go through with the arrest, the beatings, and the cross — knowing He could have stopped it at any moment?

3. Pastor Mirek said Judas called Jesus "Rabbi" (Teacher) but never made Him Lord. He drew a straight line from that to us: you can be in church, agree with everything, and still never surrender to Jesus' authority. Have you ever been in a season where Jesus was more of a "good teacher" in your life than your actual Lord? What did that look like?

4. Tetelestai — "It is finished" — was stamped on paid-in-full receipts in the ancient world. Pastor Mirek said that the moment you confess Jesus as Lord, every sin debt is cancelled and you receive a brand new nature. Does that feel real to you in your everyday life, or does it sometimes feel like your debt is still hanging over you? Why do you think that is?

5. Romans 8:11 says the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. Pastor Mirek said the church needs to rise up bold and strong because of the power we carry. Where in your life — at home, at work, in your neighborhood — do you sense God calling you to live with more boldness than you currently do?

6. Pastor Mirek closed the service by leading us to release unforgiveness, saying that holding grudges blocks what God wants to do through His covenant with us. Is there anyone — or anything — you're still holding onto that might be getting in the way of the full freedom Jesus paid for?

5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE

One specific, doable action for this week:

Write the words "PAID IN FULL" on a sticky note or in your journal. Underneath it, write one area of your life where you struggle to feel forgiven or free — an old sin, a lingering shame, a broken relationship. Each morning this week, read Colossians 1:13 out loud over that note as a declaration that Jesus has already delivered you from that darkness. If unforgiveness came up in your group discussion, add the name of that person to the note and pray a simple prayer each day: "Jesus, I choose to release them. What you paid was enough."

6. PRAYER POINTS

Close your group time praying specifically for these things together:

1. Gratitude for the cross — Ask God to give each person in your group a fresh, personal understanding of what Jesus actually went through — not just as a historical event, but as something He did for them specifically.

2. Freedom from what holds us back — Pray for anyone in the group who is carrying shame, unforgiveness, or a sense that their debt hasn't really been cancelled. Ask the Holy Spirit to make the reality of tetelestai sink deep into their hearts this week.

3. Boldness in daily life — Pray that your group would walk into the coming week aware of the power of the Holy Spirit living inside them, and that they would find one moment — at work, at school, with a neighbor — to let that show.

7. MEMORY VERSE

Colossians 1:13 (NKJV) "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love."

Tip for your group: Try writing it out by hand once a day, or set it as a phone reminder that pops up mid-afternoon when you need it most.

Thank you for leading this week. What Jesus did is worth every conversation. — Resources from Pastor Mirek Hufton's ministry