Ask Better Questions: From Prominence to Kingdom Service

Pastor Daniel Medders teaches that asking questions is good, but our questions often reveal what we truly understand or misunderstand, using stories like tire chains and local water shortages to make the point. He then examines the Gospel accounts of James and John, and in Matthew their mother, likely Salome and possibly Jesus’ aunt, asking for seats of honor, warning that this reflects favoritism, a desire for prominence, and competition among believers. Jesus’ response about drinking his “cup” reframes greatness as service and sacrifice, something the disciples do not yet grasp, though it later becomes clear in James’s martyrdom. Pastor Medders contrasts this with Brian Lennon’s story, where being grounded from flying led him to ask God how to use his time, resulting in a men’s Bible study that helped many men grow in faith. He closes by urging everyone to ask better questions that focus on how God can use their time and gifts to point others to Jesus, and he ends in prayer.