The Stumbling Stone: Why Being Good Isn't Good Enough

       In Mark 10, a wealthy young man knelt before Jesus and asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Despite his wealth, morality, and religious discipline, something still felt missing. Jesus told him to sell all he had and follow Him—not to condemn wealth but to expose the man’s self-sufficiency. The tragedy wasn’t his possessions; it was his belief that he could do enough to save himself. When the disciples were astonished, Jesus replied, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
      Paul later called this the great reversal. The Gentiles, who never sought righteousness by works, found it through faith; while many Israelites, zealous for the law, stumbled over the very Savior sent to fulfill it. They were running hard—but in the wrong direction. As Paul wrote, “They have stumbled over the stumbling stone.” Christ stands at the center of the path, yet many trip over Him trying to reach God on their own terms. The gospel insists that salvation isn’t achieved but received—by faith, not by effort.
       Even Paul himself had to unlearn his self-righteousness. Once a “Hebrew of Hebrews,” blameless according to the law, he came to count all his credentials as “rubbish” compared to knowing Christ. “Not having a righteousness of my own,” he wrote, “but that which comes through faith in Christ.” Jesus is the end of the law for righteousness—the fulfillment of every command, prophecy, and sacrifice. The law was never meant to save but to point us to our need for a Savior. Every failure whispers the same truth: we cannot save ourselves.
       That’s why Jesus described His mission as giving “His life as a ransom for many.” A ransom is the price paid to free a captive, and that’s who we were—slaves to sin, unable to buy our freedom. The question, then, is not how good are you? but who are you trusting? You can live morally, love church, and still miss Christ if your confidence is in your goodness instead of His grace. The gospel isn’t for good people getting better; it’s for lost people being rescued. Christ is the point, the answer, the only one who is good enough—and He was good enough for you.

Transformation Group Guide:

Key Takeaways:
1. Only God Saves - Salvation belongs to the Lord (Jonah 2:9)
2. A saved person is not a good person - We are sinners saved by grace alone through faith alone
3. A good person can be an unsaved person - Being "good" in our own eyes can blind us to our need for a Savior
4. Christ is the end of the law - Jesus fulfilled what we could never accomplish on our own
5. The law exposes our sin and points us to our need for a Savior

Discussion Questions:
Understanding the Gospel

1. Read Mark 10:17-27 (The Rich Young Ruler). What strikes you most about this encounter? Why do you think Jesus told him to sell everything rather than just affirming his good behavior?
2. Pastor Josh said, "You can't be good enough. You can't do enough. You can't give enough to be saved." How does this statement challenge cultural (or even church) messages you've heard about getting to heaven?
3. What's the difference between being "in church" and having genuine faith in Christ? Why is it possible to love everything that comes with Christianity but never submit to Christ as Lord?

Personal Reflection

4. The sermon mentioned the bumper sticker: "I'm a Christian, but I cuss a little." What point was the pastor making with this example? How does this relate to trusting in Christ's righteousness versus our own?
5. Read Philippians 3:4-9. Paul had an impressive religious resume but counted it all as "rubbish" (or worse) compared to knowing Christ. What things in your life are you tempted to trust in besides Christ alone? (Good deeds, church attendance, moral behavior, family heritage, etc.)
6. Pastor Josh asked: "Is your salvation by faith, or are you trying to get to God some other way?" How would you honestly answer that question today?

Applying the Truth

7. Read Romans 9:30-33 and Romans 10:1-4. Paul describes people who pursued righteousness through works rather than faith. What does this look like in modern Christianity? Can you think of examples (without naming names)?
8. The sermon stated: "If there's not a desire in you for people that don't know Christ to be saved, I would be questioning your own salvation." How does genuine faith in Christ naturally lead to concern for the lost? Do you have a list of people you're praying would come to faith?
9. How does understanding that we're saved by faith alone (not by works) change the way we:
   • View ourselves?
   • Relate to God?
   • Interact with others who don't know Christ?

Going Deeper
10. Read Romans 10:4 again: "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." What does it mean that Christ is the "end" of the law? How should this affect the way we read Old Testament law passages?
11. Pastor Josh mentioned that God's sovereignty and human responsibility are compatible, not incompatible. How do you see both truths at work in salvation? Why is this important to understand?
12. Read Mark 10:45: "For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." What does the word "ransom" tell us about our condition before Christ? How should this humble us?