PALM SUNDAY

A Conversation On Expectations

WEEK OF: March 29, 2026

What's Up?

Let’s check in with each other. Tell us about something that recently happened in your life or is up and coming. How are you feeling about it? 

This Week's Conversation

Palm Sunday is powerful because it holds tension we all feel. The people shouted “Hosanna—save us now,” expecting Jesus to fix their situation immediately and in a very specific way. But instead of showing up with power and force, He came humbly, riding a donkey, focused on something deeper than what they could see. If we’re honest, we do the same thing—we have expectations for how God should move, how quickly He should answer, and what the outcome should look like.  But what happens when God shows up differently than we hoped? Do we still trust Him? Or do we, like the crowd, shift from praise to disappointment when things don’t go our way? 

GETTING STARTED

  • What’s something small recently that didn’t go the way you planned? (Could be your day, a schedule, something at work, etc.) 

KEY PASSAGE

Let’s take a moment as a group to read Matthew 21:1–11 out loud.
As we read, pay attention to:
  • What Jesus does
  • What the crowd expects
  • What feels surprising or unexpected

DISCUSSION:

  • When something doesn’t go the way you hoped—what’s your natural reaction? (Do you tend to get discouraged, try to fix it yourself, pull back, or lean into God more?)
  • In the passage we read, the crowd expected a warrior, but Jesus came as a Savior. Where have you ever expected God to handle something one way—but He did something different? (What did you want vs. what actually happened?)
  • Why do you think it’s so easy for us to put expectations on God? (Think about control, timing, comfort, or how we think things “should” go.)
  • The crowd shouted “Hosanna” (save us now), but Jesus didn’t meet their timeline. What does it look like to trust God when the answer doesn’t come “now”?
  • The message talked about how the same crowd that praised Jesus later turned away. What’s the difference between praising God in a moment and staying committed to Him over time? (Where do you see that tension in your own life?)
  • “Sometimes God shows up low before He lifts you high.” Is there an area of your life right now where God might be working—but not in the way you expected? (What would it look like to trust Him there instead of resisting?)
  • Jesus told the disciples to untie something and bring it to Him. What is something in your life that might be “tied up” right now that God is asking you to release and trust Him with? (A habit, a relationship, a fear, a burden, or even control over a situation?)
Palm Sunday reminds us that Jesus is a different kind of King—one who doesn’t always meet our expectations, but always meets our deepest needs. He didn’t come just to fix temporary problems; He came to transform lives. And the same Jesus who rode into Jerusalem with purpose is still at work in your life today. So whatever feels uncertain, delayed, or unexpected right now, you can trust this: He sees you, He’s working, and His plan is bigger than you can see. This week, let’s choose to trust Him—not just when it makes sense, but even when it doesn’t. 

Prayer

Read: Is there anything we can pray together about in regard to our conversation today for you, (or even something unrelated)?

PRAYER