DEEP WORK

Part 2: Deeper Hunger

Scripture

Matthew 9:14-17

¹⁴ Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶ No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. ¹⁷ Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

Sermon Recap

Pastor Pete continued the Deep Work series by turning our attention to the practice of fasting, framing it not as religious performance but as a pathway to deeper hunger for God. Revisiting last week’s theme, he reminded the church that deep spiritual change cannot come from shallow spirituality. Just as Mary chose the good portion, fasting invites us to confront distraction, avoidance, and rebellion—not by trying harder, but by wanting God more. The upcoming One Desire Fast (Jan 18–29) was introduced as a communal invitation to reorder our desires and make room for God through intentional fasting, prayer, and Scripture.

In Matthew 9:14–17, Jesus responds to questions about fasting by exposing the limits of the old wineskin—a way of relating to God marked by performance, comparison, and self-redemption. The Pharisees and even John’s disciples viewed fasting as proof of spiritual seriousness, but Jesus revealed that this mindset cannot hold the transforming work of the kingdom. This old approach, familiar to all of us, often masks shame, fear, and insecurity with religious activity. Jesus makes clear: this is not the way to deep change.

Jesus then introduces the new wine—a vision of fasting rooted in love, longing, and relationship. His disciples were not fasting because they were celebrating the presence of the Bridegroom. Yet Jesus affirms that fasting will come, not as obligation, but as an expression of desire when He is no longer physically present. Throughout church history, believers fasted not to earn God’s favor, but because their hunger for Him outweighed every lesser desire. Fasting, Pastor Pete taught, helps dismantle our source idols—control, approval, power, and comfort—so that our deepest longing is reordered toward God Himself. Deep Work begins with deeper hunger for God.

Discussion
Questions

Connecting

What’s one food, habit, or routine you would find hardest to give up for a short time?
When you hear the word fasting, what’s the first image or assumption that comes to mind?

Considering

In Matthew 9:14–15, how does Jesus explain why His disciples were not fasting at that moment?
What do the images of unshrunk cloth and new wineskins reveal about old versus new ways of relating to God?

Confessing

Which “old wineskin” tendencies—performance, comparison, or self-reliance—are easiest to slip into?
Which source idol (control, approval, power, comfort) most often competes with hunger for God?

Committing

What is one thing you sense God inviting you to fast from during the One Desire Fast?
What is one specific thing you want to fast for—a deeper desire, clarity, repentance, or intimacy with God?

Next Steps

As part of our annual theme, Deep & Wide, we invite our church family to go deeper in relationship with God so that we can be the greatest blessing to one another and the world around us. Each week, we will follow up from the sermon with simple, practical steps to help us receive God’s blessing and apply the truths of the gospel more deeply into our lives.