It's so easy to get familiar with and enjoy the compassion and provision of Jesus.But if we're not careful, we will become enamored with His gifts, and reduce Jesus to a miracle-worker at our disposal. Treating Jesus this way will always result in our disappointment. Learning to see His compassion and provision as acts of mercy towards us will help us to come to Him as the True King that He is.
Application Questions
1. When are some times that you experienced God's compassion for you in striking ways? How did that compassion show itself as a mercy to you in the situation?
2. Have there been times when God's provision for you has shrunk from what you are used to? How did you respond - with thanksgiving for past provision, or with grumbling? How can seeing God's provision as a mercy help you to respond appropriately in the future?
3. What are some ways that Jesus has failed your expectations of Him? How were those expectations tied to your own desires or plans?
4. What are some of the dreams you have stopped bringing to Jesus but continue to pursue on your own?
05. Feeding 5,000
“It’s a mercy that Jesus will fail your purposes for Him, but a far greater mercy that He will never
July 21, 2019
01. Signs and Wonders
June 23, 2019
The miracles performed by Jesus are signs that teach us about God, ourselves, and the world around us. But today, many people struggle to believe that they happened in the first place. In a time when we assume there is always a natural explanation for everything, can we still believe in miracles? And even if we believe in them, how are we supposed to respond to them? The signs and wonders of Jesus are more believable than many assume, and they show us more than we realize. Application Questions 1. Do you struggle with the idea of miracles? Why or why not? 2. How do Jesus' miracles teach you about who he is? 3. How do Jesus' miracles lead you to trust in him more?
02. Water and Wine
June 30, 2019
Too often, we read our Bibles thinking,“If only I could have been there and seen these things, it wouldn't be so hard for me to believe.” But Scripture gives us a different picture. Jesus revealed His glory through the miracles that He performed, and in our Bibles we have all of the signs that we need to believe. Application Questions 1. Think about this miracle in comparison to Jesus' other miracles. What is different about this one? How do those differences impact the way you understand and relate to Jesus? 2. Think about Jesus' interactions with the different individuals in this story. How do His words and actions towards them shape the way you understand His words and actions towards you? 3. In light of the glory of Jesus revealed in this passage, what are some steps that you can take in response to deepen your trust in Jesus?
03. The Official’s Son
July 7, 2019
In the healing of the official's son, we see Jesus perform a miracle from a distance, and he performs a miracle that could have possibly been interpreted as having a different cause. Because Jesus wasn't there and because the timing of the healing was conveyed secondhand, the official could have chosen to believe that it was all some crazy coincidence. But, because of his softened heart, the official (and his whole family) saw this sign for what it truly was: a demonstration of God's glorious power to stoke the fires of their genuine faith. Application Questions 1. When you think of miracles, do you usually think of how limited they are in scope and impact? If not, why not? 2. How does the recording of Jesus'signs in the gospels stoke the fires of your genuine faith? 3. What keeps you from recognizing the“less common kinds of God's action” in your life as God's“signs” (miracles), designed to display his glory and stoke the fires of your genuine faith? 4. How do the“signs” (miracles) you have seen in your own life stoke the fires of your genuine faith?