Tag: promises

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Five

Freedom from Anxiety

Week 45 | Section 54g

Mat 6:19-7:6 Luke 6:37-42

sermon on the mount
Click to watch video clip

Turing our eyes from greed and love of the world we can experience true freedom.  Anxiety is stirred within us as we crave such temporal things. Oddly once gained they lose their luster and another temporal desire must fill its place – if not one’s pleasure in the eternal and spiritual things God has in store for us. Indeed, worry of such things gets us nowhere.

his eye is on the sparrow
Jesus reminds us that God the Father is our provider and always watching out for us and there is no need to worry, fear, or become anxious. The lyrics in the classic gospel song “His eye is on the sparrow” (listen) remind of the same. These emotions emerge from our lack of trust and faith in God and they are often accompanied with thoughts of our own capacity – too high and haughty or broken and fragile.  Jesus lesson for these apostles, disciples and us today is to keep our perspective and priorities in line. Forgetting such will undermine and derail our ministry and witness.

In the second half of this lesson Jesus also warns that we are not judge each other for this too will become a burden and cause anxiety in every relationship. Rather we ought to attend to our own sins and transgressions by setting them aside, abiding in Christ, and forgiving every transgression before it takes hold of our lives in the form of bitterness, fear, anger or timidity.

 

 

Categories
Two

Second Miracle in Galilee

Second Miracle in Galilee

Week 25 | Sections 36,37,28
(Broadcast on Nov 16, 2014)

Second Miracle in GalileeWhile Jesus was often performing miracles that were unmistakable divine, his teaching and presence as the Messiah was to evoke a change in heart and practice. Though some still wish to see miracles, salvation and belief come by faith – not signs. So what of our faith, what shall it yield? The answer will be limited to the power of the one in whom we put our trust.

Scripture:

Section 36 | John 4:43-45
43 After the two days he went out from there1 and went into Galilee.2   44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.3 45 So when he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast,4 for they also went to the feast.

Section 37
[one_third last=”no”]Mathew 4:17
17 From that time, Jesus began to preach,5 and to say, “Repent!6 For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”[/one_third]
[one_third last=”no”]Mark 1:14b-15
preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom7 is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”[/one_third]
[one_third last=”yes”]Luke 4:14b-15
and news about him spread through all the surrounding area. 15 He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.[/one_third]

Section 38 | John 4:46-54
46 Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine.8 There was a certain nobleman9 whose son was sick at Capernaum.10  47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him, and begged him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.11 48 Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.”12  49 The nobleman said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”13  50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.14 51 As he was now going down, his servants met him and reported, saying “Your child lives!”15  52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” He believed, as did his whole house. 54 This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judea into Galilee.16

Group Dialog:

  1. What is the buzz happening in you small group and church about what Jesus has said and done among you and throughout history?
  2. Discuss the importance of repentance and believing the Good News.
  3. Should we expect or pray for miracles to happen in this day and age?
  4. What must we learn of faith, trusting the word of God, the prayer of the righteous, and asking?

Learning Objectives:

Repentance, we are given grace through faith, trust in Christ, faith that heals, take Jesus at his word, promises of God, acting in faith.

Study Notes:

Categories
Two

Living Water

Living Water

Week 23 | Section 35a

Living WaterIn today’s study we explore the message and meaning of Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well. Its a message of truth, honor, and love in which Jesus offers freedom, a future, and the promise of living water sure to satisfy her every thirst.

Scripture:

John 4:5-26
5 So he came1 to a city of Samaria,2 called Sychar,3 near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well4 was there. Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.5 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water.6 Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living water?7¯8 12 Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well,9 and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?”10  13 Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water,13

Group Dialog:

  1. When have you felt “left out”? What emotions sweep through you in such instances? How might you imagine this woman was feeling?
  2. How has the grace of God overcome your shame, guilt and restored your dignity?
  3. What sin and activities result in creating social outcasts in your community?
  4. How might you have expected Jesus to interact in this instance? How do the actual events change and challenge your under of God’s grace and our resulting behavior?
  5. What cultures (sub-cultures) and pains do you feel called to reach?
  6. How does the expectation of conformity injure the soul?
  7. What then can we learn about discipling others from this lesson?
  8. Pray for those who feel rejected, and extend the grace of God to them this week.

Learning Objectives:

receive the gifts of God grace, let your soul be renewed and behavior will change, respect, love the sinner, the foreknowledge of Jesus, mercy, discipleship

Study Notes: