She was making poor decisions and not trusting in God
Although God had delivered her from troubles before and personally made a promise to her that she would have a son, she did not believe God
She was putting her faith in events going on around her instead of in God’s promises
It is important to have people involved in your life who can help you to trust in God when you are going through difficulties in your life. Faithful friends can help you to remember all the times God delivered you in the past.
Discuss some characteristics of Abraham
He did not trust in God, but he trusted his wife who did not give him the best advice
He was looking to his culture for advice to help him establish his Kingdom, instead of trusting in God’s promises.
We need to remember in our lives that God has a plan laid out for us in our lives. We sometimes forget this and instead of seeking out God’s will for our lives, we find a way to deviate from God's plans.
When we deviate from God’s plan for our lives, generations of our family members are usually negatively impacted.
Discuss some characteristics of Hagar
Hagar was rumored to be an Egyptian princess but was a slave to Abraham and Sarai
She was forced to marry Abraham and to have a child for Sarai
God saw her cry for help and delivered her
In Genesis 21- Hagar and her son Ishmael were removed from the family and God heard her cry again. God invited Hagar into a relationship with him.
We are now part of a greater promise and free to have faith in God. We are no longer bound by the laws of Jewish traditions. Anyone who wants to have a relationship with God is able to do so. We now have freedom to live as Chrisitians because of Jesus and his sacrifice.
Read Isaiah 42:1-9: What do we learn about Jesus from this passage?
God calls Jesus his servant
The Messiah will show who God is
He will show the way to life eternal
He will open eyes that are blind
Jesus will bring justice to the nations, we do not have to seek justice for ourselves when we are wronged
God was intimately involved with Jesus, holding his hand
God gave Jesus his glory, so we could trust that He was from God
Read John 9:1-8: Who were the blind characters in this passage and why?
The disciples were blinded by their own traditions, they believed bad things happened to people as a result of sins their parents committed. They could not see the real reason this beggar was blind from birth.
The beggar was born blind so that God’s work could be displayed in his life. It is important to understand that the beggar was chosen by God for this purpose. When bad things happen to you in your life do you see it as an opportunity for God’s work to be displayed in your life? It is very inspiring when individuals overcome hardships in their lives and trust in God’s deliverance.
What was Jesus referring to when he said they were to work as long as he was there with them? Meaning, make the most of every opportunity to do good. Healing on the Sabbath was more important than obeying the man-made rules of the Sabbath.
Neat trivial fact: the Pool of Siloam-means “sent”. Remember in Isaiah, Jesus was going to be "sent" to save the world.
Read John 9:8-12: Why were the onlookers unable to recognize the healed beggar?
Perhaps the healed beggar was acting differently now that he was healed.
Perhaps they never even really knew what he looked like because he was an outcast, ie. the blind beggar that no one really paid any attention.
Perhaps the onlookers were still blinded by their own inability to recognize the power of Jesus to heal lifelong conditions. They could not connect the miracle to Jesus in their minds. Afterall, using mud in someone’s eyes to heal them seems ridiculous.
It is important to note also that the man did not require faith to be healed, he was healed although he did not know who Jesus was. In order to be healed however, he had to obey Jesus and do something- go wash in the pool.
Read John 9:13-17: Why were the Pharisees having such a difficult time understanding this miracle?
The Pharisees were blinded by their own religious traditions. They were caught up in obeying the tradition of the Sabbath and unable to recognize that Jesus was more important than the Sabbath itself. We need to still do good things on the Sabbath. Jesus performed lots of miracles on the Sabbath to drive this point home to his followers.
God created the Sabbath for humans to rest. God stopped creating on the Sabbath, he did not stop existing. The Pharisees went as far to say this man was not from God because he did not keep the Sabbath, by their definition. How many times do we say someone is not a Christian because they do not obey rules that were man-made?
Read John 9:35-38: Who are the spiritually blind in this passage and did they regain true sight?
The Pharisees were unable to see that Jesus was doing good on the sabbath and this man was able to see as a result. Instead of rejoicing and worshiping God for this miracle, they threw the healed man out of the synagogue. The Pharisees remained blind.
The man was thrown out but Jesus found him and helped him to realize who really healed him. The beggar transformed from not knowing who Jesus was, to calling him an unknown man, to calling him a prophet and finally to proclaiming Jesus was the Son of Man. The blind man allowed himself to be transformed by this interaction with Jesus. We can be transformed in the same way if we allow our eyes to really be healed by Jesus to see who he is. We can be healed from our spiritual blindness when we obey his commands and acknowledge that he is the one doing the healing in our lives.
Several individuals at church on Sunday shared a verse or song that really encouraged them in their daily walk with God. Here is a sample of what was shared by various individuals:
Remember, as Christians, we are more than conquerors and cannot be separated from the Love of God that is in Jesus our Lord.
God doesn’t move away from us, we are usually the ones that move away from God. Jesus intercedes for us to help us stay close to God, he takes the bullets for us and protects us in our daily walk with God so that we can stay close to God.
God wants to hear from us. We do not have to be worried about anything as long as we turn everything over to God and give thanks. Remember to fill your mind up with thoughts of heaven so that peace will dwell in your heart.
Read Philemon verse 4-7
As Christians, we can encourage each other with our faithfulness to God.
Even when we have doubts in our lives, Jesus takes the time to come to us and make sure we believe. Look back at all the events of your life and recount how God was present and helped you to continue to believe in Him.
We live in a world that is full of bad news stories, however, we can read these verses and remember the Good News that Jesus is with God and is preparing a new place for us to come and dwell with him.
Jesus was willing to give up everything he had for us so that we could have a chance to be with Him and God. We will one day be together with Jesus and God!
Kings were inaugurated on donkey’s in the past as part of Israelite culture; it was also a sign of a king coming to make peace during war
Saul was the first king to ride into the city on a donkey
Jesus asked for a donkey as a fulfillment of the messianic prophecy in Zechariah 9:9
Donkeys represent the king in a humble, servant state; it may be a sign he is coming to make peace or to save the people
When a king rides into a city on a horse, it is a sign of victory and celebration or to bring judgment on the people and take control
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus returns to us on a White Horse, symbolizing his victory over satan and death and to bring judgment on those unwilling to acknowledge him
Why were the Pharisees upset when the people referred to Jesus as Lord?
The Pharisees refused to acknowledge that Jesus was from God
They thought he was a fraud and they did not want to lose their position as the religious leaders of the day by accepting Jesus as the true Lord
Why was Jesus weeping?
He was weeping as he entered Jerusalem because he could see past the beauty of the city with its 100 foot wall. He knew the fate of Jerusalem. The temple would be destroyed and all the Israelites would be scattered with Judaism in ruins. He could see the suffering that was about to take place.
He was likely remembering Jeremiah’s prophecy that predicted the destruction of the temple and Shiloh would be in ruins. Shiloh was the place where the Ark was stored before David brought it into Jerusalem. Eventually, the Philistines captured the Ark and destroyed Shiloh. In 70 AD these predictions came true again as warned by Jesus.
What did Jesus mean by “the time of your visitation”?
The Jews of the day did not recognize that Jesus was the Davidic Messiah. He rode in on a donkey, like the prophecy of old, when new kings would ride into a city on a donkey as part of their inauguration. Unfortunately, many of them still missed the clue.
What are some other “times of visitation” in the old testament that demonstrate onlookers missing the clue?
Noah and the Ark- Noah sent from God to save
Ninevah and Jonah- Jonah sent from God to save
David and Goliath- David sent from God to save
Sodom and Gomorrah- the Angel sent from God to save
Peter predicted Jesus’s future day of visitation where believers will glorify God.
Remember to keep doing good deeds, this will be pleasing to the Lord and help others to be saved and glorify GOD!
Jesus was accused of many false actions, but he never gave up. He persevered and was able to save the world who recognized and accepted him, thereby bringing glory to God!
The Elder is likely John, who also wrote the gospel of John
John has a distinct writing style and repeatedly writes about the following themes: the new commandment to love each other, holding to the truth, the Antichrist, and abiding in Jesus
Who is John referring to when he addressed the “lady and her children” and why?
Likely the house church that meets in the home of a well known lady/sister and the disciples that meet at her home
What does it mean to Love Jesus?
To love Jesus is to obey his commands, John 8:31-32
When we hold to Jesus’s teachings we learn what is true and we will be set free from sin and destruction.
How does “abiding in the truth" and "walking in the truth" differ?
Abiding is having a knowledge, understanding and belief
Walking is the actual implementation of this knowledge, the action part, going and serving someone for example
Our joy is complete when we meet together face to face. We experience the love of Jesus when we fellowship with each other.
Read Colossians 2:20-23:It is important to remember as baptized Christians we have a new life and can focus on what we can do with our new freedom in Christ; we can love each other.
In 2 John verse 7-8, John talks about an “anti-christ”. Who is the “anti-christ”?
The “anti-christ” is Anyone who teaches that Jesus did not come in the flesh (as a human), die, was raised to life by God, and will return in the flesh.
Jesus was the first born from the dead, therefore, we have our hope in that we too will be raised to a new life in Him. If Jesus did not resurrect in the flesh, that means we will have no chance of doing the same thing. Therefore, it is important to understand and believe this concept. John is really firm about this. He says to not even associate with people that teach against this truth.
The GOOD NEWS of Jesus is that it is possible to live a resurrected life here on earth as a baptized disciples and to look forward to returning to our spiritual state that started off in the garden of Eden when we get to spend eternity with God.
When the Samaritan woman met Jesus, he offered her living water. What is living water? Why did he offer her living water? What was she looking for? What was the cost of the living water and who paid for it?
Living water, an idiom for spiritual life that will never end
He offered her living water because it was obvious she was looking for everlasting fulfillment in something else, perhaps in the several husbands she had--failed relationships.
Jesus offers everlasting life to whoever will accept it, it is free
Jesus paid for everlasting life with the price of his own life
What happened to this woman after her “come to Jesus talk?”
She took his offer and changed her life, then she informed the whole town, verse 28
Because of her willingness to talk to Jesus and respond in favor, others were able to seek out Jesus and have their own conversation with Jesus and receive faith in him and thus inherit everlasting life too!
Jesus promises everlasting life and paid the price with his own life, he is offering it to anyone for free
What happens when you pursue sin instead of everlasting life? You miss out on the free gift to live with God forever and we will never feel fulfilled in our life here on earth
What is your motivation for giving up sin in your life? Is it because God has blessed you or are you motivated by encouraging God with your actions?
The only way to purify our lives and remove the sins, it to fill up our lives with the everlasting pure water that comes from being with Jesus
The water of life is flowing freely, again there is no cost because Jesus paid with his life
The tree of life is producing healing to all the nations
When you are thirsty, where do you go or who do you turn to?
It is important to go to the true source for life, God and Jesus and not to earthly or man made things or ideas, they cannot fill us the way God and Jesus and the Holy spirit can
We cannot earn this free gift because it was already paid for, but we can accept it and in doing so we will no longer have room in our lives for indulging in activities that can destroy us
The church is a community of believers with Jesus as the leader.Working together as a unit can help non-believers to see how much God loves his people and wants to have a personal relationship with each person
The body of Christ (the church) is a unit made up of many parts, the people
We are all needed to do our part so that the body (the church) will be build up
Can you think of your unique talents that you possess and can use to encourage the church?
Are there any needs you have that you see others could meet in the church?
It is good to remember that we need each other and are connected as one through Jesus
Encouragement for the day:
Think of one activity you can do right now to make a difference in your community, family, church or work group and do it!
What is the difference between the heart of the Pharisee and the heart of the tax collector in this parable?
How easy is it for us to see Jesus’s character in someone who is humble, open and honest about their sin?
What was motivating this Pharisee to be a good person?
It is important to check our hearts and see if we are doing the right things out of motivation for love of God versus just to look good in front of other people
He changed his actions and behavior because of the Lord
He understood what it meant to have a Lord in your life, your life should reflect that you make decisions based on the Lord’s requirements
As a follower of Jesus, we are not only about following rules and being a good person, our hearts should be willing to please Jesus. Jesus is our entire motivation for what we do. When we are motivated by following Jesus’s life, we will likely be more honest, more humble and more able to help others to understand who Jesus is and follow him
Let’s imagine, if someone interacted with Zaccheus one year after his encounter with Jesus, what kind of person would they encounter?
He would likely still be repentant and explaining his sins and making things right. This is an example of “sharing your faith”. When people see the changes we make in our lives after encountering Jesus, it should help them to have hope that they could change too.
Paul often boasted in his weaknesses, transforming from a Christian killer to a servant of Christians. This yielded huge impacts and helped others to have faith in Jesus.
What kinds of sins are you repenting of? Action Sins, Heart Sins, Omission Sins? God sees them all and expects us to change, motivated by love for/by him.
Jesus is a stumbling block for many according to biblical teachings
Don’t be afraid to look bad as you ask and seek out the answers to find out who Jesus is and what he wants us to learn
Sometimes we can feel bad if we fall or fail, but as long as we keep persevering we will make it in the end
We need to remember to consider each other when we communicate our thoughts and feelings to each other. We should have grace and mercy even if someone may be communicating something that may not be accurate and help them along to see more clearly
We need each other to make it to the end because life is full of stumbling blocks and only focusing on Jesus and by encouraging each other, will we make it to the end
What do you learn from the interaction between Elijah and the Widow?
They both had great faith and humility: Elijah trusted that God would do what he promised, allow him to be fed by a widow in the midst of a famine; the Widow, a woman and non-jew who was starving and in a dire situation, trusted Elijah and fed him with her last provisions. She could have shunned him, turned him away or taken offense at her low position.
When things are hard in our life, we should still trust that God is present and will come to our assistance. We show our trust in God by obeying and doing what he says even if everything looks bleak.
What can you learn from the various individuals in this passage?
Naaman- he was a successful commander of the army of Aram, a neighboring, pagan nation that took a young Israelite woman captive; he had to have humility and trust in his wife and her slave girl to get the help he needed to be healed of his condition; he had to be willing to obey and perform a lowly task of washing in the river to be cleaned, if he did not, he would not have been healed; He had the attitude of a transaction to get healed, he had no relationship with God who was doing the healing
The King of Israel- he was losing faith and tearing up his clothes instead of remembering Elisha was right there and could help him
The Servant Girl- what big faith and so full of compassion; she was captured and was still willing to share about Elisha so that her capturer would be healed
Naaman’s wife- she must have had a good relationship with her servant girl who was willing to share her knowledge and heal Naaman; she had faith enough to tell her husband what the servant girl said to her
Naaman’s servant- full of wisdom and humility, willing to trust and to stand up to Naaman so that Naaman could get the help that he needed
Remember, the work of God is to believe in the One He sent
God does not want a transactional relationship with us, he wants us to enjoy spending time with him and getting to know his character
The more we abide in Jesus’s words the more we will be able to respond to events in our lives the way Jesus did
Why were these Jews so offended by what Jesus shared in this passage about Naaman and the Widow?
Jesus hit a raw nerve. He reminded the Jews in the synagogue that day that they were just like the Jews of the time of Naaman and the widow and that they currently had a prophet among them, himself, who they still refused to listen to
The Jews in Jesus’ day had a preconceived notion about what should be going on and who Jesus was. They thought a savior was coming to rescue them from Roman oppression but missed that Jesus was present and there to rescue them, not from Roman oppression but from the sin of unbelief and disobedience to God. The presence of Jesus was a constant reminder to them of their lack of faith in God and their unwillingness to obey.
God used his word to create everything in the beginning, Genesis Ch 1
God used his word to communicate that he wanted something to be formed, formative speech, he formed the universe with his words
Why are words so important?
We use words to communicate to others our thoughts, feelings, ideas, emotions etc. things in our mind and heart
Our words can lead others to action when we say our words to someone else
Jesus came to earth to communicate to us the thoughts, feelings and ideas from God. He is the embodiment of God’s word.
God’s speech caused Jesus to come to the earth and teach us about God
Why is it important to know Jesus?
Jesus is the word-mind and thoughts of God
Jesus does what God wants him to do
Jesus does what he sees God doing, ie feeding the five thousand like God fed the Israelites in the desert
Why does John use the terminology “the Word”?
These are God’s words, the final say
The Word is Jesus, identical to God, but not interchangeable with God
Jesus in relation to God is like the voice of person you talk to on the phone- ie, the electronic sound waves are the person’s voice through which you can identify that unique person, but the voice is not the “actual person”
Jesus is the speech of God, he became human so that he can represent God to us and we can understand God better as a result. God is the source for Jesus.
Read John Chapter 1: 9-14
Humans were created in the image of God. God breathe his breath into us and we became living beings created in his image
Jesus in the same way became the embodiment of God as a human here on earth. He was referred to as the light because light allows us to see in the darkness.
The truth is made clear when a light shines on a situation. Jesus brought the light into the world and made things clear for us. Jesus is the complete revelation of God.
Jesus made his dwelling among us, just like God dwelled among the Israelites in the desert. He wanted to make us all part of his community and showed us how to live the way God wants us to live.
Anyone has access to God’s community if we believe in Jesus. When we are distracted by the worries of the world etc, we ignore the word of God
By reading the words of God in the bible, we can know the mind of God
When we practice paying attention to who we are, then move on to paying attention to our relationship with God, then we can really learn how to focus our attention to God himself
