January 22, 2023
Loved | John 5:1-15
EVEN WHEN YOU’RE A WHINER
Some people seem to have a hard go while others seem to make their own life hard. It’s not always easy to know how to respond, especially when you’re close to the person and want their life to improve.
Jesus, as always, handles that situation brilliantly: affirming but not enabling; healing but not over-involved; calling forth new life and calling out sin. What a privilege it is to be the community known by his Name and empowered by his Spirit.
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John 5:1-15
- How comfortable are you visiting people in hospitals or funeral homes? What makes you so good (or bad) with being around people’s suffering?
- Why would Jesus ask: “Do you want to get well?” Wasn’t that self-evident?
- Some folks imagine that Jesus ‘appeared out of the blue’ but the truth is, his arrival was long-awaited. Read Isaiah 35:3-6. How, if at all, is your faith strengthened by Jesus being the fulfillment of many promises God made?
- What might Jesus be referring to when he says: “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you”?
- Have you ever had to walk with someone going through a really tough patch in their life? What worked? What definitely doesn’t work when you’re in that role?
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