John 4:46-5:17
ICE BREAKER
Ever had the experience of wanting a relationship with someone who did not reciprocate?
This pain can intensify when the other person shows a pattern of wanting to be around you only when they need something from you.
You end up feeling used.
Share your story with the group about a time you felt used. Talk about how you felt.
Todays’ story in John 4 and 5 reveals Christ longing for relationship and how He ends up being used.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- There are three categories that we need healing in: physical, relational, and personal(our internal world of emotions etc.)
The deepest healing needed in each of our lives is in our relationship with Christ.In which of these three categories are you most in need of healing and how might a deeper relationship with Jesus address this need?
- What do you tend to look to first in order to heal or improve these categories (reflect on this: “Desperation makes us demand what only discipleship can deliver.”)?
- What do you think you are believing (or not believing) that fuels what or who you tend to look to?
- Here are four reasons that we exclude Jesus in our lives:
Timing–We tell ourselves that we will cultivate our relationship with Christ later: after I finish school, after I get married etc.Materialism–the last part of us to become a disciple is our wallet.
Relationships–we count the cost and we wonder what will happen to my friends and family relationships if we follow Jesus.
We all have a deep desire to fit in.
My relationship with Jesus may cost me the loss of my relationships.
Status–how will people perceive us if we follow Jesus.
Which one of these areas do you wrestle with the most currently?
Share as specifically as you can how God moved in your life in one of these areas in your life (God’s work in your life can encourage and draw others closer to Christ).
NOTES AND QUOTES
Our passage of Scripture covers two miracles.
The first miracle is a Roman official whose son is sick and dying.
The second miracle is a lame man.
Are we wanting Jesus when we need something?
When life is going good do we want him around?
What do we want or need from Jesus in order to come close to Him?
When we are in trouble our prayer life tends to go way up.
We tend to want the benefits of Jesus without the responsibilities or without what it takes to cultivate a meaningful relationship with Christ.
Part of the work is repentance.
An example of this is a child asking for a dog.
Dad says no because he knows his child will not take the responsibility for caring for the dog.
Desperation makes us demand what only discipleship can deliver.
Jesus asks the lame man if he wants to be healed?
Why does he ask such an obvious question?
The answer is that Christ is speaking to everyone.
Christ is asking him (and us) if he wants to be healed from what he really needs to be healed from– his spiritual heart issue.
Many times when we go to counseling to work on our marriage a hidden agenda can be the desire for the counselor to fix my spouse.
The deepest healing needed is our relationship with Christ.
The lame man replies: I am a victim. I have no one to help me get into the pool.
The Sabbath was made for us to rest in God. It is to be the center of our lives.
We prefer our systems to true discipleship.
So, rather than a deep relationship with Christ we rely on our system.
