Building Belief

Main Thought

Throughout our lives, things that we don’t like or understand will happen. Even God moves in ways that we cannot understand. As a result of this, we experience disappointment, doubt, and pain. Thankfully, the reason for our belief does not depend on the results of life - it rests on “the Resurrection and the Life!” That’s a title that Jesus used for Himself. It refers to a new life in God, characterized by increasing freedom from the effects of sin and fulfillment through God’s love. If we believe this to be true about Jesus, then we can build on our belief in Him. “Building on our belief” begins with perspective. We view our lives with God in mind. Then, we place our trust in Jesus repeatedly by submitting to His will and ways. Finally, we press on in faith through every difficulty we face. If we build on our belief in Christ, then we don’t need to wait to experience “the resurrection and the life.” That can start now and last forever.

Main Passages

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

- John 11:21-27

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

- John 11:38-40

41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

- John 11:41-44

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought and Passages above?

2. When Lazarus became sick, his sisters called Jesus. Who do you call on when you need support in your walk with God? Who calls on you?

3. What can you do to “build your belief” in Christ, based on the Main Thought above?

Believe and You'll See

Main Thought

In John 9, Jesus heals a blind man. That’s an incredible miracle - but the man might have been incredibly confused as everything unfolded. He would have heard the crowd approaching. He likely overheard their conversations, and found out that Jesus was coming. Then, He might have heard Jesus come near and spit on the ground. He felt mud on his eyes. Finally, Jesus told him to go and wash his eyes in a specific place. How odd! Yet the blind man somehow understood this was the Word of the Lord. He obeyed Jesus in an incredible act of faith. Then, the blind man received his sight. Miracles manifest when we hear God’s voice, believe His Word, and carry out His commands. Genuine belief leads to action.

Main Passage

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

- John 9:1-7

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought or Passage above?

2. What are some things we can do in order to be confident that we are hearing God and that He is leading us?

3. Does your belief in God consistently lead to action? Is there something that you can or should do in faith?

On Troubled Waters

Main Thought

God is sovereign. He’s powerful, wise, and in control. This is easy to believe when things are going our way. But do we still believe that God’s in control when our situation is unfavorable or unfair? Hardship is inevitable because our world is corrupted by sin. Yet God continues to reign even in the face of life’s storms. There’s no situation or circumstance greater than Him. He’s able to save us from our storms when He wants and how He wants. It can be fast or slow; powerful or plain. Even our direction and destination is determined by God. It is impossible for us to fully grasp God’s plans. Still, we can always find comfort in one of God’s sovereign decisions: His decision to love us no matter what comes our way.

Main Passages

15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. 16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,[a] they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

- John 6:15-21

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

- Isaiah 55:9

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- Romans 8:38-39

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought and/or passages above?

2. Is there a “storm” in your life right now? If so, do you believe that God is saving you from it or guiding you through it?

3. How can trusting God’s sovereignty help us grow in our faith?

What Do We Do When We Need a Miracle?

Main Thought

In John 6, as He’s preparing to feed a multitude, Jesus gives His disciples a test. What do you do in the face of an impossible situation or a great need? What do we do when we need a miracle? The Disciples responded by pointing to natural, circumstantial factors. Their responses even reveal a hint of doubt or cynicism. These are normal responses - but they weren’t the right answers to Jesus’s test. Thankfully, a little boy passed His test and set an example for the rest of us. First, we begin by getting close to God as we seek Him in our day-to-day lives. Second, we remember His character. God loves us, and He’s powerful enough to help us. Third, we answer God’s call in faith and sacrifice for His cause appropriately. Finally, we act in confident faith - believing that God will show up. We don’t know how God will respond when we ask Him to move. His miraculous blessings can come to us, happen around us, or occur within us as we become more like Christ. But God’s miracles leave our hearts satisfied and end with Him being glorified. We can look forward with hope to these results when we approach God in need of a miracle.

Main Passage

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

- John 6:5-13

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought or Passage above?

2. Do you need a miracle in your life? It could be any kind of miracle - healing, provision, guidance, deliverance, protection, or more.

3. There are at least four things we can do when we need a miracle. Which one of those four things (listed in the Main Thought) is most relevant to you right now?

Seeing Generation Next Recover

Main Thought

In John 4, Jesus was approached by a royal official from Capernaum. This was likely a man who had the opportunity to hear from Jesus previously and didn’t believe in Him. Yet the official eventually found himself in need. His son, the “next generation” of his family, was sick and needed to be healed. First, Jesus took a moment to correct the official. Then Jesus sent him off with a promise that his son was healed. In that brief interaction, something changed within the official’s heart. He believed in Jesus and began the 20-mile journey home - without any proof other than the words of Christ. The official’s faith was rewarded when he found out his son was healed. God wants to heal the next generation! But He might need to change or correct us first. As God changes our lives, the next generation will be blessed through us. They’ll see us as living miracles and testimonies of God’s grace, love, and power. (This can be true for anyone who sees God working in our lives.)

Main Passage

Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” 49 The royal official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. 51 As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. 52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said 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”; and he himself believed and his whole household. 54 This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. - John 4:46-54

Discussion Questions

1. What stood out to you in last Sunday’s sermon, the Main Thought, or the Main Passage above?

2. What’s one thing God might be changing, correcting, or healing in you? 

3. How might that eventually become a testimony for those around you, including the next generation?

Do You Want to be Healed?

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”

- John 5:6

You can choose to do this H.E.A.R. Journal in your Life Group this week, talk about the content in Every Nation’s Miracles material, or join us for Prayer & Fasting. For more information, please talk to your Life Group.

An easy, memorable way to learn how to read and process the Bible is through the H.E.A.R. journaling method. This process helps us read God’s Word with the goal of understanding it and applying it to our lives. The letters stand for Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond. 

• Highlight a scripture: Pick one verse (or pick a set of connected or related verses) from John 5:2-16. Highlight this verse or write down the Book, chapter, and verse number.

• Explain the context: By asking some simple questions with the help of God’s Spirit, we can understand the meaning of a passage or verse. The following questions can help us understand the context of a passage: What’s happening in the story? Why was this written, and to whom? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? What does God intend to communicate through this text? 

• Apply it to your life: Application is the heart of the process! Answering a series of questions can help us uncover the meaning of these verses to us on a personal level. What is God saying to me? How can this help me? What does this mean today? How would applying this look in my life?

• Respond with action: This is the last part of the H.E.A.R. Journal. Your response to the passage may take on many forms. You may write a call to action. You can describe how you’ll be different because of what God said to you through His Word. You may indicate what you’re going to do because of what you have learned. You can even respond by writing out a prayer to God.

This week, we’ll read the Main Text from Pastor Roland’s sermon last week: John 5:2-16. We’ll write our responses and share them with our group. (If you journal some other way, feel free to do that!) Pay special to the Apply and Respond steps; that’s where God’s Word comes to life!

Let’s encourage each other in God’s Word!

When the Wine Runs Dry

Main Thought

We read about miracles throughout the Bible. The Every Nation family believes that God wants to continue performing miracles today! The ultimate purpose of God’s miracles among us is to reveal the glory Jesus to us. We can see this in Jesus’s first miracle: when He turned water into wine. So what does this miracle reveal to us about God? First, Jesus desires to participate in all the events of your life. He wants to be present and involved. This miracle also teaches us that Jesus’s power is accessible for our troubles. He wants to help us through our pain. Finally, this miracle reveals that God’s miraculous provision is available for our needs. He loves us and wants to bless us. These things are possible when we seek God’s presence and ask Him in faith.

Main Passages

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

- John 2:1-11

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

- Revelation 3:20

 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

- Matthew 7:7-8

Discussion Questions

1. What stands out to you in the Main Thought and Passages above?

2. What did you learn about God’s character or nature through this miracle?

3. Jesus wants to participate in our lives, give us His power, and provide for our needs. Which one of those things stirs your heart the most, and why?

   1. Bonus: Pray about the thing you chose, and study it in God’s Word!