Connect Q's 6/25/2014

Faith in Tough Times: Small Group Questions 6/25/2014

Scriptures: John 11: 1-3, 17-27, 38-44; 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18

1)    What did you notice when you put the paper towel in the water?

a.     The paper towel doesn’t dissolve or sink. Our problems that we wrote down didn’t disappear, but they did run and bleed. They changed. And this change symbolizes how Jesus takes our tough times and leads us through them, helping us deal with the emotions they cause. This is what it’s like when we put our faith in Jesus during the hard times.

2)     Reread verses 1-3. What do we know about Jesus’ feelings toward Lazarus?

a.     Jesus loved and cared for Lazarus

3)    Read verse 6. What do you think about this? How does this affect our expectations about Jesus?

a.     It can be hard for us to accept that Jesus had a greater plan here than making Lazarus well. If we had sent this message to Jesus we would have expected Him to come right away. But this speaks to how Jesus views our tough times. Making tough times go away isn’t always Jesus’ goal. Helping us through a tough time seems to be more important to Jesus.

4)    If you were in Martha’s place how do you think that you would react to Jesus’ “late” arrival? Would it be similar to Martha’s or different? In what ways?

a.     (answers will vary)

5)    Read verse 35. What do we learn about Jesus’ character and by extension the trinity as well?

a.     That He grieves with us. God is not detached from our suffering. If we believe, as those who have been saved by faith in Christ’s person and work on the cross, that God’s Spirit is truly with us, we have to believe that God is present in our suffering. Jesus hurt because He loved Martha, and Mary, and Lazarus. HE hurt because they hurt. He hurts for and with us as well.

6)    What does Paul mean when he tells us to fix our eyes on the “unseen” instead of the “seen”? How do we see Martha modeling this in her initial response to Jesus in verse 24?

a.     The “seen” refers to the things of this earth, these are temporary and un-lasting. The “unseen” is the eternal. It is the “heavenly,” the eternal lifetime of relationship with God we have waiting for us after this life. Martha could make sense of her brother’s death, and her frustration with Jesus, because she took an eternal perspective.

7)    What about you? Do you accept Jesus’ desire to walk beside us during tough times? Or do you blame Him for what He does or doesn’t do for you?

a.     (answers will vary) Guide the discussion by using your own story of times when you would rather trust in what Jesus will do, instead of the reality of having faith in who He is.