engage inspire equip

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Life Group Sermon Study

Overcoming Spiritual Paralysis September 27/28, 2014

Break the Ice:

ENGAGE

(The purpose of these first questions is to help your group open up. Please don’t feel like you have to ask each question. Once you feel like the group is ready, move onto the “Inspire” section.)

• What was the most serious injury you had as a child? • What did God teach you during the message this weekend? Did anything in particular stand out? Prayer: Take some time to pray for God to speak to your group through this week’s study. Questions:

IN SP IRE

(Since the group may need time to process each question, don’t let silence scare you. Try to avoid filling the space with unnecessary explanation or moving on from the question too quickly.)

As a group, read John 4:46-5:15 out loud before you start. 1. In this passage, Jesus performs one miracle for a royal official and another for a paralyzed man. • Why did the royal official visit Jesus? What was significant about the distance that he traveled to see Jesus? • What did Jesus ask the paralyzed man? How did he respond? • Compare the faith of these two men prior to the miracles. How did they react after the healing?

2. We learned this weekend that Jesus often uses painful circumstances to awaken us to spiritual realities. • How have difficult times in your past strengthened your relationship with Jesus? • When have you taken God at His word despite a seemingly impossible situation? • Share with the group a positive circumstance in your life that came from a painful experience.

3. Jesus met the royal official and the paralyzed man right when they had a weak and tepid faith, and Jesus meets us where we are struggling to believe. • Have you had doubts in your faith? Share with the group. • What are some ways to strengthen your faith and relieve your spiritual doubt? Application:

EQUIP

(These questions will challenge your group members to apply the study to their daily lives. It is highly important that you go over this section with your group each week for the group study to be a success. Set aside 15-20 minutes at the end of your study to go over this section.)

So far in our study of John, we have been introduced to four different characters who had interactions with Jesus (Nicodemus, the woman at the well, the royal official, and the paralyzed man). Nicodemus had accomplished it all and was very religious, but was missing something. The woman at the well was crushed by her shame. The royal official likely felt very little spiritual need until his son became sick. The lame man at the pool had his morale beaten into the ground so far that he wasn’t even looking for healing. • How are the struggles in your life similar to these people? Which one do you relate to the most so far? • What have you learned about Jesus from His encounters with each of these people? Prayer: Take some time to pray over each group member’s identified action steps and life issues. Equip Your Mind: “The Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.” (John 5:8-9, ESV)