Fixing Our Eyes (Part 3): Jesus, Interrupted

TO START

To begin group tonight have members answer this question: 

  1. What’s one surprising way that this experience has caused you and/or your family to slow down?

TO DISCUSS

Today, we finished up our sermon series about the importance of fixing our eyes on Jesus, especially during hard times. We considered how we might understand what we need to feel fully alive. This week we looked at a healing that interrupted another healing which shows us a picture of Jesus that’s so clear, so simple and yet so deeply true and important (Encourage your group to re-read Mark 5:22-34 before meeting and then read it together)

  • Have you ever felt like the suffering or frustration you are experiencing is hard to bring to Jesus? Do you ever feel like you are interrupting God from more important work? If so, why do you think that is?

  • After looking closely at who Jesus is here, who do you find him to be? How does fixing your eyes on him in this story change the way you view your own possibility of healing?

  • In the story, Justin encourages us to see how this woman teaches us to keep trying, to risk coming to Jesus when we need to be fixed… So, what do you need fixed? (Be gracious, invite your group to share but don’t force an answer. Invite your group to consider this question over the next week…)

TO PRAY

Tonight, we’ll pray a prayer together as we fix our eyes on Jesus and as we remember that the Holy Spirit is there when we bring ourselves to Jesus. One of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to translate our prayers even when they seem inaudible to us (Share this with your group to read together)

This prayer is paraphrased from The Summit Institute ‘s prayer concerning Romans 8.

We long for you, O Lord, and we wait for you. When we don’t know what to pray, give us hope, knowing that your Spirit “intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” And no matter how dark our circumstances may be in this season, keep our eyes fixed upon you and your glory, Jesus. And lead us by the power of your Holy Spirit to know that when we come to you weary and thirsty, you will not see it as an interruption but rather an opportunity to love us and to heal us. Amen.

FOR FUN

If you have had the opportunity to read a book or watch a movie during this time at home, share a favorite with your group!! (It’s okay if you are a parent of small children and don’t know what a book or a non-Disney movie is)

Matt DeLano