FOCUS TEXT: John 9:1-17
KEY VERSE: One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see (John 9:25).
CENTRAL TRUTH: Faith in Christ brings understanding to the spiritually blind.
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. Preparation for the Miracle (John 9:1-5)
II. Performance of the Miracle (John 9:6, 7)
III. Proclamation of the Miracle (John 9:8-34)
*THE NEED
Ecclesiastes 4:9 tells us that “two are better than one,” that is, teamwork is better than working alone. If this is the case, who better to partner with than God himself? Romans 8:31 says, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” But God doesn’t do everything. We rely on His strength and grace, but He places a certain responsibility upon us as well. In this story Jesus gave the instruction; the disciples did the work. Our need for God as our Helper is addressed in this lesson. As finite humans we are limited in our ability and resources. We must have God. But we must also discern what our responsibility is. This is not always easy to discern. God had a solution to the disciples’ problem, and He has one for yours, too. The good news is that success always comes when we partner with God.
Discussion: What responsibility has God given you in your partnership with Him?
Discussion: What attitude should a Christian have when experiencing failure?
Discussion: *Why does God allow us to fail sometimes?
Discussion: When is the best time for God to demonstrate His power in our lives?
Discussion: When is God’s help most apparent?
Discussion: *What is true success? What does Jesus do to help us succeed? What does He leave for us to do toward our own success?
Read Psalm 65:4-13.
Satisfied With God’s Goodness
“Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple” (v. 4).
I have to believe God ordered my life even before I knew Him. Several examples of God’s goodness to me over my lifetime flood my mind. At the age of 3 months, my mother was no longer physically able to care for me, so I was placed not in an orphanage but in another family home. When I left that home, I was far from God. I had had good principles taught to me, for which I am still very grateful. They have helped to make me who I am. I was taught to take care of the things I owned so they would last. I never had an allowance, so had little concern about money. At Bible school, I learned to take spiritual struggles to God, not others, so now, as I draw near to Him, He draws near to me.
Truly, I am satisfied with His goodness. Dissatisfaction seems to be rampant in our world today. Dissatisfaction with home, parents, and siblings. With spouses, children, and income. With teachers, bosses, jobs, our have’s and have not’s, our church or pastor, our talents, or the talents of others, and beneath it all, dissatisfaction with God.
Gratitude is one of the stepping stones to satisfaction with God. The more the Israelites complained, found fault, and blamed Moses, the more God regretted making man. (Margaret Heilman)
An attitude of gratitude goes a long way.
FOCUS TEXT: John 21:1-14
KEY VERSE: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).
CENTRAL TRUTH: True success comes through the abiding presence of Christ.
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. Human Failure (John 21:1-4)
II. Divine Assistance (John 21:5-11)
III. Divine Provision (John 21:12-14)
*THE NEED
There is something God cannot do — He can do no wrong. But within the scope of what is right and good, there is no limit to God’s power. When Jesus declared a sick man to be forgiven of his sin, some of the scribes wouldn’t believe. Jesus was claiming to do something only God could do. So, in turn, Jesus healed the man from his outward disease. Unbelievers often find it difficult to accept the intangible or spiritual results of prayer. To them, Christians make a lot of claims that don’t really correlate with their experiences. But that is not the way God intends it to be. As in the case of the paralytic, God wants His power to be very visible to unbelievers so they may come to accept the inner, spiritual transformation He provides. There is a need for unbelievers to see God’s power in a tangible, life-changing way.
Many people doubt the existence of miracles today. Yet God is still as active as He has ever been. Perhaps this lamentation is more indicative of our preoccupation with physical health than spiritual health.
Read Mark 2:1-12.
Jesus Forgives and Heals
“Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?” (v. 9).
“And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them…and he preached the word unto them” (v. 2). Jesus was surrounded by people with needs. He knew the hurts, griefs, struggles, and longings of each person in the room, so He offered them exactly what they needed: He preached the word unto them.
While the physical need of the paralyzed man who came in through the roof was immediately apparent, Jesus understood that the man needed forgiveness even more desperately than he needed a physical touch. Jesus preached the word unto them, offered forgiveness, and brought all the healing the man needed — soul and body.
In fact, each person in that room needed the same thing. They all needed the healing of forgiveness. The scribes needed healing for their spiritual blindness. Everyone needed Jesus to preach the word unto them. Through His teaching, His physical healing, and His revealing the thoughts of their hearts, Jesus demonstrated God’s goal for each of us — forgiveness and healing. (Karen Speak)
I lay my wants on Jesus; All fullness dwells in Him.
He heals all my diseases; He doth my soul redeem.
I lay my griefs on Jesus, My burdens, and my cares.
He from them all releases; He all my sorrows shares.
--- Horatius Bonar
“He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions”
(Psalm 107:20).
FOCUS TEXT: Mark 2:1-12
KEY VERSE: That ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house (Matthew 9:6).
CENTRAL TRUTH: Christ performed miracles to promote God's glory.
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. The Helpless Sufferer (Mark 2:1-4)
II. The Compassionate Savior (Mark 2:5)
III. The Murmuring Scribes (Mark 2:6, 7)
IV. The Powerful Healer (Mark 2:8-12)
Read Mark 9:14-22.
"And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him; and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not" (v. 18).
An occasional lack of faith seems to be a common problem among Christ-followers. Especially when something for which we were believing didn’t happen quickly. On more than one occasion, I wondered if I was out of line, believing for God to work in certain situations when I wasn’t seeing results for my praying. My doubting wasn’t so much doubting God’s power as it was doubting my connection to Him, a questioning of knowing if I was praying according to His will. Beyond that, however, I must recognize that there was a lack of faith, a lack of trust that God heard or cared about my burden, a doubt that He cared about what I cared about. There have even been times when the “don’t trouble the Master” or “Lord, don’t you care that we perish?” syndrome has popped up in my heart. I am glad that when I cried out to Him with these things, He understood my infirmities and was there to heal, even amid chastisement.
It is easy to understand the discouragement of the disciples and the disillusionment of the desperate father in this story. May we, in such times, be willing to cry out like the father did, recognizing the tenuous hold that we have on faith, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!” (Tim Brubeck)
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).
FOCUS TEXT: Mark 9:14-29
KEY VERSE: And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive (Matthew 21:22).
CENTRAL TRUTH: God's power to deliver is gained through prayer.
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. The Need Described (Mark 9:14-18)
II. The Remedy Defined (Mark 9:19-27)
III. The Secret Explained (Mark 9:28, 29)
*THE NEED
Last week we discussed the fact that God can work with little. This week, we are told that God can even work when all is lost. If it seems that the situation is hopeless, this lesson serves as a reminder that God works when all is lost — including life itself. The truth is that we all come to God “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1), and yet He gives life where there is none.
Discussion: In addition to salvation, when h s God brought something from nothing in your life?
In this story, the dead son could not come to Jesus on his own; someone had to bring him to Jesus. Some men brought the boy to Jesus, but it was a loving mother already weakened by the loss of her husband that moved Jesus with compassion. She could have made excuses or asked someone else to take her son to Jesus, but she took it upon herself.
