Week 6

FAITH PART 2

Big Idea

In this sermon series, the topic is….Faith. Compassionate christianity stands on behalf of others. It leads us to act on our faith. This week we heard about the 4 friends of a paralytic who put their compassion and faith into action, overcoming obstacles because of their love.  Theirs was a bold and courageous faith. We, too, will encounter obstacles when it comes to those we love, but we press through. We do the heavy lifting. Just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. 

Discussion Questions

• Dealing with discouragement is often a reality when it comes to faith. Certainly the friends must have had moments when they were not sure they would succeed in getting their friend to Jesus. Do you think they relied on each other for  encouragement during these moments? Do we need friends we can share discouragement with, relying on them to stand with us in faith?
• Sometimes we don’t share what we are trusting and believing God for because we are afraid He won’t answer. How important was it for the friends to have one another? One friend alone could not have carried the paralytic friend, it would take all 4 of them. 

Prayer Focus

Ask God to help us increase our faith. Help us to be bold and courageous in our faith, sharing it with others. 

Next Steps

Maybe you need to take the first step and surrender to Jesus’ love for you. It is a love like no other. It was love that motivated God to give His son and love that motivated Jesus to complete the work. 

Leader Tip 

Encourage your group in their faith. Faith is something that should be lived out and evident in our lives. Give them practical tips of how to grow in their faith by sharing a request with friends so they too can join you in prayer and be a help when obstacles arise.