Our Resurrection Weekend services begin with our Good Friday Evening Gathering, March 29 at 7:00 pm, and conclude with our regular Sunday activities on Resurrection Sunday Morning, March 31!

Carefully Think

  • Read Matthew 8:1-17. What are the three specific acts of healing?
  • Note any similarities between the healings in this section. What is different about each one?
  • What sort of people are healed in this section? Why is that significant?
  • Read Leviticus 13 & 14 for background about the OT view of leprosy and being cleansed from it.
  • What is significant about Jesus touching the leper to heal him?
  • What is most striking about the leper's request for healing?
  • Why does the Centurion not want Jesus to come in his home to heal his servant? What does this suggest about the Centurion? Why does Jesus ascribe him as having a greater faith than he has seen among the Israelites?
  • How did Jesus heal the Centurion's servant? Why would this have been the most significant way to heal him?
  • What is significant about Jesus touching the hand of Peter's sick mother-in-law?
  • Who does Peter's mother-in-law begin to server after she is healed?
  • Why are the many demon possessed and sick healed as they are? What does it say about who Jesus is?
  • How does this element of Jesus' life and minsitry relate to the theme of Isaiah 53 (quoted in Matt 8:17)

Prayerfully Meditate

  • From this passage, why is Jesus healing?
  • What role is faith said to play in those who are healed? Is it necessry to be healed? Why or why not?
  • Why would Jesus choose physical healing as a sign of His messiahship?
  • Are these verses teaching that all who follow the Messiah now should be free from sickness if they are faithfully aligned with Christ? Why or why not?
  • What is the central point of these verses? How do you know?

Intentionally Act

  • What do you learn about Jesus' character, nature, attributes over which you could spend time in praise and thanksgiving? Pray now.
  • How would you compare your faith to that of the leper and the centurion. What is different? What is similar? How would compare your view of Jesus to that of all of those who were healed according to this passage. How should you pray about your own confidence in Christ?
  • How could this passage assist you in talking with someone else about what it means to have faith in Christ?
  • Pray for those who will attend this Sunday's gathering. Pray they will be edified, convicted, helped in growing in their faith in Christ, perhaps coming to know Christ this Sunday.
  • Pray for those who will be leading our gathering: Dawson Bryant, music; Sam Karl, Elders' Prayer and Scripture Reading; Bret Capranica, teaching.
  • Meditate on the lyrics of the songs we will sing Sunday. Listen to them with an aim to prepare yourself to sing with the church. iTunes links are provided as well as free YouTube videos.

Songs for Sunday

Lyrics

Morning Gathering - April 7, 2013 by Summit Woods Baptist Church