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 9:18-34
  • This section contains three healing events (with 5 different people being healed). List each of these three events.
  • Where was Jesus when the first healing event began? Who approaches Jesus and what does he want?
  • What does this first individual think about Jesus? How would you describe his interest in Christ?
  • What is the difference between the first individual seeking healing and the second? How are they similar?
  • What do you learn about the faith of the first two individuals? 
  • What do you learn about the faith of the two blind men who seek healing? Where are they when they approach Jesus initially? Where are they when they are healed?
  • Why does Jesus not want them to tell others about their healing?
  • What do you learn about the mute demon-possessed man's faith? What do you learn about the crowds? The Pharisees? How are their responses to Jesus different than those who sought healing?
  • Make a list of what all who are mentioned in these events thought about who Jesus was. How did that drive their responses to them?

Prayerfully Meditate

  • When was the last time you spent significant time considering who Jesus is? How would such meditation impact specific circumstances you are facing now?
  • How would you compare your level of desperation for Christ to that of those who sought his healing? Think back to those in this passage who were seeking healing. Did they already believe or was their faith a result of the healing? Similarly, is our faith rooted in who we believe Jesus to be, or tied to his supplying some need we have?
  • Examine your frustrations and current trials. How have they motivated you to desperately seek Christ because of his sufficient authority? If not, why not?

Intentionally Act

  • What sin(s) does this passage bring up for you to prayerfully confess now to the Lord?
  • Make a list of attributes of Jesus that you could use in meditation and prayer. Prayerfully consider these attributes in light of your present challenges in life.
  • How could you use what you learn from this passage to encourage a brother or sister in Christ who needs to more desperately seek Christ in their trials?
  • Who in your life does not know Christ who needs to hear about who Jesus is and how sufficient he is to change them?
  • Pray for our gathering on Sunday that it will edify the saints and be used of the Spirit to bring appropriate conviction to those without Christ.
  • Pray for those leading the service to be helpful in our corporate worship of Christ: Dawson Bryant, music; Mark Krystyniak, Baptism/Elders' Prayer and Scripture reading; Bret Capranica, teaching.
  • Meditate on the lyrics of the songs we will sing this Sunday. Listen to them through the weekend and consider how they undergird the themes of this week's sermon passage.

Songs for Sunday

Lyrics

Morning Gathering - May 19, 2013 by Summit Woods Baptist Church