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“Will I live out: Faithfulness Patience Self-Control Humility Forgiveness Prayerfulness Courage Integrity Love Hope”
Sunday, May 24
Week 3 • Before the Water is Gone: Seeking God Early
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“Discipled: Intentionally moving toward Jesus and becoming more like Him through teaching, example, practice, and relationship.”
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“Moments when people need help but don’t ask for it or even avoid it: After losing a job During a struggling marriage When grieving a death While battling addiction After a major failure or embarrassment During financial stress When parenting feels overwhelming After moving to a new city During loneliness or isolation When caring for aging parents After receiving difficult medical news During burnout When faith feels dry or distant After experiencing betrayal While struggling with depression or anxiety”
Dialogue
What are some of the common things that are happening in a person when he or she is not asking for help or is even avoiding it?
Scripture
Mark 5:24b-26 • Woman with endless bleeding A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.
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Mark 5:27-30 • Woman touches Jesus and is healed 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
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Mark 5:31 • So many people are touching you Jesus 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
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Mark 5:32-33 • Jesus persisted and the woman confessed 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.
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Mark 5:34 • Your faith has healed you 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Dialogue
In our culture, what are some things that keep people from turning to God?
Dialogue
How is Jesus’ response helpful when you feel like avoiding help or not asking for it?
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“There is Israel The northern kingdom after the dividing of the two kingdoms of Israel Ahab had been king (the worst) and now his son Joram is king”
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“There is Judah The southern kingdom after the dividing of the two kingdoms of Israel Jehoshaphat was their king, the son of Asa. Jehosaphat and Asa have been sincerely seeking God, led reforms and trusted the prophets”
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“Moabites were defeated by David and then required to pay annual tribute (tax) to Israel 2 Samuel 8:2 • Moabites defeated and required to pay tribute 2 David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.”
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“Edomites were defeated by David and were subject to the Israelites 2 Samuel 8:13-14 • David defeats Edom 13 And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 14 He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.”
Scripture
In 1 Kings we see that there was no king in Edom but just a provincial ruler 1 Kings 22:47 • No king in Edom 47 There was then no king in Edom; a provincial governor ruled.
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2 Kings 3:1-20 • Moab Revolts
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2 Kings 3:9-10 • All this to die in the wilderness? 9 So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them. 10 “What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?”
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2 Kings 3:13a • Why are you coming to me and not the prophets of Baal 13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.”
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1 Kings 3:13b • God called us and we want His insight and provision “No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.”
Dialogue
What are some of the things that make it easy to persist in not turning to God?
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“Spiritual Disciplines Prayer Bible reading and study Fasting Worship Silence and solitude Confession Fellowship/community Serving Giving/generosity Intentionally being discipled by others Intentionally discipling others”
Dialogue
How does persisting in these things impact the mundane and the monumental in our lives? Prayer Bible reading and study Fasting Worship Silence and solitude Confession Fellowship/community Serving Giving/generosity Intentionally being discipled by others Intentionally discipling others
Take it deeper
Carry the message through your week
Additional reading
- Mark 5:24-34
- 2 Kings 4 • Miracles of Compassion
- Matthew 6 • Practicing Righteousness in Secret
- Psalm 1 • Delighting in God’s Word
- John 15 • Abiding in Christ
- Romans 12 • Living as a Sacrifice
- 1 Corinthians 9 • Spiritual Self-Discipline
- Colossians 3 • Putting on the New Self
- 1 Timothy 4 • Training Yourself for Godliness
- James 1 • Doers of the Word
Questions to sit with
Question 1
When have you been sick for an extended period of time? Beyond the physical impact, how did it affect you?
Question 2
What are some good things that feeling desperate can spur on in a person?
Question 3
What are some bad things that feeling desperate can spur on in a person?
Question 4
What causes you to turn to God?
Question 5
What could lower that threshold to help you turn to God earlier?
Question 6
How are you challenged, encouraged, focused and/or confused by this text?
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