James begins his book with a discussion of trials, because living faith is seen in unique ways in the midst of suffering. He wants us to understand that it is actually possible, through faith, to count trials as joy without pretending they don't hurt. And he teaches us how by showing us what trials look like, what they produce, and how these things lead to actual joy that runs deeper than the pain of trials.

Application Questions

1. What are some of the multi-colored trials you have experienced or are experiencing? Have you seen those trials produce more endurance in you?
2. When you imagine yourself “lacking nothing,” what images pop into your head? How does that teach you what you think life is about?
3. What will it look like for you to “count it all joy” when you face trials this week?

All of the signs in John lead up to the ultimate, final sign: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Much like the other signs, it teaches us about the authority Jesus has over the universe, death, and even our daily lives. It also teaches us about the love Jesus has in returning to life in such a way that we are drawn into it, now and into eternity. Unlike the other miracle stories, this miracle happens to us in forgiveness and eternal life, and should shape the way we live.

Application Questions
1. How have you seen Jesus' lordship and love in the miracles we've studied? How have they affected you over the last few months?
2. How does the resurrection show you Jesus' authority? How does that play out in your life?
3. How does the resurrection show you Jesus' love? How does that play out in your life?
4. What would it look like to follow Jesus more as a result of all this? How can the next few months be different for you because of what we've learned these last few months?

As we've looked at the signs of Jesus, they've revealed Jesus' glory.He has shown us who He is. The signs have been pointing us to Him. But here in the last sign of His public ministry, we are being pointed forward. It's calling us to do more than contemplate who He is, but to follow Him because of who He is.This sign is a call to trust Jesus finally and concretely with a living trust that actively shapes your life.

Application Questions

1. How have these stories of Jesus' signs reshaped your relationship with Him?
2. Which of the four foundations discussed is the most compelling to you? How does it encourage you to follow Jesus more confidently?
3. In what ways are you hedging on what's possible with Jesus? What action steps might be required by a confident trust in Him?

To the disciples, the blind man who begged on the side of the road was simply a topic for theological discussion. But Jesus saw in him an image-bearer, desperately in need of divine mercy. Even after the man was given sight, the Pharisees still only saw him as a topic of theological discussion. And again, Jesus saw him as a beloved child who needed even deeper mercy than simply sight for his physical eyes. When we see people the way Jesus does, they move beyond being topics for our discussions and become recipients of the love and hope that God has called us to be generous givers of.

Application Questions

1. Who are the topics of your theological discussions? What are the situations/types of people you tend to talk or ask questions about?
2. How might life look different if you were to talk about those people less and be an instrument of God's mercy to them more?
3. Who in your life could use God's love and mercy?

It's so easy to get familiar with and enjoy the compassion and provision of Jesus.But if we're not careful, we will become enamored with His gifts, and reduce Jesus to a miracle-worker at our disposal. Treating Jesus this way will always result in our disappointment. Learning to see His compassion and provision as acts of mercy towards us will help us to come to Him as the True King that He is.

Application Questions

1. When are some times that you experienced God's compassion for you in striking ways? How did that compassion show itself as a mercy to you in the situation?
2. Have there been times when God's provision for you has shrunk from what you are used to? How did you respond - with thanksgiving for past provision, or with grumbling? How can seeing God's provision as a mercy help you to respond appropriately in the future?
3. What are some ways that Jesus has failed your expectations of Him? How were those expectations tied to your own desires or plans?
4. What are some of the dreams you have stopped bringing to Jesus but continue to pursue on your own?

John's retelling of Jesus healing a paralyzed man and then encountering the religious authorities in a temple teach us about who Jesus is and what he has come to do. Far from just healing a man and leaving, he both chases the man down later and encounters the religious authorities. In both situations, we find Jesus pointing them away from where they thought they'd find wholeness, and pointing them to himself instead.

Application Questions

1. What are the situations you try to get into to find wholeness in your life?
2. Do you understand your relationship with Jesus as based entirely on his grace?
3. How are you tempted to get Jesus to partner with you to get what you desire? How would your life look different if Jesus was what you desired most?

In the healing of the official's son, we see Jesus perform a miracle from a distance, and he performs a miracle that could have possibly been interpreted as having a different cause. Because Jesus wasn't there and because the timing of the healing was conveyed secondhand, the official could have chosen to believe that it was all some crazy coincidence. But, because of his softened heart, the official (and his whole family) saw this sign for what it truly was: a demonstration of God's glorious power to stoke the fires of their genuine faith.

Application Questions

1. When you think of miracles, do you usually think of how limited they are in scope and impact? If not, why not?
2. How does the recording of Jesus'signs in the gospels stoke the fires of your genuine faith?
3. What keeps you from recognizing the“less common kinds of God's action” in your life as God's“signs” (miracles), designed to display his glory and stoke the fires of your genuine faith?
4. How do the“signs” (miracles) you have seen in your own life stoke the fires of your genuine faith?

Too often, we read our Bibles thinking,“If only I could have been there and seen these things, it wouldn't be so hard for me to believe.” But Scripture gives us a different picture. Jesus revealed His glory through the miracles that He performed, and in our Bibles we have all of the signs that we need to believe.

Application Questions

1. Think about this miracle in comparison to Jesus' other miracles. What is different about this one? How do those differences impact the way you understand and relate to Jesus?
2. Think about Jesus' interactions with the different individuals in this story. How do His words and actions towards them shape the way you understand His words and actions towards you?
3. In light of the glory of Jesus revealed in this passage, what are some steps that you can take in response to deepen your trust in Jesus?

The miracles performed by Jesus are signs that teach us about God, ourselves, and the world around us. But today, many people struggle to believe that they happened in the first place. In a time when we assume there is always a natural explanation for everything, can we still believe in miracles? And even if we believe in them, how are we supposed to respond to them? The signs and wonders of Jesus are more believable than many assume, and they show us more than we realize.

Application Questions

1. Do you struggle with the idea of miracles? Why or why not?
2. How do Jesus' miracles teach you about who he is?
3. How do Jesus' miracles lead you to trust in him more?

We know that Jesus died for us to be a family and we also know that unity is the glue that keeps us together as one family. God has made our family at Cornerstone so diverse that we represent and reflect our surrounding community. I believe that as we continue to grow in our diversity, God wants us to be a more unified family. We will learn this morning from the apostle Paul that there are lies that could separate us from one another. As God exposes those lies with His truth, we will continue to grow in unity.

Application Questions

1. Are you thankful for the church family that God has given you?
2. Have you ever felt that you do not belong in our church family? If so, why?
3. Are you spending time with people in our church family that are not like you?
4. Are you aware of the spiritual need you have for those who are not like you? If so, how?
5. What are some of the excuses that have kept you from being truly united from those in your church family?