You Gotta Have Faith: Faith Produces Results

Mark 7:24-30

1.  How has faith in Jesus changed your life?  Has it really changed your life?  Is your life REALLY changed?  Law 1- an object stays at rest until it's moved.  Is your spiritual life moving, or is it as rest?  Quote from the sermon: "It’s going to be hard to convince people that your life has been changed by Jesus if there is no change."

2.  What are the ways that life change is measured? (salvations, relationship mended, marriages restored, behavioral changes including speech, attitude, and even actions).  What are the areas in your life that are showing people that your life has been changed by Jesus?

3.  How did so many people find out about Jesus?  Why were people clamoring just to be around him, touch him, talk with him, and be changed by him?  (Because people that had encountered Jesus and been changed by him left and told other people about him).  Think about it like this: before you buy a car, you check out the reviews, you ask around, you check with any of your friends that may own that make/model.  Many times, the experiences of your friends/family with that product carry great weight in your final decision.  How much more important/urgent/life changing is the Gospel!?!  

4.  "Are we so passionate about our favorite restaurant or brand of electronics that it leads us to tell our friends and put it on facebook, but so apathetic about the Gospel that we won't tell anyone about Jesus?"  Sometimes we use the excuse that we don't want to offend people or be embarrassed.  That doesn't seem to stop us from sharing our beliefs about other things, does it?  When you tell people about a good experience at a restaurant, you don't get nervous and think "well what if they go and don't like it?"  You're not thinking "I can't tell them about that steakhouse, what if they don't like steak?"  So why do we have those worries about Jesus and the Gospel?

This woman wasn't thinking "what if he doesn't like me, what if he sends me away, what if I get embarrassed?"  No, it meant enough to her to go and ask Jesus.  She cared enough about her daughter to do what it takes to see her healed.  Are you willing to do what it takes to see your neighbors/friends/coworkers life changed by Jesus?  If so, what are you going to do about it?  (pray, invite, invest in them, share your Jesus story)

5. Take the Name Challenge.  Have each member of your rGroup write a name on a piece of paper that they are committing to pray for.  Pray for them tonight.  Bring the names back out occasionally and ask about them and pray about them more.  Hopefully you'll soon be able to take names off of the list because your prayers will be answered!