Embracing Faith: Parenting, Healing, and Trusting God
Summary
In today's gathering, we celebrated the Trevino family as they dedicated their children to the Lord and officially became members of our church community. This act of dedication is not just a commitment from the parents but also a collective promise from our church to support and nurture these children in their spiritual journey. We reflected on the biblical instructions for raising children, emphasizing the importance of loving God with all our heart, soul, and strength, as outlined in Deuteronomy 6:5. This passage reminds us that the essence of godly parenting is not about following a set of rules but about embodying and teaching a deep love for God.
We then delved into the story from John 5, where Jesus heals a man who had been sick for 38 years. This narrative challenges us to see ourselves in the story, recognizing our own areas of blindness, brokenness, and paralysis. We explored the difficult question of why Jesus heals some and not others, acknowledging that God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours. While we may not always understand His reasons, we trust in His wisdom and love, knowing that He works all things together for good.
The story also highlights the importance of faith and action. Jesus asked the sick man to stand up and walk, inviting him to participate in his own miracle. This teaches us that while God is the ultimate healer, He often calls us to take steps of faith towards our healing. Whether our need is physical, mental, spiritual, or relational, we are encouraged to seek God's guidance on the steps we can take in faith, trusting that He will do what we cannot.
As we continue our journey with Jesus, we are reminded that our goal is to know Him more and follow Him more closely. We are called to live lives that honor God in every aspect, offering ourselves as living sacrifices. In doing so, we open ourselves to the transformative power of His love and grace, trusting that He will make all things new in His perfect timing.
Key Takeaways:
- Commitment to Godly Parenting: Raising children in a godly way is not about following a checklist but about loving God with all our heart, soul, and strength. This love should be evident in our daily lives and passed on to our children through consistent teaching and example. [10:00]
- Understanding God's Healing: While we may not understand why God heals some and not others, we trust in His wisdom and love. His ways are higher than ours, and He works all things together for good, even when we cannot see it. [53:24]
- Participating in Our Miracles: God often invites us to participate in our own healing by taking steps of faith. Whether it's seeking medical help, counseling, or making lifestyle changes, our actions in faith can be a part of God's miraculous work in our lives. [01:06:31]
- Trusting God's Timing: Sometimes, God's answers to our prayers are not what we expect. We must trust that His timing and methods are perfect, even when we don't understand. Our faith is strengthened as we learn to say yes to His no. [01:00:52]
- Living as a Living Sacrifice: Our lives should be a reflection of our love for God, honoring Him in all we do. By offering ourselves as living sacrifices, we open ourselves to His transformative power, allowing Him to work in and through us. [01:19:31]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Invitation to Easter Sunday
- [01:15] - Introduction of the Trevino Family
- [02:45] - Child Dedication and Church Membership
- [05:00] - Biblical Instructions for Parenting
- [07:30] - Journey with Jesus: Introduction
- [09:00] - The Story of John 5
- [12:00] - The Missing Verse 4 Explanation
- [15:00] - Understanding God's Healing
- [18:30] - Participating in Our Miracles
- [21:00] - Trusting God's Timing
- [24:00] - Living as a Living Sacrifice
- [27:00] - Prayer for Healing and Guidance
- [30:00] - Announcements and Closing Remarks
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Deuteronomy 6:5
- John 5:1-9
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Observation Questions:
1. What commitment did the Trevino family make during the service, and how did the church community respond to it? [10:00]
2. In John 5, what was the condition of the man Jesus healed, and how long had he been in that state? [49:03]
3. How did the man at the pool respond to Jesus' question about wanting to be healed? [01:04:10]
4. What actions did Jesus instruct the man to take after asking him if he wanted to be healed? [01:06:31]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Deuteronomy 6:5 define the essence of godly parenting, and why is it significant that this love for God is taught to children? [10:00]
2. What might be the reasons Jesus chose to heal the man at the pool of Bethesda, and how does this reflect on God's wisdom and timing? [53:24]
3. In what ways does the story of the healing at the pool illustrate the relationship between faith and action? [01:06:31]
4. How does the sermon suggest we should respond when God's answers to our prayers are not what we expect? [01:00:52]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own spiritual journey. How can you embody and teach a deep love for God in your daily life, especially to those around you? [10:00]
2. Consider a situation in your life where you feel "stuck" or "paralyzed." What steps of faith can you take to move towards healing or resolution? [01:06:31]
3. Have you ever experienced a time when God's answer to your prayer was not what you expected? How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience? [01:00:52]
4. Identify an area in your life where you need healing—be it physical, mental, spiritual, or relational. What practical steps can you take to participate in your own healing process? [01:11:20]
5. How can you support others in your community who are on their own journey of healing and faith? What role can you play in their spiritual growth? [10:00]
6. Reflect on a time when you felt hopeless about a situation. How did your faith play a role in overcoming that feeling, and what can you do to strengthen your faith in similar situations in the future? [01:04:10]
7. In what ways can you offer yourself as a "living sacrifice" in your daily life, and how might this openness to God's transformative power change your perspective on challenges you face? [01:19:31]
Devotional
Day 1: Godly Parenting as a Heartfelt Commitment
Loving God with all your heart, soul, and strength is the foundation of godly parenting. This love is not about adhering to a checklist but about embodying a genuine devotion to God that permeates every aspect of life. Parents are called to model this love consistently, teaching their children through both words and actions. The church community also plays a vital role, supporting families in nurturing their children's spiritual growth. This collective effort ensures that children are raised in an environment where God's love is evident and transformative. [10:00]
"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." (Deuteronomy 6:7, ESV)
Reflection: How can you intentionally demonstrate your love for God to your children or those you mentor today?
Day 2: Trusting in God's Mysterious Ways
Understanding why God heals some and not others can be challenging. It requires a deep trust in His wisdom and love, acknowledging that His ways are beyond human comprehension. While it may be difficult to accept, believers are encouraged to trust that God works all things together for good, even when the reasons are not clear. This trust is not passive but an active faith that seeks to understand God's character and His overarching plan for humanity. [53:24]
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord." (Isaiah 55:8, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life do you struggle to trust God's plan, and how can you begin to surrender this to Him today?
Day 3: Taking Steps of Faith in Healing
The story of Jesus healing the sick man in John 5 illustrates the importance of participating in our own miracles. While God is the ultimate healer, He often invites individuals to take steps of faith towards their healing. This might involve seeking medical help, counseling, or making lifestyle changes. By taking these steps, believers demonstrate their trust in God's power and willingness to work in their lives. This active participation is a crucial component of experiencing God's miraculous work. [01:06:31]
"And he said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.'" (Mark 5:34, ESV)
Reflection: What step of faith can you take today towards healing in an area of your life where you need God's intervention?
Day 4: Embracing God's Perfect Timing
God's answers to prayers may not always align with human expectations. Believers are called to trust in His perfect timing and methods, even when they don't understand. This trust is cultivated through a relationship with God, where faith is strengthened by learning to accept His answers, even when they are unexpected. Embracing God's timing requires patience and a willingness to say yes to His no, trusting that His plans are ultimately for our good. [01:00:52]
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11, ESV)
Reflection: How can you practice patience and trust in God's timing in a specific situation you are facing right now?
Day 5: Living as a Living Sacrifice
Believers are called to offer themselves as living sacrifices, reflecting their love for God in every aspect of life. This involves a daily commitment to honor God through actions, words, and thoughts. By doing so, individuals open themselves to the transformative power of God's love and grace, allowing Him to work in and through them. This sacrificial living is not about self-denial but about aligning one's life with God's purposes and experiencing His renewal. [01:19:31]
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (Romans 12:1, ESV)
Reflection: What is one practical way you can offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God today, allowing His love to transform you?
Quotes
"God's real instructions to parents are if you want to raise godly children in a godly way, love God with all your heart, soul, and strength and teach your kids to love God with all their heart and soul and strength. So now I'm going to ask you guys some questions. Do you love God with all your heart, soul, and strength?" [00:35:04] (20 seconds)
"Father, we thank you for just what joy said we have one thing really to do today and that's to honor you with our lives not just the way we sing and not just the way we pray or the way that we dress or the way that we act but lord the way that we live our lives the way that we see each other the way that we see you god we want to live a life that honors you we want to worship you with everything we have our heart soul and strength so that means the way that we work and the way that we play and the way that we live everything we have god we want our lives to be what paul said a living sacrifice to you so as we're opening up your word today god that's our goal i mean we want to hear from you we want to know what's what you love and what you hate and what you want for us so god open us up as we open up your word in jesus name amen" [00:41:53] (50 seconds)
"If my goal is to live this rich, satisfying, abundant, purposeful, holy, amazing life that Jesus came to give me, it probably starts with me asking, who represents me in this story? Who am I in this story? So in this story, I mean, who are we? I don't think, we're not Jesus, right? I think we can be sure about that. Here's where we are. Verse three. Verse three, crowds of sick people, blind, lame, or paralyzed, lay on these porches." [00:46:02] (37 seconds)
"Why does Jesus heal some people and not others? And to me, you know, I, remember I said I don't really know why the stirring bubbles thing, I don't really know if that was a superstition, or if it was, you know, maybe some healing natural thing, or maybe it really was God sending an angel, and the first one that gets in is the one that's going to get healed. But I don't know that, I don't think that's what it was. And I'll tell you why. That just doesn't seem like God to me." [00:49:33] (31 seconds)
"And as the psalm says, our God is in heaven. And he does as he pleases. And here's why I get so, like, bugged about this. These recipes from the faith healers is they don't always work. Right? And I think we can say that that's provable because a lot of those preachers wear glasses. Right? A lot of those preachers have false teeth. Most of those preachers dye their hair. Right? So if they had cracked the code. Right?" [00:51:51] (36 seconds)
"So how does he choose? I mean, why does he choose to heal some and not others? And the answer is, I don't know. I don't know. And that kind of surprises me, but it probably shouldn't surprise me. Because in Isaiah 55a, God says, my thoughts are nothing like your thoughts. My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." [00:53:35] (31 seconds)
"So for now, the challenge of our faith is to trust the wisdom and the love of God. Even when the healing doesn't come when we want it to, even when the healing doesn't come the way that we want it, that we believe in his wisdom. We believe in his love as a good father. And we trust that he knows what's best for us and that he wants what's best for us. And we lean into this idea that he's with us, even in our brokenness. And we trust fully his promise that someday he'll make everything new." [01:00:11] (42 seconds)
"And we believe that someday in his kingdom, when we are fully whole, when all things are new, when we're perfect like Jesus, that we will be able to see some of the whys that we just couldn't handle or see here. So why God doesn't heal everyone, every time, everything right now, it's just a really hard question. But I will say this, I don't really want to worship a God that is so small that I can fully understand his mind." [01:01:04] (35 seconds)
"Jesus just looks at this man. He's paralyzed, and he's desperate, and he's hopeless. For 38 years, he's been laying there in poverty, and shame, and pain, and probably hunger. And in verse 6, Jesus asks him, And in verse 6, Jesus asks him, what I think might be the craziest question in history. He says, would you like to get well?" [01:02:26] (24 seconds)
"And I think this is such a cool picture. Jesus is saying to this guy, oh, I'm going to do it. I'm going to heal you. I'm going to do a miracle in you. But I think what's even cooler than that is he says, and you're going to get to participate in your own miracle. You're going to get to have so much faith in me that you step out in that faith. And by doing that, you're going to have a unique privilege." [01:05:34] (27 seconds)
"Maybe the step that you're going to take is to change your self -care. Maybe you're going to start sleeping differently. Maybe that's what God's calling you to do. This is the step I'm going to have you to take in faith in me. I'm going to have you take a step by sleeping differently, eating differently, exercising differently. What's the step, God, that you would have me take towards this physical healing? I know that you're the healer. I know that you do the healing. But in faith in your ability to heal me, what is the step that I will take? Maybe yours is mental." [01:12:37] (29 seconds)
"And yet, God, we know that sometimes you call us to participate in our own miracles. We see throughout the Bible, we see in this story, that when we have real faith, sometimes it calls for us to take steps in that faith. So, God, whatever our brokenness is, I just pray that for everyone here who has some brokenness in their hand right now, in their mind right now, in their lives right now, that you would reveal to them the steps they need to take. You're the healer. These steps don't heal us. But we want to participate in our miracle. God, we want to give you an opportunity. We want to create space for you to heal us in some other ways. Maybe medically. Maybe therapeutically. Maybe through counseling. Maybe through any... You could heal any way that you want to. So, God, we just ask you to show us what steps we should take. And, God, we believe in you so strongly that, number one, we know you can do these miracles. You can literally reach into our lives and make changes." [01:17:52] (56 seconds)
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