Bible ReadingMatthew 8:5-13 “When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ But the centurion replied, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, “Go,” and he goes, and to another, “Come,” and he comes, and to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.’ And the servant was healed at that very moment.”
[09:15] [10:45]Mark 9:14-24 “And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ And someone from the crowd answered him, ‘Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.’ And he answered them, ‘O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.’ And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘“If you can”! All things are possible for one who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’”
[20:40] [24:05]Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
[34:20]Proverbs 23:7 “For he is like one who is inwardly calculating. ‘Eat and drink!’ he says to you, but his heart is not with you.”
[20:09]Observation questions- In Matthew 8, what does the centurion actually say about his servant’s condition, and what does he ask Jesus to do?
- In the centurion’s reply, what details show how he understands authority and Jesus’ word? [09:15]
- In Mark 9, what words show that the father both believes and still struggles at the same time? [24:05]
- What kinds of things are named as examples of wrong belief: fear, doubt, resentment, self-pity, criticism, acceptance of defeat, or something else? [29:01]
Interpretation questions- Jesus says to the centurion, “let it be done for you as you have believed.” What does that show about the place of believing in receiving from God, and what does it not mean? [12:52]
- If unbelief is really wrong belief rather than no belief at all, how does that change the way a person understands inner struggles like fear, worry, or defeat? [14:14]
- The father says, “I believe; help my unbelief.” What does that reveal about the kind of person Jesus is willing to help? [25:16]
- Hebrews 4:12 says God’s word is living and active. How might that connect with the call to stop treating the word like a religious tick-box and instead let it cut into real situations? [34:09]
Application questions- Believing steers life like a steering wheel or reins. What has been steering the heart most lately: God’s word, fear, disappointment, habit, or something else? [35:42]
- The centurion did not pretend everything was fine; he brought the need plainly to Jesus. Where is there a temptation right now to hide the truth, minimize the struggle, or act like things are okay instead of bringing the real need to Christ?
- Wrong belief often sounds like “I tried that,” “it didn’t work,” or “I’ll just put up with it.” Has that kind of thinking shown up anywhere recently in regard to healing, prayer, provision, or a broken situation? [32:19]
- The father’s “if you can” was gently corrected by Jesus. Is there an area where the heart still quietly says, “if you can” to Jesus rather than “say the word”? [24:34]
- If wrong belief can look like fear, doubt, resentment, self-pity, or acceptance of defeat, which one most needs to be named honestly before God this week? [26:23]
- Faith puts feet on believing. What would putting feet on faith look like in one specific situation this week: asking for prayer, speaking God’s promise aloud, taking a step of obedience, or refusing to agree with defeat? [38:02]
- The narrow road of right believing can get bumpy. Where is there a need to keep holding on, even though the answer has not appeared yet? [36:12]
