Imperfect Faith

Questions Only Summary located at the end.

Goals for this Week’s Study:

  • Review Sunday Morning’s Sermon.
  • Help people to realize our faith is measured by our genuineness rather than our certainty.
  • Remind everyone to come and celebrate Mother’s Day at church this Sunday. We will have a gift for all the Mothers and a giveaway during each service. Also, we are now accepting applications for our Fall 2016 & Summer 2017 Internships. If you know anyone (18–25) who would like to get a glimpse into the life of full-time vocational ministry, they can apply at www.betterlife.church/intern.

Getting Started: Open your group with prayer.

We all know that the Bible says that with faith the size of a mustard see we can move mountains, but what does that really mean? For most of us, if that is really the case, it must seem as if we have no faith at all.

DISCUSS:

Describe a time when you displayed FAITH in something (it doesn’t necessarily have to be God).

Examples (to get people talking):

  • Trust fall at camp…
  • Driving here in your vehicle this evening…
  • Waiting for your co-worker, teammate, classmate, etc. to come through on their end of a project or deal.

Pastor Daniel shared with us from Mark 9 a story of an event where faith was required. The scripture he shared is included below.

Scripture:

Below you will find the scripture Pastor Daniel used on Sunday. You can use it as a reference or to read through together for deeper study of God’s Word.

Mark 9:14–29 (ESV)

14And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18And 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.” 19And 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.” 20And 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. 21And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22And 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.” 23And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Study Questions:

In verse 24 the father of the demon-possessed boy cries out and says “I believe; help my unbelief!”

  1. What is FAITH? Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
  2. How do you know if you have faith? Can you simply declare it?
  3. Was there ever a time in your life when you needed God to show up in a huge way and He did? Ask people to share if they are comfortable.
  4. Was there a time in the middle of that circumstance when you had a collision of belief and reality?
  5. How does the father’s statement in verse 24 differ from conventional thinking about FAITH?
  6. If faith and unbelief can somehow coexist, how can we display the faith Jesus speaks of in Mark 9:23 “…All things are possible for one who believes.”?
    1. Keep your faith in Jesus, NOT in your faith. Have you ever put your faith in your church attendance, Bible reading, tithing, etc? These are all good things, but are NOT the same as putting your faith in Jesus.
    2. Faith is not an event, it’s a journey. It’s a long-term play.
    3. Faith is measured by my genuineness, not my certainty. We don’t have to pretend to be certain when we pray. Just as Jesus didn’t deny the boy’s father’s request to heal his son because unbelief was still present, we can be genuine when we talk to God about the mountains we need moved in our life.
    4. Faith brings Jesus into my circumstances, and puts hope into my situation. Hopelessness + Faith = PRAYER!

Final Thoughts:

Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
  • Keep your eyes on Jesus.
  • Place your imperfect faith in a perfect Savior.
  • I believe…but help my imperfect faith!!

7. CELEBRATE: 34 people got baptized today!!

8. Was there anything else that stood out to you from today’s message or baptism celebration?

PRAY!

QUESTIONS ONLY Summary

DISCUSS:

Describe a time when you displayed FAITH in something (it doesn’t necessarily have to be God).

Examples (to get people talking):

  • Trust fall at camp…
  • Driving here in your vehicle this evening...
  • Waiting for your co-worker, teammate, classmate, etc. to come through on their end of a project or deal.
  1. What is FAITH? Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
  2. How do you know if you have faith? Can you simply declare it?
  3. Was there ever a time in your life when you needed God to show up in a huge way and He did? Ask people to share if they are comfortable.
  4. Was there a time in the middle of that circumstance when you had a collision of belief and reality?
  5. How does the father’s statement in verse 24 differ from conventional thinking about FAITH?
  6. If faith and unbelief can somehow coexist, how can we display the faith Jesus speaks of in Mark 9:23 “…All things are possible for one who believes.”?
    1. Keep your faith in Jesus, NOT in your faith. Have you ever put your faith in your church attendance, Bible reading, tithing, etc? These are all good things, but are NOT the same as putting your faith in Jesus.
    2. Faith is not an event, it’s a journey. It’s a long-term play.
    3. Faith is measured by my genuineness, not my certainty. We don’t have to pretend to be certain when we pray. Just as Jesus didn’t deny the boy’s father’s request to heal his son because unbelief was still present, we can be genuine when we talk to God about the mountains we need moved in our life.
    4. Faith brings Jesus into my circumstances, and puts hope into my situation. Hopelessness + Faith = PRAYER!
  7. CELEBRATE: 34 people got baptized today!!
  8. Was there anything else that stood out to you from today’s message or baptism celebration?

PRAY!

Adam Eldridge