Who are the people who you trust the most in your life – either now or in the past? What made them trustworthy? Did the trust develop over time, around an incident, through an institution…?
On a scale of 1-10 (1= don’t even think about it, 10=everything revolves around it), how seriously should we take the sin in our world, in our communities, in our families and friends? How seriously should be take the sin inside ourselves?
Our culture seems to expect, even thrive on constant dissatisfaction, such that nothing is ever good enough. What are some ways that you have found yourself believing the lie that it will never be good enough? At work, at home, with family, with friends, with my retirement, with my future…? Where is the lie easiest to believe?
Just LOOK. That is the remedy for the Israelites’ sin, the remedy for all our sorrow and sin: look upon Jesus and believe. Believe that you can do nothing to heal yourself, nothing you can do to earn your way, nothing you can do to become one with God. It’s all a gift. What happens for you as you read over these words? Can you take them in? Can you open your arms wide and ask Jesus to show you where to look, and then simply…look? And be healed? Check in with one another. If it’s hard for you to receive this gift, talk about why, or if you can receive it easily, share some of how you are able to do so.