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Super

Updated March 11, 2016

Transcript

What is James saying in this passage about the connection between our words and our actions?
What kind of faith do we have if we claim to be a Christ-follower but do not actively engage in meeting the needs of the poor and needy?

What are some examples of how we can meet the physical needs of people in our community?
What are some examples of how we can meet the spiritual needs of people in our community?
What opportunities do we have as a group to meet other needs in our community?

Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”

Would you describe yourself as a compassionate person? Why or why not?
Why is compassion such a powerful motivator for serving people and meeting their needs?
What might be some unhealthy or selfish motives for helping needy people? How do you think God feels if we have these motives when we serve or help others?
What does God really want from you?

Verse 35 says Jesus healed all kinds of physical diseases, and elsewhere in the Gospels, we see him meeting people’s spiritual needs, too. What are some specific examples of physical and spiritual needs people in our world face today?
Why do we sometimes ignore the physical and spiritual needs of people around us?

What is your purpose in life? Why did God create you?
Look at the metaphor Jesus uses in verses 37 and 38. What is the harvest, and who are the workers? What is Jesus communicating here?
Where do you see the harvest most pressing in our world or in your sphere of influence?
What might happen if you prayed that God would send you out and use you to meet the needs of people in our community or in other parts of the world?
Is that a prayer you would willingly pray? Why or why not?
How would it make you feel to know that you could be faithfully carrying out Christ’s commands and helping others?

Why does our culture have such a fascination with superheroes?
Think of the plotlines for a few superhero movies. Why do they always involve some major problem or evil or villain that only the superhero can defeat?
Would or do movies about ordinary people meeting ordinary needs sell as well as superhero movies? Why or why not?