Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
THE GIFT OF DESPERATION
What Happens When We Run Out
Leader Prep
Bible Story Overview
Desperation can be a gift. That might sound crazy, but consider that desperation means we have exhausted our own abilities and resources. Desperation implies that we have run out of energy, words, and will. And that's what points us to Jesus. It reminds us that we can't do it on our own, that we desperately need God's presence and power in our lives. This week we looked at the how and why of Jesus' demonstration of miraculous power. We also saw Jesus' first miracle when He saved a wedding party in Cana by turning water into the very best wine. Throughout the week we saw the progression from our need to humble obedience to God's miraculous response. Our desperation turns us from a posture of self-sufficiency to a posture of humility and confession, and that opens us to obey God, know Him more intimately, and see Him at work. Like at the wedding in Cana, God calls us to act in faith, trusting that He will respond in powerful ways.
Main Point
As we see in the miracle at the wedding in Cana — and in every other miracle in the Gospels — desperation always precedes a miracle. Because it actually opens us to God's power, it is not something that hinders us but a gift that enables us to know Jesus more intimately and see God at work in powerful ways.
Key Scriptures
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:1-14)
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." 4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days.
(John 2:1-12)
What You Will Need
• The Miracles of Jesus DVD and a DVD player
• Marker board or chart paper and markers
• Stick-on name tags and markers (optional)
• iPod, smartphone, or tablet and portable speaker (optional)
Session Outline
Welcome and Opening Prayer (2 minutes)
To create a warm, welcoming environment as the women are gathering before the session begins, consider lighting one or more candles, providing coffee or other refreshments, and/or playing worship music. (Bring an iPod, smartphone, or tablet and a portable speaker if desired.) Be sure to provide name tags if the women do not know one another or you have new participants in your group. Then, when you are ready to begin, pray the following prayer or offer your own:
Dear God, we praise You for Your miracle-working power. We praise You that You are strong when we are weak. And when we are desperate, You meet us right where we are with just what we need. Thank You, God. Speak to us now as we study Your Word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Icebreaker (3 minutes)
Invite the women to share short, "popcorn" responses to one of the following questions:
• When was the last time you felt desperate?
• Have you ever witnessed something you would call a miracle? If so, tell about it briefly.
Video (25–30 minutes)
Play the Week 1 video segment on the DVD. Invite participants to complete the Video Viewer Guide for Week 1 in the participant workbook as they watch (page 42).
Group Discussion (20–35 minutes, depending on session length)
Note: More material is provided than you will have time to include. Before the session, select what you want to cover, putting a check mark beside it in your book. Page references are provided for questions related to questions or activities in the participant workbook. For these questions, invite participants to share the answers they wrote in their books.
Video Discussion Questions
• Why do you think we're so good at prentending there's nothing wrong? Why are we reluctant to acknowledge our desperation — not only before others but even before God?
• How does understanding the cultural significance of running out of wine impact your understanding of the desperation that preceded this miracle?
• Why are we more likely to see Jesus' power in the place where we are running out than the place where we are full or sufficient?
• What does it mean to "lean in" to our desperation? What would this look like for you?
Participant Workbook Discussion Questions
1. When it comes to miracles, we all have how and why questions. They are part of our human experience and curiosity, and in truth, they are sometimes what drives us to God for answers. But when I read the Bible, it seems that the how and why questions aren't the first ones to be answered. Most often, we see miracles answering the question of who. (Day 1)
• Have several volunteers read aloud Mark 4:41; Matthew 16:15; Job 38:25-28, 3738; and Psalm 113:5-6. Where do you see the question of who in these verses? (page 13)
• Have you ever found yourself wondering something like "Who is like our God?" If so, describe that experience.
• How have the miracle stories in the Bible evoked your sense of awe and wonder in God? What have they revealed to you about God? (page 14)
• Have you ever struggled with skepticism or doubt regarding Jesus' miracles? Why or why not? (page 16)
2. Asking the question "Who is this?" about the God behind the miracles will not only lead to answers; it will lead you to a person. Every single miracle will teach us something about the transcendent God and lead us closer to Him. After all, the One who walked on water, healed the lame, made the blind see, and raised people from the dead is alive and present with you as you read these stories, and He longs to be in relationship with you. (Day 1)
• What did you learn this week about Jesus' transcendence and immanence?
• Why is it important that Jesus is both immanent and transcendent?
• Read John 1:14. How do we see both transcendence and immanence in this verse? (page 15)
3. Signs exist to call our attention to something more important, to act as the guide to what we are looking for. John tells miracle stories to point us to Jesus. Jesus uses signs during this wedding miracle to drop hints about what His own ministry will be about. Since this is the first miracle, He packs it full of signs that point to His purpose and character. (Day 2)
• Have some volunteers read John 2:1-12 aloud. How are the water, the wine, and the wedding each a sign that Jesus uses to point us to something bigger and deeper?
• How has God brought blessings into your life in these three categories?
4. God wants us to look for signs, not in a demanding way ("God, give me a sign!") but in a way of exploring the ever-signing God ("God has given me signs; what are they?") He wants us to look around and ask, "How is this sign, this event, this moment in time pointing me to You, Jesus?" The truth is, there are signs of God's love all around us every day, pointing us to Jesus. (Day 2)
• Have you ever demanded a sign from God? Explain.
• What signs of God's love have you noticed around you? (page 22)
• How have God's signs pointed you to Jesus?
5. Miracles are for desperate people. If you're not desperate, why would you need a miracle? In each miracle story, someone comes to the end of available choices — running out of ideas, options, strength, and resources — and Jesus steps in to make things right. Desperation always precedes a miracle. (Day 3)
• Have some volunteers read aloud Mark 7:25-26; Mark 9:17-18, 24; Luke 18:35-38; John 5:1-9; and John 11:21. Where did you recognize desperation in these stories? Where did you see a miracle? (Refer to your descriptions on page 24.)
• What would you say is the who, the how, and the why of each of these miraculous moments?
• Has desperation ever preceded a miracle in your life? Explain.
6. Desperation is a gift from God because it teaches us we can't do this on our own. Every time we say to ourselves, "I can make it on my own," we are fooling ourselves, wearing a mask of self-reliance and believing a lie of self-subsistence. We're all, every one of us, badly in need of Jesus' help, but the truth is that it's only the desperate who go looking for it. And they are the ones who receive. (Day 3)
• When have you found yourself in a desperate situation? How did life's circumstances force you to stop pretending that you could do it all on your own? (page 26)
• How did Jesus help you in your desperation? (page 27)
• Read Matthew 5:3-11. Who are those who are blessed? How do these descriptions of "blessed" differ from what the world calls "blessed"? (page 26)
• How is desperation a gift from God? (page 26)
7. Consider what we've learned about desperation and miracles. It's a gift to admit failure, want, and lack, because ultimately it brings us to rely on God's help. Now notice that Mary is the only one willing to point out the desperate situation at this wedding. This is a beautiful situation where a people in need of help are connected with the One who has the power to help, not only with their need for wine but also with their need for God's intervention in their lives. Mary is a hero in this story, not a nag. (Day 4)
• Read aloud John 2:3-8. What did we discover this week about the context behind Jesus' words to His mother?
• When you first read this passage, how did you react to Jesus' words and tone to Mary? Based on your own cultural understanding, how would you interpret the words of Jesus in John 2:4? (page 31)
• What do you know about how Jesus treats women throughout His ministry on earth?
8.(Reread John 2:5 aloud.) Whatever Jesus says to do, we should do. It might look impossible or foolish. It might be hard and thankless work. But listening for instruction and then doing God's will means that we're putting the whole messy situation in God's hands, acknowledging we are simply the servants of His will. (Day 4)
• What is something Jesus has asked you to do recently? Have you responded in obedience, or are you dragging your feet? Explain your response. (page 34)
• How do you think the story would be different if the disciples had decided to ad-lib and not do exactly what Jesus said?
• Have you ever taken matters into your own hands instead of obeying Jesus? Explain.
9. It's amazing how often obedience is an essential ingredient of a miracle. Finding the small acts of human obedience that are a part of God's miracles may not always be as exciting as looking for the mind-blowing results of God's actions, but it shows us how He loves to work in relationship with His people. (Day 5)
• Read aloud these other instances in Scripture when obedience led to a miracle: Exodus 14:21; Exodus 17:5-6; and Exodus 17:9-10. How did God use something Moses already had in each of these miraculous events? (page 38)
• When has God used a gift or resource of yours to bring about extraordinary results? (page 38)
• When has your obedience, or the obedience of someone else, played a part in bringing about healing or restoration? (page 39)
10. Here's the thing about recognizing the relationship between our obedience and God's miracles: it keeps us dependent on God. Rather than the kind of white-knuckled, teeth-gritted determination that results from believing that we obey God by acting alone and in our strength, we see our actions as part of God's work, remembering that God's power is at work in and through us. By obeying God, we are playing a part in His grander plans. It also keeps us from becoming detached spectators of God's work in the world. (Day 5)
• What does it mean to be a detached spectator of God's work in the world?
• Have you ever felt white-knuckled determination to act in your own strength? Explain.
• What would full obedience to God look like in your life right now? What do you sense Him calling you to do? (page 41)
11. Think about all of your study and reflection this week.
• What thoughts or discoveries are sticking with you from this week's study?
Deeper Conversation (15 minutes)
Divide into smaller groups of 2–3 for deeper conversation. (Encourage the women to break into different groups each week.) Before the session, write on a markerboard or chart paper the question or questions you want the groups to discuss:
• What miracle(s) do you need God to work in your life or the life of someone you love?
• How does knowing that we have a miracle-working God sustain us and even lead us out of our desperation?
Give a two-minute warning before time is up so that the groups may wrap up their discussion.
Closing Prayer (3–5 minutes, depending on session length)
Close the session by taking personal prayer requests from group members and leading the group in prayer. As you progress to later weeks in the study, you might encourage members to participate in the Closing Prayer by praying out loud for one another and the requests given.
CHAPTER 2
THE MIRACLE OF ABUNDANCE
From Our Little, Jesus Makes Much
Leader Prep
Bible Story Overview
This week we explored abundance, examining times and places in Scripture when God produced much where there was little or none in people's lives. From the feeding of the five thousand, to the net full of fish, to Jesus declaring that He is the bread of life — the only bread we'll ever need — we see that our God is a God of abundance. Within the story of the feeding of the five thousand, we also see references to God's abundant provision, power, compassion, and faithfulness throughout Scripture. From the Passover festival and wilderness wanderings, to God's provision for the widow of Zarephath and her son, to the Last Supper — these stories help us see that God desires to abundantly provide for our needs. Though we can't always figure out how He will do it and we don't always understand His methods, we can be confident that God will always meet our needs.
Main Point
God specializes in abundance. He is always "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20 NIV), and the big things that God does often begin with something small. What is small in our hands is big in Jesus' hands. Though the problems and needs of life often seem so great in comparison to what is in our grasp, God can do much with our little.
Key Scriptures
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."
37 But he answered, "You give them something to eat."
They said to him, "That would take more than half a year's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Miracles of Jesus - Women's Bible Study Leader Guide"
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Copyright © 2017 Abingdon Press.
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