Big Idea
“Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” - John 11:1-4
“Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” - John 11:6
God still does miracles! Divine intervention is not a thing of the past, but a few things keep us from being able to see miracles happen in our own lives. When we encounter a problem and don’t see an immediate answer, we start to question God’s methods. We don’t understand how He works, we get consumed with doubt, and ultimately, we give up on Him. This is call the Death Trap!
“You are the God of miracles and wonders! You still demonstrate your awesome power.” - Psalm 77:14 TLB
But the Lord wants us to know that He is a God of his Word, and if we truly trust in Him, He will take care of us. To develop the faith needed to see God intervene in our lives, we must settle in our hearts who Jesus is, stop analyzing everything, and choose to start living again!
Discussion Questions
Every miracle begins with a problem, but our human tendency is to react to problems with fear rather than respond to them with trust. How do you currently react when a problem arises? What can you do to cultivate your trust in God?
We can analyze ourselves right out of a miracle, because we choose to believe what we see rather than what Jesus has said. Do you struggle with over-analyzing? Why is this difficult for so many people? What does it look like to surrender our minds to Christ?
We choose whether we will be defined by death or defined by life. What in your life is dead or dying? How can you start living again in these areas? How does James 2:17-19 help your understanding of this kind of faith?
Next Steps
Instead of believing _______________________, I choose to believe __________________________.
Begin to pray through the areas in your life that you’ve realized might be dead or dying. God has the power to resurrect these things! If you are struggling in the Death Trap, surround yourself with faith-filled people who will speak life over you and stand with you in prayer, believing what Jesus said rather than what you see. It’s time to get out of the grave and start living again!