Healing is a Choice to Be Free
Set Free - Part 3
July 25-29, 2005

Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, 'Do you want to get well?'

John 5:1-6 (NIV)

It was a warm day and nice for lying by the pool - but in this case, the pool was at Bethesda, and the people "lying" beside it were the sick and dying, hoping for a moment to dip their toes in its legendary healing waters. Jesus, the Son of God, could have been anywhere that day. But He chose to be here. He went up to a man, hovering near the pool, who had been sick for thirty-eight years. "Do you want to be healed?" Jesus asked him. That question may sound ridiculous. Of course, he wanted to be healed. But the fact is, many of us don't really want to be healed. For some, staying sick is more comfortable than the painful process of getting well. If our answer to Jesus' question is "yes, Lord, heal me," we must first make a choice to be healed. Let's look together at the choices we must make to be set free.

MONDAY

1. HEALING IS A CHOICE TO GRIEVE LOSSES.

[Your Objective: Understand the real need for time to grieve losses in our lives.]

How does the prophet describe Jesus in Isaiah 53:3?

  • Take a few moments to meditate on what these words reveal about the character of the Messiah. Discuss in your group the picture you see.
  • How should knowing that Jesus also grieved influence our personal relationship with Him?

Read John 16:20. What did Jesus tell His disciples about grief?

  • Are there situations in our world today where we might see others rejoicing while we in the church are grieving? Share some examples.
  • How is it possible for our grief to become joy? If any of you have experienced this miraculous transition, share it as an encouragement for others in your group.

Worship (Magnification) - When we fix our eyes on Christ, the pain of the world around us tends to diminish. What loss is tearing at your heart right now? Have you given yourself time to grieve this loss? As you do, take your pain to God and ask Him how He wants to use it. This week, as an exercise in healing your own grief or as preparation to come alongside a grieving friend, spend some time in God's Word looking for verses that offer comfort and hope. Plan to share a few of them in your next group session.

TUESDAY

2. HEALING IS A CHOICE TO EMBRACE REALITY.

[Your Objective: Decide to embrace reality as the only road to healing.]

According to Luke 9:23-25, who are we to follow and how can we "save" our lives.

  • Discuss how our choices to either embrace our reality or deny it reveal our trust in God's plan for our lives.
  • What are some examples of how we might ignore our reality by faking it or putting on the false self?
  • At our core, we all long for God's presence and power in our lives. Discuss ways in which God can turn even the darkest circumstances around for His good purpose when we embrace our reality.

When you embrace the reality of your life and trust God with your life, even the mistakes of your life eventually look like they were part of a master plan.

Read Philippians 4:6-7. How are we to respond when we are anxious and what can we expect to receive from God?

  • While we are on the road to healing, what are some practical ways we can replace our anxiousness with prayer? How can we enlist those around us to help us on this road?

Discipleship (Maturity) - In order for us to grow as disciples we must learn how to embrace a difficult or even impossible situation by accepting it and letting God lead us down His path for our lives. Is there an area in your life where you need healing but have been denying it or just hoping God will simply make it go away? Maybe God is waiting for you to embrace it so He can use you and your situation for His purposes and glory, while taking you to a level of healing you never thought possible. Start today by sharing your challenge with a partner who will commit to pray for and encourage you.

WEDNESDAY

3. HEALING IS A CHOICE TO SERVE PEOPLE.

[Your Objective: Learn that we can serve God through our hurts.]

Gideon was a weak man, from a weak clan, with a weak plan. But God faced him directly, in Judges 6:14-15.

What are Gideon's excuses to God in Judges 6:14-15?

  • What are some excuses you have given God when He has sent you to serve?
  • How would knowing that God will provide you with what you need to serve Him help you to follow through?

Where do we receive the strength to comfort others, according to 2 Corinthians 1:3-4? What do 2 Corinthians 1:4 and Romans 15:2 ask us to do with this strength?

  • Share ways you have used your hurts to help others, or ways God has given you strength to help others.
  • Why is it important for us to receive God's strength when seeking to help those around us?

Ministry - To say we are Christian, but to not serve other Christians is a contradiction. A lie we often fall into is that there is no place for us to serve until we are completely healed and strong. We must be willing to use our hurts, talents and resources to serve God and others. God can take those hurts that we are praying will "go away" and use them for good in helping other people. Are you currently serving in a ministry? Give your hurts to God and trust Him to use them for good. Ask God to show you a way to use your pain constructively in someone else's life.

THURSDAY

PERSONAL APPLICATION AND COMMITMENT:

[Your Objective: Grasp the truth that we each hold our futures in our own hands.]

No matter what you've been through in your life - no matter how hard your life may have been - you can be sure of this much: God wants to use it.

  • Are you sad over losses you couldn't control? Grieve for them and give your pain to God.
  • Have you been hanging on to a dream that's gone? Ask God for the strength to embrace reality.
  • Have you been reluctant to serve others, afraid you don't have what it takes? All God asks is a willing heart.

The day we move into true healing is the day we move from asking God to take our sickness from us to asking Him to do something with it. The final question for each of us is the same one Jesus asked the man at the pool of Bethesda: "Do you want to be healed?"

FRIDAY

This is your day off. Have a great Day with God!