What in the message most stood out to you? What do you think God is telling you through this message?
What makes you feel stressed? What do you do to relieve stress?
WORD
23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[a] (which means “God with us”). -Matthew 1:23
What does this mean for us?
we have hope in God
we have assurance in God
we have victory. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is in us. Therefore He is the one fixing us. Romans 8:[11] If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (ESV)
That we find rest in God.
God’s presence with Adam, ark of the covenant, the tabernacle, the temple, silence for four hundred years, Jesus, the hero, God himself shows up in the flesh. Jesus, God with us. God in us, the living temple. And He put His full compassion on display.
APPLICATION
What does it mean to rest in God? How do you find rest in God?
What do you need to do to keep in constant view of your Savior’s name IMMANUEL (God with us) and JESUS (God is Savior)? How have you experienced Jesus as IMMANUEL in your life?
How does the Spirit of God in you change your compassion towards others people?
PRAYER
Pray that you’ll be able to carry the love of God in you and that His love will drive you to be compassionate towards the people around you.
Pray for those that you know who need to hear the gospel and encounter Jesus. Pray and share as a group about how you would like to to share who Jesus is to the person during this week.
Unshakable Compassion
CONNECT
What in the message most stood out to you? What do you think God is telling you through this message?
How do you define “neighbor”? Who is your neighbor?
Share a time when you felt someone’s compassion towards you.
WORD
“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:20-21)
Compassion for others is what moved Jesus to heal the sick (Mark 1:41, Matt 20:34), feed the hungry (Matt 15:32), deliver the oppressed (Mark 5:1-13), and teach.
Likewise, we are to empathize with people’s anxieties and needs in order for us to better serve and communicate with them effectively. We do this by practicing deeds of mercy, justice, compassion, and showing neighbourly love to the people around us as needs present themselves.
God so loved the world with compassion, he sent Jesus. After Jesus ascended, his work of compassion was to continue through his followers. Jesus now sends his followers out with compassion in the power of His Spirit. The good news comes to the broken world around us through word, deeds and power.
APPLICATION
We can read in the first part of the story of the Good Samaritan “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind” -Luke 10: 27 How is it important to the setup of the parable of the Good Samaritan?
In what situations is it easy to be compassionate? When is it difficult? Why?
Which of the acts that the Good Samaritan does is hardest for you? (Compassion, Physical Ministry, Time or Money) How can we go and do the same?
PRAYER
Pray that you’ll be able to carry the love of God in you and that His love will drive you to be compassionate towards the people around you.
Pray for those that you know who need to hear the gospel and encounter Jesus. Pray and share as a group about how you would like to to share who Jesus is to the person during this week.
