Posted on February 11, 2018 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
February 11 – 17, 2018
Whatever It Takes: Help
By Meghan Hemenway
To end our series, Whatever It Takes, we heard from Diego Fuller who graciously shared his story about how someone boldly and recklessly obeyed God to do whatever it took to help him as a foster child. Diego’s story brought to mind the story of another foster child I once knew.
As a young adult I volunteered as an advocate for foster care children. One case was a child who looked like she would never find a permanent home. She was not going back to a birth family – there was no one to go back to. She would not be adopted and, in my time as her advocate, it became clear that she would probably never be placed in a home situation again. She had been badly damaged by those who should have taught her about love. When I met her it seemed like she wouldn’t be able to build the trust or social skills it would take to be in a family. It was a devastating story.
When my husband and I moved to Kansas City I had to leave her case to someone else and I never learned the end of her story. I don’t know if she was ever able to heal or find hope. I don’t know if anyone ever stood up and recklessly said, "I will do whatever it takes to help this child." At the time I think I was so overcome by the hopelessness and brokenness of her story that I forgot to see God in it. I forgot to acknowledge that he was always with her no matter how many failed to stand up for her.
It was beautiful to hear Diego – a kid with a broken story – share today about the man who stood up for him and told him, "You are my son. You have been grafted in and no matter what I will do whatever it takes to save you."
It was a priority for Jesus to come alongside the poor and the weak and boldly stand for them. This won’t be easy, but as his followers we should know that his love flows through us and when we show up, he shows up powerfully.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Jesus set aside his equality with God to become human and be able to stand with us in our struggles. Could you take some time this week exploring the many avenues Heartland has for helping others? What would it look like for you to get involved in one?
{personal reflection and bible reading plan}
As you read the verses each day, make notes of questions you have about what you’re reading as well as answering the reflection questions below. Grab a friend or two to discuss what you are learning and what God is doing in your lives.
CLICK HERE or on image below to enjoy Seth Davidson’s overview of Matthew 15-16.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: In a very recent sermon Justin McRoberts talked about this passage of scripture where the disciples feed the 5,000 people with a few fish and loaves of bread. If you watched that sermon what was your take away? What did you hear and what are you doing differently now because of it?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: The story of Peter walking on water and sinking is extremely relatable for me. Have you ever felt like Peter walking on water and full of faith and then all the sudden you doubt for minute and you feel like you are sinking? How does Jesus pull you back up out of the water when you are sinking?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: There is strong cultural tradition in this passage about being clean and unclean that I don’t believe we can fully grasps ourselves today. Try restating this scripture using a modern analogy that our culture can understand on a deeper level and share with a trusted friend or group.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: There is some very deep cultural and theological issues at play here. In short, this woman is not from the “right part of town” and Jesus’ focus was on the people of Israel. Jesus’ and his disciples plans got interrupted but Jesus still helped the woman? What does this say to you about your plans?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: It seems like it would be so easy for Jesus to do something amazing and give people a sign from heaven, but in this case he refuses. Throughout his time, Jesus did many miracles by healing the sick, blind, injured, etc…. Why do you think at this moment he didn’t just give them a sign from heaven?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: As people on earth we tend to focus on what is right in front of us. The disciples of Jesus are no exception themselves. They hear Jesus talking about yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees and are immediately confused and think he is talking about bread. What distracts you from hearing what Jesus is telling you?
{community discussion questions}
We weren’t meant to experience the life of Jesus alone, so we encourage you to rally a few others to discuss what you are hearing, reading, and reflecting on together. Whether you are meeting as a Journey Community group, talking with a few friends throughout the week, or bringing up spiritual conversations around your table at home, feel free to use some of these questions as conversation starters on your journey.
Can you name a takeaway or challenge from the Sunday message?
How has that been relevant, challenging, or meaningful to your life this week?
What have you observed about God, Jesus, yourself, others, or God’s plan for you from these readings?
Where do you need a breakthrough from God this week?
Who do you need to share what you’re learning about God with?
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get a free Bible for your phone, tablet, and computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
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