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This episode begins with a glimpse of what the sending of the disciples in pairs (Luke 9:1-6; Mark 6:7-13) might have been like. One of the things we see is that the disciples share the prayer they learned from Jesus with the people they meet.

What has Jesus taught you about prayer?
How do you share prayer with others, and learn from others in prayer?
What forms of prayer do you know? Which are most familiar to you?

One of the prayers found in the Bible is Paul’s prayer for the Christians in Ephesus.

Let’s read Ephesians 1:15-21 and Ephesians 3:14-21.

Ephesians 1:15-21

Ephesians 3:14-21

What do Paul’s prayers teach us about prayer?
Why does Paul kneel before the Father (Ephesians 3:14)?
What desires does Paul express for the Christians in Ephesus?
What is your desire for the person or people you are walking alongside?

It is a gift that, through Jesus, we have free access to God’s throne and can discuss everything on our hearts with him – both alone and with other believers. We learn from one another and from hearing other people’s prayers. Sometimes, others are able to express things we do not have words for. As we practice putting words to what is in our hearts, we grow in our relationship with God and with the people around us. Did you know that in the early church, people primarily prayed out loud, even when they were completely alone?

How do you want to grow in prayer in the coming season? How can you pursue that growth?
Have you discovered new forms of prayer today that you want to try?
How do you pray with others? Who can you be an example for and pass on what you have learned?
How can you be prayerfully involved with others? Sometimes we say, “I’ll pray for you!” but then completely forget to do it. Have you ever tried praying for that person right then and there? If so, how did it go? If not, why?

Let’s take a few minutes to pray in pairs about today’s lesson and the questions we just discussed.

In this episode, we meet four different women, each with her own unique story: Mary, Tamar, Eden and Veronica. During a conversation about finances, Mary questions Tamar about the jewellery she wears and the message it might send. Both women share the sentiment, “You have no idea what I’ve been through.” Meanwhile, Eden tries to connect with Veronica, who is worried that her illness makes her less desirable company.

The past experiences of these women shape how they live their lives – what they choose to do or not do, what they share or keep hidden and how they interact with one other. Eden says, “Everyone has secrets” [24:53-25:20 min].

How does your past impact the way you live today?
What beautiful things do you carry from your past? What are some difficult things? Would you like to share an example?
Do you have secrets? How do they affect you?

Let’s read Psalm 139.

Psalm 139

1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.

5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!

20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

What does this passage tell us about God?
What does it mean to you that God knows you completely and knows everything about you?
Do you feel comfortable sharing your secrets with God? Why or why not?

In this episode, Veronica says, “I don’t like secrets. If people knew something that could help me, I wouldn’t want them to keep it from me. So why would I do the same?” [24:53-25:20 min]

Do you keep your secrets to yourself or do you share them with others? How does that choice affect your life?
When you are struggling with something alone, what could be a first step toward involving God and other trusted people in your life?
Are you someone others feel safe sharing secrets with? Why or why not?
How can you approach what you think you see in someone’s life with care and without judgment, knowing you do not have the full story?
How can you support someone in your life who is struggling with a secret or a difficult part of their past?

The life and teachings of Jesus often turn people’s lives upside down. We see an example of this in the conversation between Jairus and Yussif in this episode. Who is this Jesus? They wonder. “He could be …” [15:40-16:02 min].

What do you think Jairus might have been considering when he said, “He could be …”
Who is Jesus to you?
When was the last time Jesus’ teachings turned your life and or beliefs upside down? What was that experience like?

Even the disciples sometimes felt deeply shaken. In this episode, they reflect on their mission – how they shared Jesus’ words with power, performed miracles, prayed with people and at times left others confused while feeling confused themselves. In one scene, Big James admits, “I said things that I don’t comprehend or live by. I felt like a fraud” [34:11-34:22 min].

Let’s read Luke 24:36-53 and Acts 1:8.

Luke 24:36-53

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.

38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?

39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.

41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”

42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,

43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.

44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

48 You are witnesses of these things.

49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.

51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Acts 1:8

Have you ever felt like Big James, saying or doing things in faith that you did not fully understand or live by? What was that like?
What promise does Jesus give in the passages we just read?
What does it mean to receive “power from heaven”?
How do you see this power from heaven at work in your life today?

As disciples of Jesus, we are not merely channels through which God works. He is actively involved in our lives, shaping us to reflect Jesus more and more. As we reach out to others, God invites us to experience his power, greatness and grace in personal and transformative ways.

What does it mean for you today to grow in understanding God’s power, greatness and grace by experiencing it in action?
Think back to the moment when Jesus’ teachings turned your life upside down. How does that moment continue to shape your life today?

In this episode, there is an urgent issue with the sewer system that threatens people’s health. The situation causes unrest and noise outside the synagogue. A rabbi, slightly irritated, steps out and says, “You’re disrupting our ceremony …” This scene highlights how the messy realities and complexities of daily life can feel unwelcome in sacred spaces, as if they should not be allowed to intrude.

How do you see this play out — in your life and in your faith community?
How do you receive the messiness of the mundane when you feel like it is interrupting your spiritual pursuits?

Jesus demonstrates a very different perspective. Instead of being disturbed by urgent issues of daily life, like a broken sewer system, he seems more concerned by what is happening within the faith community.

Let’s read Matthew 21:12-17.

Matthew 21:12-17

In this passage, Jesus expresses anger when the temple fails to reflect its intended purpose.

What critique does Jesus bring against the religious authorities through his words and actions in this scene?
What can we learn from Jesus’ critique for our own faith communities today?
How do prayer, healing and spontaneous worship shape the faith community you are part of?

In Jesus’ Kingdom, the brokenness and complexity of everyday life are not ignored – they are given a place, even issues as mundane as a broken sewer system. This does not mean there are always easy answers to life’s hard questions. We often struggle to live faithfully in a broken world, to fully celebrate our joys and to fully grieve our pain and anger over the injustice we see or experience.

As we look at the life of Jesus, let us pray that our hearts will be moved by what moves his. May we learn to love what he loves and be disturbed by what disturbs him.

Have you embraced the brokenness and complexity of life? What does that look like?
How does your faith in Jesus connect with the realities of life today?
How can you grow in loving what Jesus loves?
What role does your faith community play in engaging with the brokenness and complexity of life?

SEASON 3 - EPISODE 4

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Initial Reflections

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Ephesians 1:15-21

Ephesians 3:14-21

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Initial Reflections

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Psalm 139

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Initial Reflections

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Luke 24:36-53

Acts 1:8

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Initial Reflections

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Matthew 21:12-17

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Find more on our Reading Plan

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