Campfire Stories 2022 :: Part 4 :: The Paradox of Jesus | Ryan Howell :: July 24, 2022

Welcome to the Crossroads Church podcast! You can find more information and many resources at our Gather page. We encourage you to connect! Head over there when you're ready to fill out the connect card, find more information on how to be involved, ways to give and to see what's going on in the Feed, our e-newsletter.You also will find the message notes below.....Have a great week! What’s the Issue Anyway?Every life is filled with DISAPPOINTMENTS.We are handed an image of God that doesn’t seem to fit our REALITY. When this tension hits hard, we either ABANDON reality or God.What Wisdom does Lazarus’ story in John 11:17-45 offer us?Mary’s pain and disappointment kept her from JESUS. (17-20)Martha held the TENSION between hope and hurt. (21-22)Martha’s hope for healing was in the NEXT LIFE. (23-24)Martha didn’t UNDERSTAND Jesus but believed God was present in Jesus. (25-27)Don’t Miss This!We can have HOPE in life without denying the TRAUMAS of life.How can I live this out in my everyday, normal life?In a sense, we are all like LAZARUS.At some point, we all feel like MARY and MARTHA. At all times, we should strive to be like JESUS.When you can’t put your faith in God, put it in LOVE.How does this make me a better person and the world a better place?FAITH SHAMING ends when we honor the reality of life’s trauma. LOVE will find us in the pain of letting go of ZEUS.What is God inviting you into today?Give myself permission to feel the trauma of life and believe in the God revealed in Jesus.Talk to God about being angry at what has happened in my life.Stop avoiding the pain in a friend’s life and give myself permission to weep with them.Thought-provoking questions:Talk about a season or experience where you felt like God had disappointed you.What do you think about the idea that God is “all powerful” given the realities of evil in this world?Why do you think John thought it was important to include the details of Jesus waiting two days before traveling to Lazarus?Does the idea of Jesus weeping encourage you or bother you?What were some of the responses to Jesus’ arrival at Mary and Martha’s home? Which of these responses can you relate to?What if God is not an all-powerful being that loves or forgives or shows mercy, but an all-powerful love that has its being in us when we love, forgive or show mercy?How can the community of faith be a safer space to express our doubts, anger and frustrations with God?Are there parts of your understanding of God that are more like Zeus than Jesus? Where do those come from? How do you think you could let those go?