Jesus is Real

What if your faith could be more than just a feeling—real, grounded, and lasting? Many of us wrestle with doubt, especially when faith feels invisible or unclear. As we begin our BeLoved series, we’ll see how Jesus’ closest disciple, John, discovered a faith in Jesus that was both deeply emotional and historically anchored. We’ll be challenged to make that kind of faith our own. Watch Full Service Discussion Guide  To view the Leader Guide, click here. To view a .docx version of this guide, click here. Begin your time together with prayer  Introduction  Take some time to discuss how their week went and how they were able to apply their action step from last week!   This week we will be discussing how we can show God’s love to others to show them that Jesus is real.  Connect   What’s something you rely on every day, even though you can’t really explain how it works?  Who do you know that shows love or kindness in a way that sticks with you?  Opening  Faith in Jesus can sometimes feel hard to put into words. We can’t see it or hold it, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real or true. The Bible and the stories of people who’ve followed Jesus remind us that he is real, and we can trust in him, building up our faith in him because of the way see him working in our lives.  This leads us to our main idea for this week  We can believe that God’s love is real because Jesus is real.  Unpack  Read each set of verses out loud as a group, making observations as you go. Afterward discuss each of the connected questions before moving to the next set of verses:  Read   John 20:19-29  The story we just read happened shortly after Jesus resurrected from the dead. What specifically stands out to you from these verses?  Why do you think Thomas struggled to believe without physical proof in front of him?  What helps you have confidence that your faith in Jesus is real, and not just based on your feelings?  What do you think your biggest obstacle, or source of doubt is, when it comes to believing without seeing?  How do you overcome those doubts and keep trusting Jesus’ love is real and present in your life?   What does this teach us about how Jesus meets us in our doubts  Read   Hebrews 13:7  James 2:14-17  1 Timothy 6:12  Hebrews 13:7 says that followers of Jesus should remember the ones who taught them about Jesus and imitate them in their faith. Why do you think this is important?   What characteristics or actions have you seen in another person’s life that have given you confidence that Jesus is real?   How have you seen Jesus working in your life through others recently?   What are some tangible ways we can show that Jesus is real by the way we treat people?   Why do you think it can be challenging to do this consistently in our lives?  Action Step   Find ways to tangibly love others this week, to show them that Jesus is real.  This doesn’t need to be complicated. It can be as simple as small acts of kindness, encouragement, or generosity, but be intentional about it as much as possible.  Try to be an example to others about who Jesus is this week. Think this week about how Jesus would treat people and then imitate that action. Be like the person that you look at as a model for how to live and love like Jesus.   Who is one person God is bringing to you mind right now that you can love in a tangible way? What could that look like?  Closing   Faith can feel invisible at times, but that doesn’t make it uncertain. We can have confidence that our faith in Jesus isn’t just spiritual noise or wishful thinking but something solid and true. The Bible, along with the good examples of others we know who follow Jesus, remind us that real faith shows up in how we live, grows as we trust Him, and is strengthened by God Himself day by day.  Pray Together  Pray for the Missionary Focus this week, then take prayer requests from your group and conclude your time in prayer for your group.  Missionary Focus  Pat and Beth Andrews  Pat serves with Seed Company, a subsidiary of Wycliffe Bible Translators, as Director of Field Projects for the Pacific Region and as a Translation Consultant.  Prayer Requests:   For continued safety when visiting project teams    For God’s word to continue to prevail over translation obstacles     Spend a few minutes in prayer for The Andrews  Reflection Verse for the Week  *Read this verse, then encourage the practice of reflection and memorization through the week.  Hebrews 11:1  “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”  **When practiced consistently, memorizing Bible verses can be an important spiritual practice that centers your mind around the truth that God has given us.  Daily Devotional Verses   Use the S.O.A.P. method to reflect on the verses below.  Scripture: Read the verses several times. Reading out loud can be helpful as well. Observation: What can you see about the scripture you read? Application: What is God wanting you to believe, do, or feel, based on what you have read? Prayer: This is a chance to talk to God about what you have read and ask him for help in living out what you’ve learned.  Day 1: Psalm 145:4-7  Day 2: Hebrews 11:1-6  Day 3: Hebrews 12:1-2  Day 4: Romans 10:17  Day 5: Proverbs 3:5-6  Day 6: John 14:15  The post Jesus is Real appeared first on Journey of Faith.