Jesus asks us, “Do you want to be healed?” He calls us to look to Him, listen to Him, and obey Him rather than settle for our old ways. Jesus changes lives, and our transformed lives are meant to point others to Him.

The problem: We look to circumstances, not Christ

The solution: Listen to and obey Christ for healing

The Application: Testify to Christ

Life Group Discussion:

What “pool of Bethesda” do you find yourself looking toward for hope or change instead of looking to Jesus?

What would change in your life if you fully trusted Jesus enough to obey Him, even when His way doesn’t make sense?

How has Jesus changed your life in a way that you could share with someone who doesn’t know Him?

Jesus challenges us to examine why we follow Him, reminding us that faith rooted in what He can give us won't last. Even when we don't understand His ways, Jesus alone has the words of eternal life and is always worth following.

Jesus won’t always do what you want

Jesus won't always say what we want Him to say

Jesus is always worth following

Life Group Discussion:

What's something you've asked God for that He hasn't given you yet? How has that affected your faith?

When God's Word challenges your lifestyle or opinions, what's your first reaction, to trust, argue, ignore, or something else?

What has convinced you personally that Jesus is worth following, even when life is hard?

The most important question you'll ever answer isn't what culture, your family, or your friends say about Jesus, it's who you say He is. When you recognize Jesus as the true Savior and Lord, you're not only transformed by the gospel, you're invited to boldly make Him known so others can find their way home too.

Who do people say Jesus is?

Who do you say Jesus is?

Who will you tell?

Life Group Discussion:

What are some of the most common misunderstandings or distorted views of Jesus you encounter on social media, at work, or among your friends?

Peter confessed that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God." Why is this confession foundational to the Christian faith, and how does it shape the way we live?

What is one practical step you can take this week to intentionally point someone toward Jesus, through a conversation, an invitation, or the way you live?

Jesus challenges us to surrender our own priorities, lose our lives for His sake, and live for eternal rewards, because nothing in this world is worth more than knowing and following Christ.

Let Jesus shape your concerns

Lose your life to find your life

Live for the right rewards

Life Group Discussion:

What is one area of your life (career, relationships, finances, future, etc.) where you're most tempted to make decisions without first asking God what He wants?

Where do you notice yourself trying to control outcomes instead of trusting God? How has that affected your peace?

Looking at your current calendar and priorities, what would someone conclude you value most? Does that reflect the life you want to live for Christ?

Kam reminded us that Jesus invites us to bring every need to Him by pursuing Him with desperation, asking in faith, and following Him in response. Because Jesus has already met our greatest need through the cross, we can trust Him with every other request.

Pursue Jesus in desperation

Ask Jesus in faith

Follow Jesus in response

Life Group Discussion:

Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” How would you honestly answer that question today, and what keeps you from bringing that request to Him?

Bartimaeus pursued Jesus despite the crowd trying to silence him. What distractions, fears, or obstacles are you currently pushing through, or need to push through, to pursue Jesus more intentionally?

Bartimaeus didn't just receive healing; he followed Jesus. How can you respond to God's work in your life this week in a way that draws you closer to Him, regardless of how He answers your prayers?

Cooper challenged us to answer Jesus’ question, “What do you have?” by trusting Him with what He has already given us. When we surrender our ordinary gifts to God, He uses them to accomplish extraordinary things for His kingdom.

What do you have? 

God uses what you give him

Life Group Discussion:

When you think about what God has given you (your time, gifts, experiences, finances, relationships, etc.), what comes to mind first? Why?

What are you more likely to focus on, what you have or what you don't have? How does that mindset affect your willingness to serve God?

Can you think of a time when you trusted God with something you valued and saw Him use it in a way you didn't expect? Share your story.

We weren't just struggling in our sin, we were spiritually dead until God, in His great love and mercy, made us alive through grace by faith in Jesus Christ. Now that we've been given new life, we're called to walk in the good works God has already prepared for us, living as grateful trophies of His grace rather than trying to earn His favor.

You were dead

God made you alive 

Live the life He prepared 

Life Group Discussion:

JP said, "Dead people don't need advice, they need resurrection." Where do you find yourself trying to "try harder" instead of depending on Jesus?

The words "But God" completely change the story. Can you share a "But God" moment where His grace redirected your life?

Paul says we're saved for good works, not by good works. What is the difference, and why does it matter?

What is one practical step you can take this week to "walk in the works God prepared" for you?

June 21, 2026

John Elmore 

Psalm 34

Psalm 34 shows us that following Jesus can’t be borrowed from someone else’s story, you must personally taste and see that He is good by trusting Him in your fear, pain, and need. David’s testimony in the cave reminds us that Jesus hears us, stays near to us in suffering, gives peace in the middle of trouble, and invites us to live boldly by sharing what He’s done and resting in the promise of eternal life.

Testify to others about Jesus

Ask God for answers

Seek the Lord and peace 

Trust God with your troubles 

Endure afflictions because of Christ 

Life Group Discussion:

If you really believed someone’s eternity was at stake, how might it change the way you pray for and engage the people around you this week?

Is there an area of your life right now where you’re tempted to panic, control the outcome, or rely on yourself instead of bringing it honestly before God?

What practically helps stir your affection for God, Scripture, worship, prayer, silence, community, serving, and how can you intentionally build more of that into your week?

When life feels crushing, do you tend to carry the weight yourself or cast it on God? What usually keeps you from surrendering it to Him?

As we are reminded that the Christian life is not freedom from affliction, but confidence that Jesus will deliver us fully in the end. How does that challenge the way you normally think about hardship, suffering, or unanswered prayer?

Life can easily become a cycle of routines, responsibilities, and distractions, but Exodus 3 reminds us that Jesus steps into our ordinary lives to awaken us to His presence, invite us into His mission, and sustain us with His power. Just as God met Moses in the middle of his monotony, He is calling us out of comfort and into a life of purpose, dependence, and kingdom impact.

Christ's Presence Awakens You

Christ's Mission Includes You

Christ's Power Sustains You

Life Group Discussion:

What routines, distractions, or struggles make it easy for you to miss God's presence in your everyday life?

Like Moses, have you ever felt unqualified or inadequate for what God was calling you to do? Why?

What challenge or calling in your life feels impossible without Jesus?

Jacob spent his entire life trying to secure blessing, identity, and control through his own strength, only to discover that true change came when he finally surrendered to Christ. In his wrestling match with God, Jacob received a new identity and a lasting testimony, reminding us that Christ changes people not through self-improvement but through surrender, transformation, and dependence on Him.

Christ Wants Your Surrender

Christ Changes Your Identity

Christ’s Work is Our Testimony 

Life Group Discussion:

What is something you tend to hold onto tightly for security, control, or identity, and how might that be keeping you from fully trusting Jesus?

Can you think of a specific way Jesus has changed your desires, priorities, or character since you began following Him?

If you had 10 seconds to share your testimony, what would you say about who you were before Christ, how you met Him, and how He has changed you?

When waiting turns into doubt, Jesus meets us where we are and reminds us that His timing and ways are greater than our own. Abraham and Sarah's story shows that nothing is too hard for God, and what begins in cynicism can end in celebration when we trust His promises.

Christ comes close in the waiting

Christ is counterintuitive 

Christ confronts the cynic 

Life Group Discussion:

What is something you're currently waiting on, and how has that waiting affected your faith?

Have you ever had a plan for your life that God seemed to completely rewrite? What happened?

What's the difference between honest doubt and cynicism toward God?