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1. What was Jesus' motivation for teaching and healing on this day, even though he and his disciples were tired? To meet the needs of the spiritual and physical needs of the crowd and to teach the disciples that God can multiply our resources if only we can have faith in Him and surrender what seems to us to be small and inadequate How can we find a balance of attitude and ministry? By learning from Jesus and asking Him to empower with strength in and our weakness or fatigue so that we can still be be able to meet the demanding needs of ministry. When do we stop when the needs continue? I think we should not stop but continue in the power of the Lord and in faith that He is able to provide for our own needs and the needs for the ministry 2. Why did Jesus decide to feed the people rather than dismiss them earlier? If He had dismissed them earlier as requested by the disciples, they would have missed the teaching that accompanied the miracle of God's power to multiply our lean resources 3. Why didn't he create bread and fish from nothing? To teach the disciples that God is able to bless and multiply our own earthly meager resources if we surrender same to Him. Why did he ask the disciples to find what they could? What is the significance of the command, "You give them something to eat"? 4. What struggles have you had in surrendering yourself to be part of this ministry process of assessing the need, bringing your resources to Jesus, placing them in his hands, and receiving back the power to meet needs beyond yourself? The challenge is similar to what the disciple faced, looking and seeing just the limited resources in my hands and not remembering that God has the power to bless and multiply it if I will just entrust what I have to Him

1. What's the difference between power and authority? The two words have similar meaning. But one may have power but no authority to execute an action. Satan has power but has no authority over the live of a true child of God 2. What purposes did Jesus seem to have in sending the Twelve on this mission? To put into practice what he had taught them ie preach the Kingdom of God, heal the sick and deliver the captive of demonc 3. Why did he instruct them to travel light? Why did he tell them not to bring a staff, a bag, or food, or money, or an extra shirt? What was the point in that? To teach them to depend on Gods provision through the people they would lodge in their homes 4. Why were they told to stay in just one house in each village, and not try to find better lodgings? So that they would go about sampling the for the best 5. How did the disciples' obedience to Jesus' instructions bless people? The people heard the good news, the sick were healed and the captive set free 6. Of what value were their reports and Jesus' debriefing?

1. What do Jairus' actions in this story tell us about the state of his faith? Faith that started strong bud declined significantly at news of his daughters's death 2. Have you ever had a time spiritually when you felt God "carried you" in spite of your weak faith? If so, when? Has he set you back on your own feet again yet? I am generally a man who has faith in the Lord but have my moments when doubts set in. When that happens, I usually do as sinking Peter did when he was walking well on sea but looked away from Jesus, saw the stormy waves, started sinking but immediately called out to Jesus to save him. And He did and will also rescue me from declining faith when cry out to Him. 3. Why didn't Jesus let Jairus give up? To make a great teaching to the disciples and others of the great power of God to raise the dead. 4. Why did Jesus exclude everyone but the parents and his closest disciples from the girl's room? He wanted to get the "spoilers" and those that doubt out of the way. He also wanted privacy for the little girl and her family 5. What lessons does this passage teach you as a disciple? What do you think we disciples are intended to learn from this? Even when my faith is sliding away, Jesus is still faithful and is around to prop up my faith. It is very important to note that nothing is ever too late because the Lord that raised Jairu's daughter is still abundantly able to raise back to life, anything of ours that has died eg our faith, a love one, business etc

1. What things did the lady in our story have going against her? She had the issue of blood that made her unclean and this barred from mingling in the crowd so that she wont touch any one or be touched. Yet she violated that law by mingling with the due to her determination to get through the crowd to get her healing by daring to even touch the Messiah in her defiled stage!! 2. Do you think she was superstitious about touching Jesus clothes? How would you assess the quality of her faith? No, she was not superstious. She had great faith that if she could only tough the hem of the Lord Jesus Christ's garment, she would be healed. 3. Why did Jesus stop? Do you think there was an actual transfer or flow of power? He stopped because He felt power left Him. Yes I believe there was actual transfer of power from Him to the woman. 4. Why do you think Jesus caused her the embarrassment of having to tell her story openly? I don't think He embarrassed her. He wanted to teach the disciples and the crowd that great faith is rewarded and that he had the power to respond to such great faith. 5. Few people have had the gumption and nerve to push their way to Jesus the way this woman did. Why is this so? Why do many fail to receive answers to their prayers?He Most people give up easily without much effort. But victory is all about the ability to be steadfast in faith so as to get what is needed no matter the obstacles on the way to meeting the needs. Similarly, many including me pray for a while and give up. The lesson from this woman of great faith is that we should be praying until the answer comes just as the Lord Jesus Christ taught the disciples (and us) in Luke 18:1, to keep on praying until the answer comes. I

1. If we take this account seriously, what does it seem to teach us about demons? (Realize that our view of demons may be more influenced by sermons we have heard or movies we have seen than by the text of Scripture. Let's stick to the text here in Luke 8.) Demons are real, they are are powerful, they can enter humans and manipulate the humans to act or say things the way they want. But from the encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, His power is greater than the power of many demons put together. Hallelujah, praise the Living Jesus, my Lord. 2. Why do we feel we need to apologize helping just one person like Jesus did on this occasion? We usually feel that our performance is great when we record high numbers say for example, of converts. But from this story, Jesus deliverance of the man possessed by a legion of demons shows that the salvation of just one soul is also a great achievement as it can lead the lone soul to witness and to achieve a lot by bringing many souls to Christ. 3. What do we learn from the account about the pigs that we wouldn't have known if they hadn't been mentioned? Pigs are dirty animals and cam be inhabited by demons 4. Why did the healed man want to go with Jesus? Why didn't Jesus let him? He found the Man that really loved and delivered him from demons and wanted stay with Him. Another reason is that he wanted to go on as as a disciple of Jesus. Furthermore, he was not sure he would well received at home. Jesus did not allow him to follow so that he could go and tell his people the gracious and amazing thing God through Jesus Christ did for him- to evangelise his community. 5. Where did they find clothes to clothe the healed man, do you thinks Why does the story mention the man's nakedness? I don't know for sure. Maybe Jesus, the Great Provider miraculously provided the clothes. I guess the story mentioned the man's nakedness to show the degree of the wickedness of demons and the seriousness of demonic invasion or possession. I however think his nakedness was mentioned to show the ability of Jesus to clothe our nakedness spiritually and physically. 6. How does Jesus react to the rejection of the townspeople of the Garasenes? Peacefully without offence I think.

1. What was the most important lesson that you think Jesus intended his disciples to learn from this? With Him in the "boat" with us, we can overcome every storm of life if we will only have faith in Him. But most of us usually forget too quickly His previous miraculous happenings and focus on the current situation. 2. What is the second most important lesson that they were to learn? Jesus has authority and power not only to feed and heal humans, He has authority over the elements of the earth/ universe like storm that must bow unto Him at his command. We should therefore have faith in Him in all situations of life. 3. What does it take to banish the fear that we sometimes feel? We need to know the Word and the promises of God therein; run to God to remind Him of His promises and ask Him to deliver us from the things that cause the fear. If fear still torments us, ask Him for help to boost our faith. 4. How much of the sub stance of our faith is self-talk and convincing ourselves that something is true? How do we gain the kind of solid faith that doesn't consist in self-convincing? Some of us, especially me, when the chips are down against us, we completely forget God and His promises of being with us as we focus on the storm as in the case of Peter who stopped fixing his eyes on Jesus and rather, focused on the raging storm and thus started to sink; or like Prophet Elijah who had just defeated the prophets of Baal i n a contest by calling fire from heaven to consume his own sacrifice, had to flee from Jezebel who threatened to kill him for killing her prophets of Baal; or like the Israelite army who were melting in fear at the sight and threat of Goliath the giant even after they had experienced God's deliverance in many battles; or like the Israelites between the Red Sea and the pursuing Egyptian army behind them despite the fact that they had witnessed God Mighty hand in Egypt when God brought them out triumphantly with signs and wonders. They now melted in fear and wished they had been allowed to live and die in Egypt instead of dying in the wilderness!! So we all really need the extravagant grace of God to remain faithful when a new threat comes up against us. So help Lord God Almighty, amen

1. What or whom does the lighted lamp represent in 8:16? A disciple? Jesus? The Message? Tell why you identify it in the way you do. The lighted lamp represents the Word of God or the message. It also represent Jesus. In John 1:1 Jesus is described as the Word that was with God at beginning. 2. Why must the lamp be placed on a lamp stand rather than hidden? What does this mean in the twenty-first century? To be visible and audible. The Word of God needs to be proclaimed loud and clear for people to hear and obey and not be hidden. 3. In view of 8:18, is there any hope for people who think they are Christians, but don't really "get it"? There is hope only if the will make effort to really listen and hear the Word clearly and obey It. 4. Why would Jesus speak so disrespectfully of his family as he seems to in 8:21? He did not mean disrespect to His household. He wanted to draw the attention of the disciples and other on the significance of hearing and doing/ obeying the word. 5. If you must state a single theme of Luke 8:1-21, what would it be? Effective Hearing the Word of God and obeying It.

1. Why do you think Jesus called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear?" What was he getting at? Jesus knew very well that His audience all had ears but not everyone actually listened to Him with the aim to really hear, understand and obey. But there are some who really have the interest to hear, know and obey. Thus he challenged the willing group to hear and obey. 2. How could people listen to Jesus, but not really understand what he was saying? When they are not really keen in applying the knowledge from listening, hearing and understanding. 3. In what way does Jesus' teaching harden people's hearts? To my mind, this is true regarding those who have already set their hearts against Him and His teaching and thus are more set to reject whatever He says. 4. Is there any way that we can assist those with hardened hearts? If so, what can we do? By praying to God to break the stony hearts and bring such people to repentance and acceptance of the Lord as Saviour.

1. According to Luke 8:1, what was the content of Jesus' message? Proclaimed / preached the good news about the Kingdom of God 2. Why didn't he skip the smallest villages? Everyone, everywhere needed to hear the Good news and be saved 3. What do you think Jesus' critics said about the women who traveled with Jesus' band continually? Given their experience with the carnal world around them where immorality prevailed, they probably concluded that Jesus was having immoral relationship with the women. Why do you think Jesus allowed it? Do you think he encouraged it? Why? If you mean why he allowed the women to follow him everywhere, then my take is that- he did not see any thing wrong with that. After all, he was not immoral and thus did not care what people wrongly thought about his relationship with the women. Furthermore, the women were supportive to him and his ministry. 4. Why did the women respond as they did to healing? To show their appreciation to the great restoration of health to them. 5. What was the women's chief motivation for contributing financially to support Jesus' mission? 6. How can we be responsible to save for retirement and still give generously to Jesus' work? We can do so when we realise that when we give, more will be given to us and we will thus not lack anything at retirement. More so, we should realise that what we have belongs to God and we are just stewards.

1. How would you describe the expression on Simon the Pharisee's face when he saw the woman touching Jesus' feet? That of disgust and disappointment in his expectation from Jesus' holiness 2. What was the sinful woman's motive for coming to see Jesus? To come and be changed and transformed from an ugly chronic sinner to a cleaned, transformed and forgiven follower of Jesus 3. Why did Jesus let her continue, since by all appearances what she was doing was scandalous? To me, what she was doing was not scandalous to Jesus but to judgment of the pharisees and others . This was why he allowed her to continue to love, worship and surrender to Him. 4. Is your love for the Lord more like the sinful woman's or Simon's? Why? I sincerely wish that my love for Jesus is as great as that of the sinful woman (or even greater)so that I can go to any length to worship and surrender all toJesus as she did

1. In what ways is your position in the Kingdom greater than John the Baptist's? (A hard question, but at the root of today's lesson.) I am a privileged son of the Most High God by grace through the finished work of salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. 2. Why were people so critical of John and Jesus -- and for opposite reasons? What are we learn from this? Both Jesus declared truth that is contrary to what the people wanted to hear. 3. Do you know anyone who has "rejected God's purpose for himself"? Yes. I think all my friends, neighbours and colleagues who are followers of other religions that do not accept the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Saviour fit this category What can you do to influence him or her for Christ before it's too late. Preach salvation to them. So help me Lord God What is doing too little? What is doing too much? Where is the right balance, do you think?

1. Why do you think John the Baptist had doubts about who Jesus was? I think he probably expected Jesus to come not just preaching the good news and performing miracles but to establish a kingdom where justice is enforced. May be John even expected Jesus to come and set him free from prison. 2. Why didn't Jesus answer John's question directly? I sincerely still wonder too. But Jesus usually answers His disciples and others in parables anyway. Why did he let his deeds speak instead? The deeds will clearly make John to recall what God had earlier revealled to him in his prophesies. 3. How was John intended to take Jesus' mild exhortation: "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me"? To keep believing and not to doubt 4. How has God lifted your confusion and brokenness in a time of difficulty? By the Holy Spirit leading me back to relevant scripture that encourages me to keep trusting God despite what I see, think and feel How can you encourage those who are now under such a burden?

1. Did Jesus heal all the sick people he saw? I think not all the people Jesus met were heal. We recall He did didn't perform many miracles in His home town because of their disbelief in Him. Yet there are some scriptures that said He healed all the sick that came to Him. Did Jesus raise all the dead people he encountered? No, for similar reasons above. 2. How do you explain him raising the widow's son at Nain while passing many graveyards his route? He was particularly sympathetic to the widow because apart from the fact she was a widow, the dead son was her only child. This death made her very vulnerable to economic and social hardship and thus His sympathy and reason to restore her back to life. 3. Does acting out of compassion mean responding to a whim? Why or why not? In this case, NO. Jesus saw a genuine case and responded to it. 4. Compassion is a dangerous virtue to cultivate.. Why is that? What is the cost of compassion? What is the reward of compassion? I dont quite see see how compassion is is a dangerous virtue 5. Can you be a true disciple and be dispassionate toward people in need? NO. Why or why not? Compassion is an attribute of God and every disciple is supposed to show compassion a world that is in need of iit. 6. How can a sense of compassion help you to pray effectively?

1. In your own words, state the insight that the centurion had of Jesus' power. He saw Jesus as having authority and power to just speak the word and the desired result is achieved irrespective of distance. How did this insight differ from that of Jesus' disciples at the time? This insight showed great faith by the Centurion compared to that exhibited by the disciples who were usually doubting and fearful. 2. What portion of Jesus' mission do you believe he has delegated to you? To do all He did such as fish for men, to heal the sick and do all others as He said in the great Commission and also in Mark 16.17. But the truth is that I am not exploiting these great authority and power, So help me Lord God Almighty to exercise your power to execute your delegated mission. 3. How is the power Jesus can delegate to you limited by the size of your faith. I think the size of power Jesus can delegate to me is not limited to my faith. The size of my faith however determines how much I can accomplish as my small faith may result in under utilisation of His great power given to me even if I have faith as small as a mustard seed.

1. Con men continue to trick people and take advantage of them. How can you tell them, according to Jesus' teaching? By their words and action because out of the abundance from their hearts will lead them to say or do things that show their real evil identity or motives 2. How does what you say when you're angry indicate what is in your heart? Anyone that pours out venom has stored up venom in his heart just as a person with seasoned words has stored up seasoned Word of God in him. 3. What areas of your life where you AREN'T following closely has the Holy Spirit been convicting you about? Looking back, God has graciously been transforming me significantly. But I am not fully there. I still wrestle with hard rebuke or treatment of others and pray that the Good Lord God Almighty will deliver and polish me thoroughly. 4. How can you tell if you are a true follower of Jesus? [] By the degree of total obedience and compliance to His Word. I am not 100% compliant. So help me Lord to totally comply. Is being "born again" a good indicator? Being 'born' again should be a good indicator of a transformed life. But there are so many out there who do not really follow the Lord as seen by their bad actions What does "born again" mean if it doesn't affect a person's lifestyle? Nothing!!!

1. Jesus says, "Don't judge." But we have to make judgments every day in order to survive. What kind of judging does Jesus forbid in this passage? Judgmental Gossip 2. What do giving and forgiving have in common? They both attract corresponding reward too (I mean as you do each of them, you also receive and even more of each) 3. How does Jesus' teaching encourage his disciples to be generous? By encouraging them that they will reap bountifully for their generosity. 4. What is Jesus' point about the parable of the speck and the plank? We need to examine ourselves first and ensure that we are right in God's eye before attempting to correct someone else.

1. Why is the real test of agape love being able to love your enemies? To love our enemy is humanly difficult except by the grace of of God with the help of the Holy Spirit. If we fail this test, do we really have agape love? I believe the answer is NO. 2. Do you see "turning the other cheek" and giving your enemy your tunic as literal, figurative, hyperbole, or what? It is a hyperbole, an exaggeration to make an emphasis What is the point Jesus is making here? To demostrate the agape love that tolerates, is generous, and forgives wrong 3. Why is loving your enemy so much like divine love? It so because Jesus as the greatest example of divine love, pleaded to His Father while on the painful and humiliating cross for the forgiveness of those (his enemies)who tortured and hanged him on the cross to die. What is the implication of this for our salvation? For our lifestyle? We as Jesus disciples should love likewise 4. What is the difference in effect of stating the Golden Rule as a negative ("Don't do to others, as ..."), as did Rabbi Hillel, rather than a positive ("Do to others, as ..."), as did Jesus?

1. What does Jesus mean by his use of the words "poor" and "rich" in this passage? Jesus is referring to the spiritual state of the people he was addressing to. Those that felt they were rich and did seek God will miss the Kingdom of God. While the physical poor who devote time to search God will surely inherit God's kingdom Does he intend these words to be taken literally or figuratively? No. 2. Choose one of these four alternatives and then support your choice: (1) Christianity can be accurately characterized by delayed gratification. (2) Christianity can be accurately characterized as seeking a present blessing and experience. (3) Christianity can be characterized by both a present blessing and experience, and by delayed gratification. I think this option can describe Christianity. Christians can be blessed with material possession here on earth and spiritually expect total deliverance from sickness and complete wholesomeness only when in in heaven but not here on earth. (4) Christianity can be accurately characterized by none of the above. Why did you make the choice you did? 3. What is wrong with being rich? Nothing except when we allow our riches to lure us away from being true Christians who are totally surrendered to God With desiring to be rich? Nothing for the same reason just given. Why is this such a stumbling block for Christians? Riches tend to become an idol or the god that takes all the attention away from the Giver of the riches. This is the main challenge I believe. How are you getting this in balance in your life? I try with the help of the the Lord God and through the Holy Spirit to use whatever God has given me to serve Him through realising that everything that I have cames from Him and being thankful to Him, serving Him with the blessing by tithing and giving for His work and giving to the needy. etc. 4. Why do we seek to please people? To be acceptable. Why is pleasing people such a trap for Christians? It leads the Christian astray by turning the Christian to men pleasers instead of God's pleasers. Is there anything good about trying to please people? Yes as long as doing so will not violate God's will for for us. Why is it necessary to get this in balance in our lives? To ensure that we remain in / with the Lord.

1. What kinds of situations face us today where all night prayer is appropriate? (6:12) There are many prayer needs do to so much challenges such civil unrest, disease outbreak like Covid-19 pandemic, natural disaster and more importantly, spiritual decadence is so much that require prayers. But there so much distraction and noise all around us in the daytime. Thus the need for all night prayers. 2. If there are full-fledged apostles today (and let's assume this for the sake of this question), who would be some of your nominees? People like Pastor Dr. Ralph and pastors who have gone through discipleship at seminaries and under the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in their private quiet time with Him. Why would you nominate them? Please see the b-part of my answer. 3. Why do you think most of the apostles were martyred? For the same reasons they killed their Lord and Teacher. Can you think of any Christians in the twentieth century who were martyred? Many pastors and Christians in northern Nigeria, and in the middle east [eg. by ISIS], Asian countries etc. (Incidentally, they say that there were more Christian martyrs in the twentieth century than in all the other centuries combined.) When is martyrdom glorious? When the task of the martyred has been accomplished as it was with Jesus Who declared, "it is finished" as he hanged on the cross because He accomplished His mission for salvation of the world. When is it inglorious? I think when it is done before the individual completes his mission as Paul fought and finished the good fight. 4. Why do we tend to assume that miracles won't happen today? For me, I know miracles still happen as I have heard credible testimonies of healing and other happenings that were surely God's intervention in peoples lives. 5. What would happen in your own local church if people began to get physically healed on a regular basis? Revival and harvest of new souls for the Lord. Who would it upset? Satan and his human agents What would result? Persecution of the church. How could we get our faith ready for such a happy event? By prayers like that by the Lord Jesus and prominent men of God who spent great time on their knees praying for revival/ new souls harvest for the Lord, and these came to past.

1. List some of the traditions that are taken for granted in your church, but are not directly mentioned in the Bible. Which seem to aid Christian mission? Which seem to impede the work of Christ? I am trying to recall such but cannot for now. 2. Teaching that God's rules can sometimes be set aside for the sake of human need, can be dangerous. How can we observe this truth without abusing it? By making sure that whatever we are trying to teach does lead to enhancing love for God that flows to mankind and bring more people to the kingdom of God and not to lead rebellion to GOD 3. Are there any people who you are "looking for a reason to accuse"? (6:7) Why is this attitude dangerous? How can it blind you? Yes, I get annoyed when my son refuses to attend my own church or refuse to join our family alter or insist in doing things his own way even when they do not make sense to me. This is dangerous because it seems to be a mere legalism by wanting him to attend church with the rest of the family. This study has helped me to re examine and avoid legalistic tendencies that add no spiritual value

1. Does Jesus speak against fasting in this passage? What does he teach about fasting, if anything, in this passage? Jesus does not teach against fasting. He teaches that there is time for everything and thus there is time for fasting and time for feasting. 2. What are the structures in our lives and society that are incompatible with the Life of the Spirit in our lives? Our social old customs and beliefs that are not compatible with the new Christ-like faith principle. These should be discarded. 3. Please share a struggle you had with trying to contain the Life of Christ in an "old wineskin"? Some of your brothers and sisters may understand the concept better if you'll share personally in your discussion group. Some cultural celebrations in the part of where I come from are more towards idol worship which are not compatible with Christian faith. So I do not partake in them. Others find my position as unsocial.

1. Who in our society would correspond to the rich outcasts like tax collectors were in Jesus' day? In my country Nigeria, the police man who is generally regarded as corrupt bribe inclined 2. Why do we Christians feel so uncomfortable around blatant sinners? It is due to the holier than thou attitude Why did Jesus succeed in making himself so at home in their presence? He came for people like the so called outcast and did not mind what anyone especially the Pharisees thought. 3. Have you ever had a time when you felt like an outcast? Yes, whenever I recalled my youthful unspeakable ugly sinful sexual ways of immorality before I was baptized . What did it feel like to you, when Jesus' voice broke through all the static and let you know that he had chosen you and really wanted you? I use to feel terribly bad and even now I sometimes still recall the past and feel guilty despite knowing that Jesus has forgiven me and remembers my past no more. I believe it the devil who still wants to pull me back to my ugly past.Please share your experience with the others in your group. 4. In light of the lessons of this passage, what kinds of people around us should we be reaching out to? Muslims and Fulani herds men some of who persecute and kill the Christians in my country. Jesus loves them and wants them to be saved. I personally have some friends among them that I love so much and pray for them to have an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Why do you think Jesus spoke the extremely controversial words, "Your sins are forgiven?" To demonstrate to all that He has the power to forgive sins He could have been less offensive to the visiting guests. Why did he choose not to be? If by visiting guests you mean the four friends and their patient, the I think Jesus wanted use the opportunity to demonstrate his power and authority to forgive and heal. However, if you mean the Pharisees and others which is more likely, then the reason was similar, to take opportunity of the situation to prove to them that He was not just the son of man, but really a Son of God with authority and power to forgive sin and to heal. 2. What is the connection between sin and sickness in this passage? Some sicknesses can be due to sin as the leprosy of Miriam due to her grumbling against her brother Moses. 3. Which of the two phrases IS easier to say? "Your sins are forgiven!" OR "Get up, take your mat, and go home!"? I think it is easier to say "take up your mat and go" What point did Jesus want us to draw from this incident? As Son of God Who is God too, He has the power to forgive sin 4. Why did Jesus use the term "Son of Man" rather than "Son of God" or "Messiah"? Jesus at this point whose time has not yet come, has always wanted to play it safe by not provoking stiffer confrontation with his Jewish Pharisees who think he is 100% a mere human Whom do you feel most like at present? The paralyzed man or one of the four friends? Why? I am not sure I understand this question. If the question means who am I like, then I think I am like the paralysed man that needs Jesus' forgiveness and healing both physically and spiritually

1. Who in our society are treated like lepers were treated in Jesus' day? The poor and people with contagious diseases and HIV Aids (especially when the disease started earlier) Who sometimes feels like a leper in the presence of Jesus? Anyone caught in sin especially sexual sin 2. Describe the kind of faith it takes to act and speak as this leper did. Great faith- a lot greater than the mustard seed. What level of belief was required of him? Huge faith. 3. What is the difference between believing God can do something for us and believing that he wants to do something for us? The difference between the two namely, Jesus can and wants concerns our faith as regards His ability and willingness. I personally know and have the faith that He has the ability and the willingness to meet every need of ours. Would you call the difference faith? or knowledge? or both? 4. "I will. Be clean!" is pretty strong. Can you think of any place where Jesus indicates that he isn't willing to heal those who are sick? I can't for now. 5. A few weeks ago we studied Luke 4:42 about Jesus going to a solitary place. Since then have you made progress toward establishing a Quiet Time of your own? Yes. In fact, before now I have learnt to create time at 5.am to go to the study when other members of the family are still in bed, to have my quiet time. But I desire to improve on the quality of the quiet time to include more of praise and worship and to learn to be still to hear God speak to me. If not, what steps are you making to establish this Jesus-trait in your life?

1. What things does Jesus asks Peter to do and in what order? He asked Peter to put out his boat a little where He sat and preached to the crowd. Thereafter He asked him to move further into the deep and launch his net for a big catch of fish. Why the progression, do you think? I think Jesus wanted Peter to get familiar with Him before He gave the bigger task of deep sea fishing at noon which seem humanly not wise. 2. Why do you think Jesus asked Peter to attempt the seemingly impossible task of catching fish during the day, after he's tried all night and failed? To show Peter that the man he sees is not an ordinary being and was preparing his mind for a bigger task ahead of the task. 3. How does Jesus respond to Peter's plea for him to leave, due to Peter's sinfulness? Jesus calmed Peter down by asking him to relax and not to be afraid. Why doesn't Jesus address Peter's sinfulness at this point? I think He wanted to catch Peter first. What does Jesus talk about instead? Catching men instead of fish. 4. Does Jesus require all his disciples to leave everything? No. If not, why not? Not all of us must leave our jobs to catch men. If so, in what sense? I think what Pastor Ralph wants to tell us is that some of us have tasks that we can still work even as we catch men there. 5. What does it mean to you personally to "follow" Jesus? It is to obey, worship, fellowship with Him and serve Him, and catch men and disciple them too. Share a bit of your personal journeying with your brothers and sisters and they'll share a bit of theirs with you. Mutual encouragement and reinforcement. Following Jesus for me has involved walking with him and working for Him. Walking with Him fellowshipping with Him om individual basis and as a group of family/ other fellowship and church service. It also means reading/ studying His word and communing with Him through prayers as an individual or as a group. it also means obeying what He says in His word. Working for Him means serving Him by serving others because He said whatever we do for/to "these ones" we do it to Him. i try to do this by giving token gifts to the needy whenever I can. I teach in Sunday School, share the Word through social media (WhatsApp)