Overcoming Temptations of Life
Richard Vu & Jessica Li / Watering Our Seeds / Week 5 / Monday, August 3, 2009
Reading
John 6:41-51
At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?"
"Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.'[a] Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
Questions
1. “Stop grumbling among yourselves” Sometimes society expect us to be more than who we really are. In return, we run away from what we really need and what we lack in life. To make ourselves feel better, we make up excuses for what we are lacking, yet we know it only satisfies our justification temporarily. When have you ever felt that you were lacking something the most? How did you try to fill in the gap? Were you able to find what you were looking for?
2. "Overcoming the flesh and trusting ourselves in God" God will never give you more than you can handle. Life has its up and downs and through thick and thin we are told to only focus at the end point, which is to be with God. Most of the time, it is easier said than done. We all know there is a great reward if we stick by God, yet we all lose sight of the reward and tend to stray on a different path. What do you feel that God is giving you to live life with? When has God "tested" you? Did you ever think He was giving you more than you can handle? How do you think through that situation that God has brought you closer to Him?
3. "Patience Through Christ" There are times when we question God because we can't see what He is planning for us or we don't understand when or how will He answer our questions. At times, we lose patience with God and we fall victim to temporary pleasures and distractions that can give us immediate satisfaction that we may not receive from God. Even though we stray, God still calls out to us. He never gives up on us. What are the common questions you have for God? What did you turn to when you couldn't find God around you? How has God guided you back to the path He has chosen for you? Has your family, friends, or Hat Cai helped you along the way?
4. "Believing is Seeing" We tend to look at the concrete outcomes, instead of what we believe through God. Yet we believe in Him because we want to see what God has given us and who He is as a person. Often we don't see God in life, but if we just follow His word bit by bit, then we will see Him through everything. For others, they see God because they believe in Him first; they have the strength and faith that we all desire to have. When have you felt that through your faith, you were able to see God? Have others helped you form your faith in God? How do you aspire to strengthen your faith in God?