andrew dodson

Luke 7:11-17 Listen

11 Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

1. What is the will of God?

The will of God is to help us in our time of need. To extend His grace and show compassion. To bring us from death to life.

2. In light of God’s will, what is He like?

He is compassionate; able to help us in our time of need. Even when we don’t ask Him to help, he offers His grace to us to bring us from death to life.

3. What are practical ways we can apply God’s will?

We can respond in faith to His grace. In this story, Jesus’ actions are uninvited. The crowd responds by glorifying God. We can glorify God daily for the blessings in our life, which are only a result of His grace toward us. The dead man responds to being brought back to life by talking. We can proclaim God’s grace in our life.

4. What are ways we blow God’s will?

Many days, we fail to recognize God’s grace in our lives. Waking up in the morning, having a job, friends, family – all the good things in our lives are a result of God’s grace. All too often, we take these things for granted and fail to glorify God for these things.

5. What thoughts are revealed by our actions?

By nature, we are self-centered. When we take God’s grace for granted, we’re proving our self-reliance to handle our own affairs. These people were content to mourn the death of this man until Jesus came to bring him back to life. Sometimes, we’re more content to be dejected than to look for God’s grace.

6. What beliefs about God are revealed by these actions?

When God extends His grace to us, it’s sometimes hard to understand. How could God want to help a self-centered sinner? His grace is so undeserved that we can only be thankful for His compassion in our time of need.

7. How are you doing in this area?

My self-centeredness gets in the way of proclaiming God’s grace in my life. I have a tendency to pat myself on the back for my “accomplishments” on a daily basis. I fail to recognize the Holy Spirit’s work in my life, working through me to accomplish these things. I need to remember God’s grace in more of my daily conversations and proclaim His grace to others.