Our human nature always wants to ask how much do I have to do, how many do I have to help, how far can I go and still be okay, how far do I have to go to make sure that I’m okay, etc.

Read a terrific example of this type of thinking in in Luke 10.

Is the lawyer sincere in his question (v.25)? (Even though he is testing Jesus, I think he probably is sincere in his question.)

In this story, Jesus gives an example that says your most hated enemy is considered your neighbor. What does that mean for us and the way that we should live our lives?

As we continue to look at the compassion of Jesus, read Luke 7.

Why does Jesus have compassion on the woman in verses 11-17? Is it because she’s a widow? Is it because her son has died? Is it because her only son has died? Is it because she’s crying? Why does Jesus have compassion on this woman?

Who was impacted by the compassion of Jesus in this story? The mother? The boy? The disciples? The crowds?  Is compassion always like that? Does it always have a much larger impact?

Friday

Today’s reading will be Luke 15.

Who are the three main characters in the third story? Who do they represent?

If God is the Father in this story, who are you?

Why does the father have compassion for his son? Is there any condemnation on the father’s part? How does it make you feel knowing that we have a heavenly Father that forgives and forgets?

Okay, one personal question for you: How good are you at forgiving and then letting it go?!

Thursday

Let’s read Mark’s account of yesterday’s story in Mark 8.

How does Mark’s account differ from Matthew’s? (You may need to refresh your memory by reading Matthew 15:32-39)

How would you describe the disciples? Are they lacking in compassion, or do they just lack a means to do anything about it? Have you ever had compassion but felt powerless to make a difference? What did you do?

Begin to prepare for tomorrow’s message by reading Matthew 15:29-39.

What kind of things are you compassionate about? What kinds of things are not compassionate about? Why the difference?

What was Jesus compassionate about in this story? Does it really seem like a major thing? (After all, it’s wasn’t like the people were literally starving to death – they were just hungry.)

Read Acts 3.

Let me ask you a tricky question – whose faith resulted in the lame man being able to walk?

Read Matthew 9:1-8. Who’s faith does Jesus respond to here? What can these two stories tell us about the role our faith plays when we pray for others?

In case yesterday’s reading about Saul got you to wondering about the rest of that story with the medium, read 1 Samuel 28.

Why did God not answer Saul in verse 6? Was it because he had not been faithful to God? Not even counting all of Saul’s treacherous dealings with David, what does verse 5 say about Saul’s faith in God?

Why did Saul tell Samuel he had called him? How did Samuel respond to him?

After talking with Samuel, do you think Saul had faith in his message?

How much do you know about king Saul? We’ve spoken some about how he was chosen and his kingdom began, but we haven’t said much about the way his life ended. Read 1 Chronicles 10.

How did Saul die? Does this seem like a fitting end for God’s first appointed king? What do verses 13 and 14 say was the cause leading to Saul’s death?

Read verses 13 and 14 again, then let me ask you a question: Have you ever sought guidance from a different source than God? What all kinds of things might apply here?  (Future-tellers? Palm readers? Horoscopes?)

Keeping faith in mind, read Numbers 12 for today.

How does God describe Moses’ faith in verse 7? Even though Moses is the “special” one, how does he intervene for Miriam? Would you say that with great faith comes great responsibility?

What does the word “faith” mean to you? Is it just hope, or wishing, or is it something more? What role does faith play in your everyday life?

Read Hebrews 11.

How does Hebrews define faith? How much do you know about the people listed in this chapter? Take a little time to look up their stories this week.