Seventh Sunday of Easter
Opening Prayer
Open our hearts Lord
so they may be filled with love for our neighbor
Open our lips Lord
so they may speak the Good News to others
Open our arms Lord
so they may reach out to those who need YOU!
Give us open hearts, lips and arms
to be at witness of YOUR WORD!
Amen!
Journal/Reflection Questions
Acts 7:55-60
- How is what happened to Stephen in this scripture like what Jesus experienced?
- When have you seen this type of behavior happen in the world today? What was the situation?
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20
- Identify the moment(s) when you have felt the most “full” of Christ? What did/does it feel like?
- Describe how God is the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega, the first and the last.
John 17:20-26
- How do you live in God and God live in you? Be specific.
- What does Jesus promise? How is it fulfilled?
General Questions for Journaling
- How open are you to speaking about your faith? Whom do you speak freely with and with whom do you withhold?
- What would be the reaction of coworkers, family or friends if you stood up to witness your belief in Jesus?
- Do those you spend the most time with know the depth of your faith? Do you know theirs? Why or why not?
- Have you ever sacrificed something in your life for your faith? What was it? Did you ever regain it or did you leave it behind for good?
- Identify how your faith fills you or satisfies you? How can you share this feeling with others who don’t understand faith?
- Where did you first learn about the faith? When did you understand God’s love? Who shared it with you? How do you continue to pass these lessons onto others to enjoy?
- Our bodies are made up of 70% water, how much of it is the “living water” Jesus speaks of?
- If you drew a picture of yourself and colored in the amount of you Jesus lives in, how much of you would be colored? Would it be all the same color or shades of colors? What resides in the space(s) Jesus doesn’t?
- How do you pray for others? Are they prayers for deeper faith? Who is in need of these type of prayers? Write a prayer for them.
Closing Prayer
Leader: Lift our eyes to heaven
ALL: to see the beauty of each new day
Leader: Lift our eyes to heaven
ALL: to find calm even in the storm
Leader: Lift our eyes to heaven
ALL: to seek you in those we encounter
Leader: Lift our eyes to heaven
ALL: to receive the gifts we need
Leader: Lift our eyes to heaven
ALL: to be a witness of all you came to give!
Challenge for the Week: Pay attention this week to the conversations going on in the world and make a list of the people witnessing to the truth they believe. Use this list to really look at what is being said and how you are influenced by it. How much of what you hear around you is positive? Negative? Actual facts or fabricated and twisted to fit a specific argument? Make a conscious effort to look to heaven as you hear these witnesses to help determine or confirm the words are true. When we look to heaven, we gain a clearer sense of who we are and what our purpose is in the world. Look up!