Reflection Guide
take the time to journal about the story you just heard. process it. let it sink in.
1. Do you feel uncomfortable about church services? Why?
2. Where/what do you turn to when you are feeling empty?
3. How do you deal with disagreements with family members?
2. Where/what do you turn to when you are feeling empty?
3. How do you deal with disagreements with family members?
Bible Study
It’s weird to write this bible study connecting it to my own story. It’s hard to write something so personal without coming off as seeing yourself as special. So, I want to make sure that I am open about that while writing this.
When choosing what to focus on for this study, I thought about the idea of telling testimonies. The idea for this project came years ago, but I decided to do it after a friend told me that she had been encouraged by the fact that my faith wasn’t automatic. That I wrestled with my own intentions and did not have familial encouragement. There are many times in scripture that Jesus enables people to tell their story without shame.
Read Luke 8: 26-30
Jesus comes across a man who has been possessed by many demons. These evil beings make him be naked and live away from any source of community. Something to look at in this passage is what the man refers to himself as. When Jesus asks for his name, he responds with the name of the demons. This is significant. The man’s entire identity has become the many demons that are attacking him. He is powerless against them.
List all that the demons do to this man. Which of these is the worst to you?
Jesus already knew that the man was afflicted by demons. So, then why did he ask the man his name? Jesus asked so for us. He asked this so WE would know the extent of the problem. There wasn’t just one demon in this man, there were many. Their power against this man must have been huge.
(Not-so) fun fact, a Roman legion consisted of six thousand man. Now, the man probably didn’t have 6,000 demons in him… but the use of this word tells us that there were a ridiculous, overwhelming amount of them.
Do your problems/issues sometimes feel like they own you? How do they?
Read Luke 8: 31-37
Jesus removes the demons and sends them into the pigs who then are thrown off a cliff. This seems very strange, especially considering that because the pigs die a lot of farmers’ livelihood was taken from them. Why would Jesus do this? Especially because He know they would ask Him to leave. In other stories where Jesus heals people, those nearby flock to Him.
Why, specifically, do the people react in fear and ask Jesus to leave?
Some commentaries focus on the fact that the people cared more that their physical possessions than the fact that the demon-possessed man was saved from the demons. That their focus was on themselves and there things instead of on the incredible transformation of the man. It’s easy from our perspective to point fingers and say that they did something wrong, that their focus was wack.
Do you think these people are in the wrong for asking Jesus to leave? Why?
Read Luke 8: 38-39
This passage (to me) is all about the power of a testimony. This man begs to stay with Jesus. He did not just want what Jesus could do for him, he wanted to be near Jesus Himself. But Jesus sends him away. Jesus was asked to leave by the people, but this man wasn’t asked to leave.
Why does the man’s testimony matter in this situation?
Jesus commands the man to share his story. But starting where? In the greek the words are “oikon sou” which translates to “house of you.” Jesus commands him to share first in his household.
Not to be too on the nose, but being in a household that is not Christian has made me acutely aware of how hard it can be to share your story with your home. Especially when your home is so deeply involved in your story of faith. But that’s the command.
Why is it hard to discuss our stories with the people in our own homes?
Jesus tells him to share with those in the community. And the man does. He goes all over town to declare what Jesus did in his life. How Jesus gave him salvation. Jesus leaves but this man stays and tells everyone about Him. He leaves, but Jesus is still involved in the lives of those there.
How does a testimony allow this to happen?
When choosing what to focus on for this study, I thought about the idea of telling testimonies. The idea for this project came years ago, but I decided to do it after a friend told me that she had been encouraged by the fact that my faith wasn’t automatic. That I wrestled with my own intentions and did not have familial encouragement. There are many times in scripture that Jesus enables people to tell their story without shame.
Read Luke 8: 26-30
Jesus comes across a man who has been possessed by many demons. These evil beings make him be naked and live away from any source of community. Something to look at in this passage is what the man refers to himself as. When Jesus asks for his name, he responds with the name of the demons. This is significant. The man’s entire identity has become the many demons that are attacking him. He is powerless against them.
List all that the demons do to this man. Which of these is the worst to you?
Jesus already knew that the man was afflicted by demons. So, then why did he ask the man his name? Jesus asked so for us. He asked this so WE would know the extent of the problem. There wasn’t just one demon in this man, there were many. Their power against this man must have been huge.
(Not-so) fun fact, a Roman legion consisted of six thousand man. Now, the man probably didn’t have 6,000 demons in him… but the use of this word tells us that there were a ridiculous, overwhelming amount of them.
Do your problems/issues sometimes feel like they own you? How do they?
Read Luke 8: 31-37
Jesus removes the demons and sends them into the pigs who then are thrown off a cliff. This seems very strange, especially considering that because the pigs die a lot of farmers’ livelihood was taken from them. Why would Jesus do this? Especially because He know they would ask Him to leave. In other stories where Jesus heals people, those nearby flock to Him.
Why, specifically, do the people react in fear and ask Jesus to leave?
Some commentaries focus on the fact that the people cared more that their physical possessions than the fact that the demon-possessed man was saved from the demons. That their focus was on themselves and there things instead of on the incredible transformation of the man. It’s easy from our perspective to point fingers and say that they did something wrong, that their focus was wack.
Do you think these people are in the wrong for asking Jesus to leave? Why?
Read Luke 8: 38-39
This passage (to me) is all about the power of a testimony. This man begs to stay with Jesus. He did not just want what Jesus could do for him, he wanted to be near Jesus Himself. But Jesus sends him away. Jesus was asked to leave by the people, but this man wasn’t asked to leave.
Why does the man’s testimony matter in this situation?
Jesus commands the man to share his story. But starting where? In the greek the words are “oikon sou” which translates to “house of you.” Jesus commands him to share first in his household.
Not to be too on the nose, but being in a household that is not Christian has made me acutely aware of how hard it can be to share your story with your home. Especially when your home is so deeply involved in your story of faith. But that’s the command.
Why is it hard to discuss our stories with the people in our own homes?
Jesus tells him to share with those in the community. And the man does. He goes all over town to declare what Jesus did in his life. How Jesus gave him salvation. Jesus leaves but this man stays and tells everyone about Him. He leaves, but Jesus is still involved in the lives of those there.
How does a testimony allow this to happen?
"Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." Luke 8:39