Reflection Guide
take the time to journal about the story you just heard. process it. let it sink in.
1. How do you understand what happened in Taylor's life?
2. How is God consistent in Taylor's story?
3. Have you experienced a time in your life where you felt God was near?
2. How is God consistent in Taylor's story?
3. Have you experienced a time in your life where you felt God was near?
Bible Study
Read 1 John 4: 8
In her testimony, Taylor talks about trying to figure out love. From her confirmation verse, we learn that God is the source of love. But where do we learn about how God’s love looks?
We see this in many passages throughout the Bible, but Taylor’s story, to me, reflects in some ways the Healing at the Pool.
Read John 5: 1-15.
The Healing at the Pool is a curious story. I mean, it starts with an apparent place of healing, where from time to time the first into the water would be healed. Now whether or not this is true is debatable. Some biblical manuscripts include this detail and others do not. Either way, real or not, the man who was invalid for 38 years was looking to be healed.
Where is the invalid looking for healing? Is this a sound source of healing?
The invalid man is looking for healing in a place where only few are healed. He is not looking for healing from doctors or others in his life. In these ways, he is not using a method of great success.
How does this reflect Taylor’s story? Where are some places she looked for healing? Where are some places you look for healing?
In verse 6, Jesus asks the invalid if he wants to be well. The word in the greek is hygies which translates to well, but this word for well is deeper. This well has the rich meaning of wholeness in health. Jesus is truly asking if the man wants to be fully restored. The man responds that he hasn’t been able to because someone always gets healed before he can. Jesus then heals him. The invalid was only looking for a specific way of healing, I imagine that he was caught up in the excitement of how his body was just made like new. He didn’t notice that Jesus had already left. He was excited to move!
This wholeness is not unlike the deep wholeness we receive with life in Christ. While our bodies may not be physically healed and consequences of actions still matter, Jesus steps into our mess and offers us His hand. Taylor describes wanting to feel something other than hurt and Jesus met her in the places He walked. Through seeing the Bible come to life, she was able to see the bigger story occurring.
Moving forward in the passage, Jesus returns to the man and tells him to stop sinning.
How does this warning about sin (post-healing) show us Christ’s love? What does this tell us about God’s love for his people?
Christ’s actions towards this man show us that He reaches us even when we are looking in all the wrong places for what He gives. In other bible stories, we see Jesus heal people who express faith in Him. This is not a story like that. This is where we see Jesus reacting to a need in someone. It's important to recognize that this man was looking for healing, he was open to the possibility that it was out of his control to make himself whole.
Where are some areas of your life where you are looking for healing?
In her testimony, Taylor talks about trying to figure out love. From her confirmation verse, we learn that God is the source of love. But where do we learn about how God’s love looks?
We see this in many passages throughout the Bible, but Taylor’s story, to me, reflects in some ways the Healing at the Pool.
Read John 5: 1-15.
The Healing at the Pool is a curious story. I mean, it starts with an apparent place of healing, where from time to time the first into the water would be healed. Now whether or not this is true is debatable. Some biblical manuscripts include this detail and others do not. Either way, real or not, the man who was invalid for 38 years was looking to be healed.
Where is the invalid looking for healing? Is this a sound source of healing?
The invalid man is looking for healing in a place where only few are healed. He is not looking for healing from doctors or others in his life. In these ways, he is not using a method of great success.
How does this reflect Taylor’s story? Where are some places she looked for healing? Where are some places you look for healing?
In verse 6, Jesus asks the invalid if he wants to be well. The word in the greek is hygies which translates to well, but this word for well is deeper. This well has the rich meaning of wholeness in health. Jesus is truly asking if the man wants to be fully restored. The man responds that he hasn’t been able to because someone always gets healed before he can. Jesus then heals him. The invalid was only looking for a specific way of healing, I imagine that he was caught up in the excitement of how his body was just made like new. He didn’t notice that Jesus had already left. He was excited to move!
This wholeness is not unlike the deep wholeness we receive with life in Christ. While our bodies may not be physically healed and consequences of actions still matter, Jesus steps into our mess and offers us His hand. Taylor describes wanting to feel something other than hurt and Jesus met her in the places He walked. Through seeing the Bible come to life, she was able to see the bigger story occurring.
Moving forward in the passage, Jesus returns to the man and tells him to stop sinning.
How does this warning about sin (post-healing) show us Christ’s love? What does this tell us about God’s love for his people?
Christ’s actions towards this man show us that He reaches us even when we are looking in all the wrong places for what He gives. In other bible stories, we see Jesus heal people who express faith in Him. This is not a story like that. This is where we see Jesus reacting to a need in someone. It's important to recognize that this man was looking for healing, he was open to the possibility that it was out of his control to make himself whole.
Where are some areas of your life where you are looking for healing?
"Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." Luke 8:39