The Mystery of Mortals and Miracles

Life as a teenager is full of moments that feel unfair, confusing, or just really hard — times when you pray and nothing seems to change, or when you're waiting for something that feels like it's never coming. The story of Lazarus shows that God isn't ignoring you when things don't go the way you hoped. He's working on something bigger than you can see right now — and he's with you in the hard parts, not just at the finish line.

1. Have you ever prayed for something and felt like God wasn't listening? How did that make you feel about God?
2. Jesus cried at the tomb even though he knew Lazarus was about to be raised. What does that tell you about how Jesus feels when you're going through hard things?
3. Is there an area of your life right now where you're finding it hard to trust that God has a plan? What makes it difficult?
4. If the same Spirit that raised Lazarus from the dead actually lives in you (Romans 8:11), how does that change the way you think about a problem you're currently facing?
5. What's one practical thing you could do this week to 'keep showing up' in your faith, even when it's hard?

Your twenties and thirties are full of big questions — about career, relationships, identity, and direction. It's also a season where faith can feel most stretched, because the gap between where you are and where you hoped to be can feel enormous. The story of Lazarus speaks directly into that gap. God's delays in your story are not signs that you've been forgotten — they're often the setup for something greater than your original plan. Learning to trust in the in-between is one of the most important faith skills you can build right now.

1. Are there any areas of your life — career, relationships, calling — where you're in a 'waiting' season right now? How are you handling it emotionally and spiritually?
2. The disciples didn't understand why Jesus delayed going to Lazarus. How do you respond when God's plan doesn't match your timeline or expectations?
3. Romans 8:28 says God works all things for good — but not all things feel good. How do you reconcile that promise with the reality of disappointment or loss?
4. Jesus wept even though he knew the outcome would be good. What does that tell you about how God relates to your pain, not just your outcomes?
5. What's one area where you might be 'writing your own ending' to a situation — and what would it look like to genuinely hand that over to God?
6. How does knowing the Holy Spirit lives in you (Romans 8:11) practically change how you approach a challenge you're facing this week?

Family life is full of situations that feel out of your control — a child going through a hard time, a relationship under pressure, financial stress, or health challenges. The story of Lazarus is a reminder that God is not absent from the chaos of family life — he's present in it, working in ways we can't always see. As parents and partners, one of the most powerful things we can model for our kids is what it looks like to trust God when it's hard, not just when it's easy.

1. Is there a situation in your family right now that you're finding it hard to trust God with? What makes it feel out of control?
2. How do you as a family talk about unanswered prayer or things that haven't gone the way you hoped? Is it something you discuss openly?
3. Mary and Martha both showed up to Jesus even in their grief and confusion. How can you as a family 'keep showing up' to God together during a difficult season?
4. What's one way you could practically model trust in God's timing for your kids this week — not just by what you say, but by how you live?
5. How does Romans 8:28 change the way you frame difficult experiences for your children?

Singleness can sometimes come with its own version of 'waiting at the tomb' — waiting for a relationship, a sense of belonging, clarity about the future, or a community that truly knows you. The story of Lazarus is a reminder that the gap between where you are and where you hope to be is not wasted space. God is with you in it, and the Spirit that raised Lazarus is the same Spirit at work in your life right now. You don't have to have everything figured out to be in the middle of something God is doing.

1. Are there areas of your life where you feel like you're still 'waiting at the tomb' — hoping for something that hasn't come yet? How are you holding that?
2. Jesus wept with Mary and Martha before he acted. Who in your life can you be honest with about your grief or frustration, rather than just presenting a composed face?
3. How does living with trust (Proverbs 3:5-6) look practically for you — not as a platitude, but as a day-to-day reality in your current season?
4. Is there a version of your future you've written for yourself that might be limiting your ability to see what God is actually doing?
5. How does knowing the Holy Spirit actively lives in you shape how you see yourself and your capacity to face challenges alone?

Men are often under pressure to have the answers, fix the problems, and hold things together. But the story of Lazarus challenges that instinct. Jesus — the most capable person in the room — wept. He didn't perform strength. He entered the grief honestly, and then he acted from a place of trust in the Father's plan. That's a picture of real strength — not the absence of emotion or uncertainty, but the willingness to trust God with what's beyond your control while still showing up with everything you've got.

1. Are you someone who finds it easy or hard to admit when you're struggling or uncertain? Where do you think that pattern comes from?
2. Jesus wept openly at the tomb. What would it look like for you to be more honest — with God, and with the people close to you — about what you're actually carrying right now?
3. As a leader in your home, workplace, or community, how do you model trust in God's timing when things aren't going to plan?
4. Is there a situation you're currently trying to control or fix on your own that you might need to surrender to God?
5. Romans 8:11 says the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. How does that truth change how you approach your responsibilities and challenges?
6. What's one area where you need to 'keep showing up' in faith right now, even when the results aren't yet visible?

Mary and Martha are two of the most relatable women in the Bible — they're grieving, they're confused, they're not afraid to tell Jesus exactly how they feel, and they keep showing up anyway. Their story is one of honest, persistent faith in the middle of real pain. This sermon is an invitation for women to bring their whole selves to God — the doubts, the grief, the questions — and to trust that he is not put off by any of it. You are seen, you are loved, and the Spirit of God is actively at work in your story.

1. Martha told Jesus exactly what she was feeling, even her disappointment and confusion. How honest are you with God about your real emotions? What holds you back?
2. Mary fell at Jesus' feet in tears, and he wept with her before doing anything. How does it change your prayer life to know that Jesus doesn't just want to fix your problems — he wants to be with you in them?
3. Is there a situation in your life right now where you're finding it hard to believe that God is working things for good (Romans 8:28)? What does that feel like?
4. Both sisters showed up to Jesus even when they were hurting. Who in your community helps you 'keep showing up' when faith feels hard? How do you do the same for others?
5. Isaiah 55:8-9 says God's ways are higher than ours. Has there been a time in your life where you later understood why God allowed something that confused or hurt you at the time? What did you learn?

Those who have walked with God for many decades know something that only time and experience can teach: that God has been faithful even in the seasons that made no sense at the time. The story of Lazarus is not just about one miraculous moment — it's about the long arc of trust, and what it looks like to keep believing when the tomb is still sealed. Connect Together is a gathering of people who carry immense wisdom about what it means to trust God through the long haul. That wisdom is a gift to the whole church.

1. Looking back over your life, can you identify a time when God's 'delay' led to something greater than what you originally prayed for? What did that teach you about his character?
2. Jesus wept before he acted. Over the years of walking with God, how has your understanding of his presence in suffering — not just his power over it — deepened?
3. Proverbs 3:5-6 is a verse many of us have known for years. How has the meaning of 'lean not on your own understanding' changed or deepened for you as you've gotten older?
4. Romans 8:11 speaks of the Spirit giving life to our mortal bodies. How does the reality of resurrection hope shape the way you face the physical and personal challenges that come with this season of life?
5. What is the most important thing you've learned about trusting God in the hard times — and how are you passing that wisdom on to younger believers around you?