Overview

Mike Yaconelli bumped up against a hard wall when his 18-month-old baby developed cancer. That's when he first began to realize that God can be found in the ugliest messes of our lives. Yaconelli claims that some Christians tend to edit out the messy parts of the Bible. Thankfully, the Spirit-led persons who compiled the 66 books of the Bible didn't do that, for grace and healing often come through the messes we'd like to overlook or avoid.

Table of Contents

SCRIPTURE: Exodus 17:1-7; 1 Kings 19:1-12; 2 Corinthians 12:7-12; James 5:13-16

LEADER'S GUIDE

• Identify the Current Issue

• Discover the Eternal Principles

—Teaching point one: God is with us through times of crisis, even when we don't recognize his presence.

—Teaching point two: In the midst of the wilderness, we need to stop and listen for the voice of God.

—Teaching point three: A "thorn in the flesh" can mark an opportunity for service.

—Teaching point four: God does want to heal us and make us whole persons, but not necessarily through a quick fix or cure.

• Apply Your Findings

ARTICLE FROM CHRISTIANITY TODAY WEBLOG

• Messy Spirituality, by Dick Staub (posted August 1, 2002)

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