Circle Questions Week Three Healed by Jesus

Mark 9:14-29.

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

14 When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. 15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him.

16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked.

17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

19 Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.

21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.

He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”

26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”

29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.”

Read other translations here.

Opening Prayer Time

Spend time praising and thanking God that Jesus is our Healer. Express how Jesus has healed you physically, emotionally or spiritually.

Spend time praying that God's spirit would speak to the members of this group.

Pray that God would lift up his church & assist us in trusting him.

Discussion Questions

• How do you think the other nine disciples must have felt not being able to cast out the demon?

• What situations seem hopeless to you? (either in your life or the world)

• Why do we get caught up in debates and discussions instead of focusing on bringing people to Jesus?

• How can we do a better job at praying in power instead of trusting in our own strength?

• How can we bring people to Jesus?

• What would you like to see Jesus do in you? In our church? In this world?

Closing Prayer

Spend some time praying for prayer requests that have been mentioned in your group.

Pray that our church would be a praying church that impacts our city.
We desire to be STILL FOR THE CITY.