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Come Follow Me - Week Six

March 22, 2026 0 0

 

Come follow me, from a field of bones to the place of transformation — Renewal!

 

Week beginning Sunday 22 March.

 

Introduction:

Sometimes on our journey with Christ we find ourselves breaking bread and sheltering with one another in the ashes of ruin, the fields of devastation, the valleys of sorrow. Part of our calling as Christians is to accompany one another through these times — offering an ear, a shoulder, someone to sit with. Your ear can be Christ’s ear listening to the cries. Your shoulder can be Christ’s shoulder, bearing the weight for a little while. Your table can be a place where the seeds of transformation are glimpsed and the hope of tomorrow becomes believable.

 

Seeds to sow:

Where do you long to see transformation and renewal in the world?

 

Part 1: Quests in the Valley of Bones — Ezekiel 37:1–14

In this passage, God doesn't just act; He engages Ezekiel in a dialogue. These quests focus on the power of the "Prophetic Question" to shift our perspective from despair to hope.

  • Read verses 1–3. God asks Ezekiel, "Can these bones live?" and Ezekiel responds, "Sovereign Lord, you alone know." The Mission: Identify a "valley" in your community or personal life that looks completely dry and beyond repair. Instead of asking "How do we fix this?", practice asking God, "What do You see here that I don't?" Record how shifting the question from logistics to vision changes your level of hope.
     
  • Read verses 4–10. Notice that the transformation happens in stages: first structure (bones/sinews), then spirit (breath).Discuss why God commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath rather than God simply doing it alone. Find one area where you have the "structure" ready (a project, a relationship, a ministry) but lack the "breath." What specific question can you ask God to invite His Spirit into that structure?
     
  • Read verses 11–14. The bones represent a people saying, "Our hope is gone." Search the text for the "Why." Why does God bring them out of their graves? (See verse 13). Your quest is to flip a "Why is this happening to me?" question into a "How will this show me who the Lord is?" question.

 

Part 2: Transformation from the Inside Out — Romans 8: 6–11

Paul’s letter to the Romans emphasises that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. This is not a cosmetic change, but a cellular one.

  • Paul contrasts the "mind governed by the flesh" with the "mind governed by the Spirit.” If our transformation starts from the inside out — how does God use our thoughts and imagination to encounter his peace?
     
  • Verse 11 says the Spirit "lives in you." If we truly believed our bodies were the current residence of the Resurrection Power, how would that change the way we treat our internal ‘brokenness’ or ‘dry bones’?
     
  • Why must the Spirit first address our "spirit" (verse 10) before giving life to our "mortal bodies" (verse 11)? Can a person have an outward transformation without an inward one, and is that sustainable in the Kingdom of God?

 

Part 3: The Significance of Lazarus — John 11: 1-44

The raising of Lazarus is the "Seventh Sign" in John’s Gospel—the final crescendo before Holy Week. It serves as both a literal miracle and a powerful metaphor for Kingdom life.

  • Jesus calls Lazarus out of a cave with a stone rolled against it. Theologically, how does this miracle serve as a "rehearsal" for Jesus’ own resurrection, and what does it tell us about Jesus' authority over the "finality" of the law and death?
     
  • Jesus performs the miracle, but He commands the community to "Take off the grave clothes and let him go" (verse 44). Practically speaking, why does Jesus involve the community in the "unbinding" process?
     
  • Jesus intentionally stayed where he was for two days before going to Lazarus (verse 6). In the economy of the Kingdom, how do we reconcile the "practical" pain of God's silence with the "theological" truth that His delays are often for a greater manifestation of His glory?