The nine were on an important errand related to healing (Luke 17:14-15) when they were healed. What makes you stop in the midst of healing, change direction, and offer thanks to the one who provided the gift? What would make you continue on?

This week (Luke 17:5-10), Jesus challenges his followers regarding faith. Who in your family or community do you recognize as a person of faith? How do you regard that person? How and who can help you in your faith journey?

In Luke 16:19-31, we discover that God has a different economy and a distinct definition of wealth. What is wealth to God? What is wealth to you and how is your definition and God’s similar and distinct?

First Timothy 2:2 asks that we pray for those “who are in high positions.” In your prayer life, how might you remember leaders, candidates, and others in positions of authority in our community, nation, and world? What kinds of prayer do leaders need in order to better cooperate and work together for meaningful solutions to complex issues?

[Luke 15:1-10] These stories are about being lost. More accurately, they tell how God behaves when we are lost. God goes to incredible lengths to seek us out then. That’s amazing, because while I am lost, a good part of the time I do not even realize it. Even as I am happily wandering off, God is on the way to find me.

Verse 33 of Luke chapter 14 says, “So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.” Thus, I am not a disciple. In what ways do we own possessions and how do they own us? May God grant us insight into the distinction.

So, if your group gave a surprise award for humility, and presented it to you, would you accept it? What would you say in your acceptance speech? I find that the most humble people are often unaware of thatquality in themselves, and would rather defer the honor to others.

How do we weigh the benefits of innovation and tradition when they appear to compete? Can a tradition be generally valuable while it simultaneously impedes innovation and specific benefits? Consider some times in your life when this has been the case.

How do you reconcile the sense of division within yourself and the world with the unity we are promised as people of God? What resources sustain you in times of conflict? Identify some occasions in your life when you were unable to recognize an invitation to reconciliation and wholeness in the midst of personal or global difficulties.

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Author and pastor Charles Lane once thought this meant he needed to work to change people’s hearts, so that they would become more generous. Later, he discovered that it was the other way around. He was to encourage people to be generous, so that God could change their hearts. In what ways is God encouraging you to be generous?

Jesus spoke more often about possessions than about prayer and eternal life. Why is that? What might a commercial look like if its theme was ‘life does not consist in the abundance of possessions?’ What steps can I take toward becoming rich toward God? What steps does our community need to take to become rich toward God?

Luke chapter 11 verse 9 was my Confirmation verse. I used to imagine that it meant that I could accomplish anything I put my mind to. In what ways might this verse also ask us to better attend to the needs of those around us, especially those most in need?

What is the meaning of service? Martha was attentively serving Jesus by providing hospitality. Mary was serving by listening to Jesus' teaching. Use this week to discover ways to be better at hospitality and better at listening. Note how those routes are parallel and how they diverge.

Does the story of the compassionate Samaritan (Luke chapter 10, verses 25 through 37) expand your view of who your neighbor is? Does that include the Muslim in a nearby seat of the plane you are both travelling in? How easy it is to see others’ prejudices and how difficult to discern our own. From where do prejudices arise, and how can we challenge our own predispositions?

The disciples were glad that their work had such good results (Luke 10:17). Jesus responded that he saw “Satan fall from heaven like lightning,” which doesn't sound so encouraging. What is the relationship among the spiritual forces? Are we confident that theHoly Spirit is the powerful guide and aid in the face of real spiritual trouble?

In this week’s first lesson (I Kings 19:19), the prophet gave Elisha a new responsibility. What new responsibility is God throwing upon your shoulders? Where is your life is there a new beginning, an unfamiliar path, a calling whose destination is as yet unclear? What aids do you usually use in discernment? Who might help you now?

This healing story is interesting because after a person was healed by Jesus, the neighbors were terrified of Jesus, even though the person had been visibly disturbing before being healed. (See Luke chapter 8, especially verses 34 through 37.) You would think the people would have been afraid of the unhealed person! Healing means that our life is renewed and that all things are possible. What might be scary about that?

The prophet Nathan had to tell the king he was wrong (see II Samuel, chapters 11 & 12). In order to soften the assault, Nathan made up a story, which helped David see his sin. David immediately asked for forgiveness, which he received, although the consequences lingered. How do we receive people who point out things we need to change? How can we learn to be receptive?

Sometimes we imagine that we can never change. At the same time, we often spend a good deal of time trying to change others, and wondering why we do not get better results. In this week’s second lesson (Galatians 1:11-24), we hear how God totally changed the apostle Paul’s life for the better. In what ways might God do well, changing me?

Jesus was amazed that a foreigner would have such faith that he knew Jesus’ words alone were sufficient for healing (Luke 7:9). Who do you seek out for healing? In what ways have you found healing in your life or for someone you love? In what ways has healing been partial or not yet occurred?