Virtuous Woman - IntegrityНамуна

Initiative

Character Goal: Initiative is an individual action that begins a process. Our goal is to take action to begin the process of living by faith in God.

Biblical Character: Woman with the Issue of Blood

Scripture Readings: Mark 5:21-43

Discussion Questions

• What did Jarius believe about Jesus?
• What was the result of the initiative Jarius took to seek healing from Jesus?
• What does this teach us about faith and works?
• As a teammate, friend, or family member, how has your faith in Jesus impacted the way you live?
• What was Jesus’ reputation in the area?
• Mark 5 also tells us that the woman with the issue of blood heard about Jesus. What do you think she heard? How did this knowledge of Him impact her behavior?
• How long did she have her disease? What did she try to do about it? How do you think she felt about herself and her situation?
• Have you struggled with something for a long time either athletically or personally and given up hope for things to change? What did you do to try and fix or change the situation? What was the result?
• What does the woman decide to do? What does this tell us that she believed about Jesus?
• What does the story of this woman encourage or challenge us to do when all else has failed in changing our circumstances?
• What did this woman possess in order to push through the crowd that surrounded Jesus? Will these things also be required of us as we seek to see God act in our lives?
• Describe a time when you took the initiative on your team. What was the result?
• What happened after she touched His cloak? What does this tell us about Jesus’ power?
• How many people were pressed up against Jesus? Out of the crowd, who was healed? Why?
• What does this teach us about faith?
• What does the woman do when she realizes that Jesus knows?
• What does Jesus call the woman? What else does He tell her? What does this tell us about Him?
• Describe how these two people took initiative based on what they heard about Jesus. What was the result?
• What do these two stories teach us about who Jesus responds to?

Training for Godliness:

Taking the initiative is an important part of being an athlete. When you see an area of your game that needs improvement, do you take the necessary steps for improvement or do you just blow it off? Do you ask for help, stay after practice, or do more conditioning in order to improve that aspect? What is the result of your action or lack thereof? How can you apply this principle to your spiritual life? Relationships?

What is one thing I learned from this story that I can apply to my life before the next lesson?

Core Truths:

• Jesus responds to the faith of the desperate and needy.
• Our faith in Jesus ignites our actions toward God and others.
• We experience God’s power in our lives when we take initiative and intentionally move towards Him in faith.

Memory Verse:

Proverbs 31:13 - "She selects wool and flax and works with willing hands."