This reading challenges readers to desire those things that bring growth and spiritual maturity.

Do you have any prayers that you find yourself needing to say over and over?

Most of us struggle with forgiving others even for small slights.

“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Can you think of a time when you felt excluded or belittled for your beliefs?

Sometimes, a reframing of the familiar brings it to life in a new way.

How do we, as a church, respond to new faces at the table?

Jesus helps his disciples to move from “we had hoped” to “the Lord is risen indeed!”

In what ways might following Jesus set you apart from the prevailing culture in which we live?

In verse 6, we read, “The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.”