can faith really cure?

Do believers recognize that "addiction" reflects the experience of sinning? of repeatedly turning away from what God asks?

this week's key study passage in John 8, verses 34-6, points us to Jesus' teaching about sin in a thought-provoking illustration of a house with sin inside it (see the Bible Study Guide).

• Human beings are in the house with Sin, and so is God. Humans are having an experience in the house either being enslaved to sin, or in communion with God.  We see that God is eventually going to clean the house - put sin out. So those that will not take God's freedom, & get free from their relationship with sin, will be put out of the house along with Sin.  

So this key passage shows a couple things, first, that God is capable of coming into our experience with sin and doing something about it - he's in the middle of it and he's interested in intervening.  Second, if we don't do anything to get out of that sin experience - if we won't reach out for help, we will be put out of the house...

So how do we climb out of our experiences of disobedience? of helpless dependence? of enslavement? what is the reality of your salvation experience?  some striking insights from this week:

no more deception - Prov 23:29-35

the reality of obedience at all costs – Mt 5:29-30 & 18:8

the power of influence and temptation – Mt 17:27 & 18:6-7

where humility fits in Jn 8:7 & context

May God's Spirit be with you as you study * Join our this Small Group Study Fellowship this weekend