EXTRA! Ideas for Adults – All Signs Point to Jesus – Session 1

1 month ago 20

Date: March 2, 2025

The Sign of His Glory

The Point: Jesus’s work in our lives is for His glory.

Get Into the Study

Use the following information to introduce Question #1.

When President Jimmy Carter passed away at the end of 2024, age 100, America readied itself for a typical presidential funeral: his coffin lying in state, flags at half-mast, and all the former presidents at the National Cathedral for a formal service. During the funeral, as expected, friends and aides shared stories of personal interactions and political battles.

What was perhaps unexpected was when President Carter’s grandsons took the podium and gave an up-close look at his faith in Jesus. Politics faded away as the two young men shared their observations of a godly grandfather. One grandson, Jason, noted: “From the moment that he woke up, until he laid his head, his life was a testament to the goodness of God.”

Another grandson, Josh, focused on the regular practices that gave evidence of his grandfather’s faith. “He taught the Bible every Sunday,” “…he built houses for people who needed homes,” “…he waged peace.” A life full of Scripture memorization, devoted service to the local church body, regular gathering together with other believers, generosity toward the needy– these traits were lauded as the plumb line. To Josh, his grandfather, a former United States President, had set a high bar– not of political office– but of genuine faith in Jesus.

Say: “Not many of us can boast of someone as influential as a former president in our family line, but every family has someone in it, or something they’ve done together, that they’re particularly proud of. Jimmy Carter’s grandsons were proud of his faith.”

Then proceed with asking Question #1.

Information for this post was gleaned from:

“Joshua Carter Recalls the Line for Grandfather Jimmy Carter’s Always-Packed Sunday School Class ‘Began Before Sunrise’” – Southern Living – https://www.southernliving.com/joshua-carter-jimmy-carter-sunday-school-eulogy-8771981
Jason’s eulogy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjcWlIkwdUE
Baptist News article about Josh’s eulogy: https://baptistnews.com/article/he-taught-the-bible-every-sunday-from-world-war-ii-to-covid/
Josh Carter’s eulogy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SshiikaQpzQ

Study the Bible

Use the following information to introduce Question #3.

“When medical experts at Stanford looked back at 2024, among the most-celebrated medical advancements was a study that “found that dietary interventions can help treat severe mental illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.” The lead physician took note when a schizophrenic patient experienced a quieting of “auditory hallucinations” on a ketogenic diet.

The ketogenic diet, sometimes called “keto,” was first noted for its capacity to successfully treat epileptic seizures. Since those first encounters with the carb-restrictive, fat-focused way of eating, “scientists have long suspected the keto diet might be able to calm an overactive immune system.”

In the study, twenty-one patients were tracked for four months. Patients in these trials achieved weight loss, showed metabolic benefits, and reported both physiological and psychological benefits. Physicians were surprised at the percentage of patients who opted to remain on the diet even after the study was completed. Nonetheless, not all made it. “By the end of the trial, 14 patients had been fully adherent, six were semi-adherent, and only one was non-adherent.”

Say: “When a doctor specifically recommends a particular way of eating, or even when a person opts in to it, it can be hard to understand specific details. No matter our level of familiarity, it can still be incredibly difficult to keep to one way of eating. In this example, one-third of the participants did not “make it” to the four-month mark. Similarly, sometimes we are clear on what Jesus says, but we find it difficult to DO.”

Then proceed with asking Question #3.

Information for this post was gleaned from:

Stanford Medicine’s top scientific advancements of 2024: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/12/top-scientific-advancements.html
Stanford’s pilot study RE: ketogenic diet/mental health: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/04/keto-diet-mental-illness.html
Keto / autoimmune disorders: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2024/11/428771/how-keto-diet-could-one-day-treat-autoimmune-disorders
https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/keto-diet

Jessica Connell wrote these Leader Extras. Jess is a homeschooling mom of nine who has served around the world in ministry with her husband. She loves hiking, exploring, and being active in her local church in North Texas.

Additional Questions

Ice Breaker

What is an accomplishment in your life you are proud of?
How do Jesus’s miracles testify to His deity?
What is your typical response when you hear a celebrity or star athlete give glory to God and why?
What event you see or experience that only later you realized was a really big deal?

John 2:1-4

When have you experienced God’s timing being better than yours?
How can we value God’s timing above our own sense of urgency?
When have you felt frustrated that God’s timing wasn’t the same as your timing?
What are evidences and results of unhealthy and healthy expectations of Jesus?
Why doesn’t God solve our problems according to our timing and expectations?

John 2:5-8

Why is obedience vital to seeing God’s answer to our needs?
Who is an example to you (from the Bible or real life) of someone who diligently obeys God above self?
When is a time Jesus (God) has asked you to do something that seems unreasonable?
How have you discovered that the rewards of obeying Jesus far outweigh the risks?
How can we waiver less and obey more when Jesus calls us to trust Him?

John 2:9-11