Going Deeper in “How To Be Sure You are Saved”
Read the following slowly a few times:
Matthew 9:9–13, 18–26; Rom 5:8; 1 Tim 1:15-16; Isaiah 1:18
Reflect on the following:
1. Matthew was a tax collector, someone many people considered a traitor and a sinner. How do you think he felt when Jesus looked at him and said, "Follow me"?
2. Have you ever felt unworthy of God's love because of something you had done or failed to do? How did you get over those feelings?
3. What does Jesus' willingness to eat with sinners reveal about God's heart toward people carrying guilt and shame?
4. The woman with the bleeding condition had likely spent years feeling excluded and unclean. What emotions do you imagine she felt when Jesus stopped and called her "daughter"?
5. Why do people often hide from God when they feel ashamed, even though God is the One who can heal them?
6. Can you recall a time when you experienced God's grace in a personal way—through Scripture, prayer, worship, Communion, or by talking with another believer?
7. When you receive Holy Communion, what does it mean to you that Christ invites sinners and saints alike to His table?
8. How might guilt and shame keep a person from experiencing the assurance God wants them to have?
9. What would change in your life if you truly believed that Jesus looks at you with the same compassion He showed Matthew and the woman in this passage?
Challenges for the Week
1. Receive God's Welcome - Each morning, spend a few moments reading Matthew 9 and imagining Jesus looking at you with the same compassion He showed Matthew and the woman. Listen for His invitation: "Follow me."
2. Practice a Means of Grace - Choose one Means of Grace this week—prayer, Scripture reading, Communion, worship, fasting, Christian conversation, or an act of mercy—and approach it not as a duty, but as an opportunity to experience God's love.