The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.” … So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 2 KINGS 5:1-3, 9 NLT

Dealing with sin means…

Admitting my brokenness

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth… If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. 1 JOHN 1:8, 10 NLT
But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed! 2 KINGS 5:10-14 NLT

Accepting help

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. ROMANS 6:23 NLT
For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. COLOSSIANS 1:13-14 NLT
Accepting help starts with being obedient
• Stop making excuses
• Listen to community
• Don’t give up

Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept any gifts.” And though Naaman urged him to take the gift, Elisha refused. Then Naaman said, “All right, but please allow me to load two of my mules with earth from this place, and I will take it back home with me. From now on I will never again offer burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the Lord. 2 KINGS 5:15-17

When God shows up I need to…

Show gratitude

To God:
Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. 1 CHRONICLES 16:8 NLT
To others:
Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. ROMANS 16:3-4 NLT

Remember what God did

But then I recall all you have done, O LORD; I remember your wonderful deeds… PSALM 77:11 NLT
…Do this to remember me. 1 CORINTHIANS 11:24-25 NLT

Community Group Discussion Guide

How often do you genuinely say “thank you” to God (or someone else) for the way your relationship with him (them) makes you better?
What are the barriers you face that keep you from being obedient to God? What are some of the excuses you tend to make?
Who are the people in your life that you listen to regularly? How do they keep you on track with God and others?
Sin breaks relationship with God and others. Share a time when you experienced the damaging impact of sin in a relationship.
Do you need to reconcile with anyone you’ve hurt, whether intentionally or unintentionally? If so, what’s your next step in reconciliation? Commit to your group to take that next step this week.
What kinds of things tend to best remind you about God’s forgiveness through Jesus’ death on the cross (e.g. worship, community group, church, your own time in the Bible)?

Personal Reflection Guide

Find a place where you can be alone with God. Bring your body, mind and heart to a place of being still before him. Take some time to recite Psalm 77:11 over and over again, until it focuses your mind and impacts your heart. When you’re ready, have a conversation with God about all that he has done for you personally. Take some time to recall his faithfulness to you, big or small. When has God rescued you from a situation that was overwhelming? How has God provided for you, financially, physically, relationally, etc.? Write them down as a way to quickly recall them in the future. Show God your gratitude for all that he has done for you.

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