Strange Things
’And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”’
Luke 5:26
‘The area of growth seems to be churches that take the supernatural seriously…that take angels and signs from God and miracles seriously. I don't understand why anyone would be interested in a Christianity that isn’t taking this stuff seriously.’
Tom Holland
‘Christians believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. Materialists believe in the virgin birth of the cosmos. Choose your miracle.’
Glen Scrivener
There’s an amazing story in the bible of a man being healed when his friends carry him to Jesus on mat. It’s a dramatic story of hope and power.
After the miracle, one of the gospel-writers describes the response of the people who were watching - ‘We have seen strange things today!’ (Luke 5:26) They were stunned!
What do you make of miracles? Do they think they still happen? What about when they don’t? And what is the point?
Join us for a 7-week series based in the Gospel of John, which was written by one of the earliest eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life. In an age where we are hungry for the extraordinary, join us to explore some very strange things indeed. Signs that might just change your life today.
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“We have seen strange things today.” That’s how people described the works of Jesus - paradoxa: unexpected, unexplainable, beyond what should be.
In John 9, we see a miracle that breaks all the rules - no formula, no clear pattern, and a mix of joy and scepticism in response.
But here’s the question: what if those ‘strange’ things didn’t stop back then? Are those moments confined to the past…or could they still break into our lives today?
Bible passage: John 9:1-11, 35-38
Study Questions
What is something in life that you find easy to believe God for - and something you find much harder to believe him for?
Read John 9:1–11 and 35–38 together.
What stands out to you most in this story on first reading?In verse 4, Jesus says, “We must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”
What do you think he means by that?Jesus heals in a very unusual way here, using mud and saliva.
What do you think this tells us about miracles, healing, and the fact that God does not always work through a fixed formula?The man’s neighbours were divided about what had happened.
Have you ever had an experience that left you unsure whether it was a coincidence, an answer to prayer, or something more?The Pharisees were quick to connect this man’s blindness with sin.
Why do you think people so often assume suffering must be someone’s fault? How does Jesus challenge that?In verse 37, Jesus reveals himself in a quiet but powerful way: “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
Why do you think Jesus identifies himself like this, and what effect does it have on the man?Judy described miracles as “sparks of the future” - signs of God’s kingdom breaking into the present.
What’s the difference between God’s ordinary daily provision and a miracle? Do you think both matter equally?PRAY that God would open our eyes to see his work more clearly, increase our expectation, and give us a “spark of the future” this week - whether through healing, provision, peace, or deeper faith.
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What do you do when God doesn’t respond the way you hoped?
In John 11, a desperate request is met with silence… and by the time Jesus arrives, it feels too late. Expectations collapse, grief takes over, and the questions get louder.
But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that this moment isn’t following any formula or timeline. And what happens next doesn’t just change the situation - it reshapes what we thought was possible… and who we thought Jesus was.
Study Questions
Have you ever seen someone healed, first hand?
Read John 11:1-44 together.
In verse 6, Jesus hears that Lazarus is ill, yet stays where he is for two more days.
Why do you think Jesus delays, and how do you respond to that?In verse 16, Thomas says, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
What do you think this reveals about Thomas, the situation, and the mood among the disciples?Martha says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Tim said that being able to complain to God is a gift. What do you think he meant by that?Jesus knows he is going to raise Lazarus - yet he still weeps.
Why do you think Jesus wept, and what does that show us about his heart?The talk suggested that the responsibility for miracles is not on our shoulders.
How does that challenge the way you think about prayer, healing, faith, and disappointment?Read John 5:1-13.
Where do you see faith (if any) in this story - is it in the man, in Jesus, or somewhere else?
Have you ever known God use another person to bring help, comfort, provision, or even a kind of “miracle” into your life - perhaps without them ever realising it?
Take time to pray together that we would be released from the burden of thinking miracles depend on how well we pray, and instead grow in trust in Jesus, the resurrection and the life.
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“Miracles aren’t always what we expect. Sometimes dramatic, sometimes quiet - but often confusing, even unsettling. In John 9, what unfolds sparks wonder in some, resistance in others, and leaves many trying to make sense of it.
Because these moments don’t just sit neatly in our categories. They challenge, disrupt, and linger.
And maybe that’s the point… that what seems strange at first might be more powerful - and more personal - than we realise.”
Bible passage: John 2:1-11
Study Questions
Do you pray to Jesus about the small things, like parking spaces and lost keys? Does he answer?
READ John 2:1-11.
Why do you think Jesus seems hesitant to act at first? What does this tell us about God’s timing versus our urgency?
How do you think the story would have played out if Jesus hadn’t performed the miracle?
Judy highlighted that John’s Gospel is ‘full of symbolism.’
What might be significant about the ceremonial washing jars being used?
What could this transformation of water into wine represent spiritually?
This miracle is described as ‘the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory.’
What does this miracle reveal about who Jesus is?
Judy pointed out that ‘the servants… knew’ where the miracle came from, but others didn’t.
Why do you think Jesus sometimes works in ways that aren’t obvious to everyone?
Have you seen something God did that others didn’t notice?
Reflect on the quote from Hans Christian Anderson:‘The whole world is a series of miracles, but we’re so used to them we call them ordinary things.’
What’s something in your life you might have dismissed as ‘ordinary’ that could actually be God at work?
Mary says, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’
Where might God be inviting you to trust or obey, even if it feels unclear or ‘a bit ridiculous’?
Judy said, ‘I do not trust in miracles. I trust in Jesus Christ. Miracles are simply what he does.’
PRAY that as you trust Jesus this week, God might show you a miracle (but don't tell him what you think it should be).
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John doesn’t just call them miracles, he calls them ‘signs’. Moments that are strange, unexpected, and not quite what they first appear to be.
In John 9, a remarkable event unfolds, but the deeper meaning isn’t obvious to everyone who sees it. Some are amazed, some are sceptical, and some miss it entirely.
Because sometimes, the most important part isn’t just what happens… but what it might be pointing to.
Bible passage: John 20:28-31
Study Questions
Read John 20:28-31.
Ben suggested that modern portrayals of Jesus’ life such as The Chosen can “ground these miraculous happenings in the everyday.” Do you find them helpful or distracting?
Read John the Baptist’s question in Luke 7:20. How do you think he felt? What does this reveal about doubt within genuine faith?
In John 20:29, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Do you think witnessing a miracle firsthand would make faith easier, or is there a different kind of “blessing” in trusting without seeing?In Gospel of John, miracles are described as “signs.” Ben said that miracles are not ends in themselves, but point to something else. What are the dangers of treating miracles as the goal rather than as pointers?
John 20:31 speaks of having “life” (zoē) in Jesus’ name. How does this fuller concept of life challenge reduced views of salvation (e.g. only future heaven or only present blessing)?
What does zoē look like in real discipleship?Ben made the point that miracles often lead to belief, but not always. Are miracles necessary, sufficient, or secondary in leading people to faith?
Have you experienced something you would call a miracle, or a moment that clearly pointed you to God?
What impact did it have on your faith?Engage with the idea: “sometimes the absence of a miracle is itself a sign.”
How does this align with passages like 2 Corinthians 12?
What are the challenges of this perspective?Pray for a deeper understanding of ‘signs’ that God is already at work in your life,
that you would trust Jesus not just for visible miracles, but in the “now and not yet,”
and that your faith would be rooted in who he is, not only in what he does.
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Doubt gets a bad reputation. But in John 20, we meet someone who asks honest questions - and ends up somewhere unexpected.
This isn’t a story about having all the answers, or ignoring the hard questions. It’s about what happens when doubt is met, not dismissed.
Because sometimes, the difference isn’t between doubt and faith… but in what we choose to do with our questions.Bible passage: John 20:24-29
Study Questions
Did you have a nickname growing up, and how did you feel about being known by something other than your actual name?
Read John 20:24-29.
In verse 25, the other disciples tell Thomas, "We have seen the Lord!" Why do you think their testimony, from people who knew him well, wasn't enough for Thomas? What does that tell us about the nature of his doubt?
When Thomas said "I will not believe," do you think he was stubbornly refusing to believe, or honestly admitting he wasn't able to believe without seeing for himself? Does that difference matter?
Verse 26 tells us that a week later, Thomas was with the disciples again. Given his doubts, what do you make of the fact that he kept showing up? What does that suggest about the relationship between doubt and community?
Has there been a moment when others around you seemed to encounter God in a way you didn't (a "miracle" you weren't part of)? How did that feel, and how did you respond?
C.S. Lewis said, "You can't see anything properly while your eyes are blurred with tears." What other things (emotional, physical, or circumstantial etc) can blur our vision of God? And how do we go gentle on ourselves in those seasons?
Tim’s talk suggested that "doubt knocks the door to faith, whereas cynicism locks the door to faith." What do you think is the difference between doubt, scepticism, and cynicism? And which of these is Thomas actually expressing?
When Jesus says "Stop doubting and believe," do you hear it as a criticism with a clenched fist, or an invitation with open arms? Why might that matter for how we handle our own doubts, and the doubts of others?
Thomas became a pioneer. He was the first to call Jesus "My Lord and my God." Do you think doubters can sometimes make better pioneers of faith than those who find belief easy? Are you willing to share your honest questions with others?
Pray together - Mark 9:24: "I do believe; help my unbelief!”
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Some miracles don’t look like miracles at all. No crowds, no spectacle - just a quiet, unexpected moment that’s easy to miss.
In John 13, Jesus does something surprising. Not dramatic, not distant - but deeply personal. And it raises a question about what we think a miracle really is.
Because sometimes, the most extraordinary things aren’t the ones that draw attention… but the ones that come close, and change how we see everything.
Bible passage: John 13:1-17
Study Questions
What kinds of things make you feel really, physically unclean? Why do you think physical cleanliness matters so much to us?
Read John 13:1–17.
In verse 1, John says that Jesus “loved them to the end.”
Do you think this refers to time (loving them right to the cross), completeness (loving them fully), or both? What difference does that make to how we understand Jesus’ love?
Why do you think John includes the detail in verse 2 that the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus before the foot washing begins?
In verses 6–10, what does Jesus mean when He tells Simon Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me”? Is Jesus speaking symbolically, spiritually, or both? What does this teach about salvation and discipleship?
Jesus, the teacher and Lord, takes the role of a servant. What does this reveal about the nature of leadership in God’s kingdom? How does it challenge worldly ideas of power and status?
What might “washing one another’s feet” look like in modern everyday life? Which kinds of service are easiest to overlook or avoid?
Why is humble, unseen service often difficult, even when we know it is right? What attitudes or fears tend to stop us?
Jesus says in verse 17, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” Why do you think obedience and action - not just understanding - are so central to spiritual growth?
Pray for the humility to serve others in costly and unnoticed ways this week. Ask God to show you one practical act of servant-hearted love you can intentionally do.
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A problem too big to solve. Not enough to go around. And a question hanging in the air - what now?
In John 6, the disciples are faced with an impossible situation. But what seems like a lack might not be the real issue after all. Because what follows isn’t just about provision - it’s about trust.
And as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that what’s happening points far beyond the moment itself… revealing something unexpected about who Jesus really is.
Bible passage: John 6:1-14
Study questions
What is something you rely on every day?
READ John 6:1-14 and John 6:25-40.
The crowd followed Jesus because they had seen His signs (v.2). What motives bring people to Jesus today?
Jesus asks Philip how the crowd should be fed, even though He already knows what He will do (vv.5-6). What does this reveal about the way God develops faith in His disciples?
Sarah challenged the common assumption that this story is mainly about the boy’s generosity. If the focus is not on what the boy gave, what do you think John wants us to learn about Jesus through this miracle?
Why do you think the feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle (apart from the resurrection) recorded in all four Gospels?
Read Exodus 16:1-18 alongside John 6:32-35. In what ways does the manna in the wilderness point forward to Jesus? What is the significance of Jesus calling Himself “the Bread of Life”?
Emma’s and Lynwen’s testimonies suggest that God’s miracles do not always look the way we expect. How do their stories challenge or deepen your understanding of God’s provision and faithfulness?
Later in John 6, many people stop following Jesus despite witnessing His miracles (John 6:66). Why are signs and miracles alone not enough to create lasting faith? What sustains discipleship when circumstances are difficult?
PRAY that God would deepen your hunger for Christ Himself, and help you trust His provision - whether it comes through dramatic miracles, daily sustenance, or the quiet work of His presence.