The Pharisees weren't too happy with Jesus healing a blind man. They thought that he didn't have the power and authority to do that. Only... he did. And he still does.

It can be easy to, unknowingly, get into the thought pattern that the 'Bible Jesus' is a different Jesus to the one who lives within us and through us today. In God's word we read, 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever' (Hebrews 13:8 NIV). We can put God's word in a neat little box marked 'Bible stories', to pull out on rainy days. But the reality is that the Jesus who healed the blind man back then is still at work today!

Another thing that can be hard to get our heads around is that God is completely just. It can be tough to understand why God heals some people and not others, and heals at certain times and not others. Our human reaction is to believe it's based on how well behaved we've been, or how much God likes us, but Jesus debunked that lie at the cross. We may have to ask Jesus the 'why' question (he doesn't mind us asking at all), but we can know this for sure: he loves us unconditionally and he knows what he's doing. We are in safe hands.

So what now? Write down the names of three people who need healing. Write Hebrews 13:8 underneath their names. Pray for them for the rest of this week, acknowledging that Jesus' presence and power are still revealed today.

Yesterday we looked at the first part of Jesus' encounter with the blind man. Then came the healing. This made the Pharisees very unhappy (see John 9:6-17). What? Weren't they fans of amazing miracles? Actually, they took issue with what Jesus did. In spitting on mud, Jesus had made clay. The clay wasn't the problem. Their issue was that Jesus made something on the Sabbath. In fact, the Pharisees said, 'This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.' Not only was he making stuff, but he was also healing people. And they struggled with that too, 'How can a sinner perform such signs?' they asked (John 9:16 NIV).

Now, we know that Jesus is God's Son and the only non-sinning human to have walked the earth, but as much as we want to be like him, sometimes we can be like the Pharisees. Sometimes we have an off-kilter idea of who God is. We restrict him to times and places (like...worship only happens at 11am Sundays?). We get caught in the predictability of life and expect God to fit into our schedule.

But God is the creator of life. It's his character and prerogative to change, heal and resurrect. Maybe it's time we fully trust who he says he is and live out what he asks us to do.

So what now? Know someone who really needs a miracle? Pray for them right now and ask God to show how you can practically be the hands and feet of Jesus in their situation.

'How did this guy end up blind? Did he sin? Did his parents sin?' That's what Jesus' disciples asked him when they encountered a man blind from birth. Jesus' answer surprised them: 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned' (John 9:3 NIV).

Now, Jesus isn't claiming this guy is free from sin. He's aware that we all sin. So, what's he getting at? Well, the disciples assumed that suffering is the direct result of sin somewhere along the line. Must be his fault. Or his parents'. It's the only explanation. But Jesus says, 'This happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him' (John 9:3 NIV). Rather than pointing the finger, jumping to conclusions or looking for causal connections, Jesus is setting their attitude straight. He doesn't answer their question - he changes it. Instead of 'Whose fault is this?' Jesus wants them to ask, 'What can we do to heal it?' He's pointing out the need to see suffering as a moment to reveal God's glory.

It can be tough to find God in painful situations. But Jesus puts it into perspective again, 'As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me' (John 9:4-5 NIV). Whatever the situation, Jesus can be found in it. Let's look for opportunities for his glory to shine through and keep finger-pointing or assumptions to a minimum.

So what now? Who do you know who's going through tough stuff? Pray with them. Pray specifically that God's glory would come from the situation.

Read 2 Peter 1:3-9. (Seriously, it'll be worthwhile). This chunk of Scripture is a reminder that God has acted and now we need to live in the light of that truth. 2 Peter 1:5-8 (NIV) puts it like this: 'Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.'

So, let's build on what God's done for us, and yearn to learn and develop our character. What does that look like? It's different for each of us. Whether it's getting involved in church life or spending time in prayer, if we're ready to grow and we've invited God to stretch us, it will happen. When we're actively seeking Jesus through our prayer and actions, it will grow us (usually without us even noticing). It'll push us to our limits and build our faith. That's worth chasing.

Every chase starts with a first step. The whole 'adding to our faith' thing can feel huge, but it's 100% doable. We just need to be willing, and take it step by step.

So what now? You cannot grow in your relationship with Jesus on your own. Find trusted friends who'll hold you accountable as you journey and celebrate with you at each step.

Ever had an extra chocolate bar drop out of a vending machine? As great as that is, this unexpected 'blessing' only changes our mood for a short while. What really moves and inspires us is when someone does something so generous for us that we ask, 'Why me?' It impacts us because we realise that someone held a thought about us for longer than a second to make this deliberate decision.

So, as Christians, how can our generosity be God-inspired and God-orientated? Well, John 15:12 NIV says, 'My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.' Ah, so it's about more than just baking someone a cake? Doing nice stuff for people is great, but when we're baking the cake and asking God to bless the person we're giving it to, that gives it more power.

What matters most to God is that we love people as he loves them: non-judgementally, caringly, compassionately and unconditionally. Whether it's the small stuff or the big stuff, whatever we do for others needs to come from a prayerful place of real love. Not just token-gesture niceties. It's a high calling, but it's what makes the difference between being 'nice' and being Jesus-led.

So what now? There's probably going to be a chance (soon) to show someone an act of love. Don't shrink back when it comes your way. Pray you'll be prepared to see the opportunity, and then respond with love as Jesus would.

In the Bible, the apostle Paul gives a clear picture of what 'paying a debt' includes: 'Give to everyone what you owe them: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honour. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law' (Romans 13:7-8 NIV).

It's very clear that when Paul says debt, he means more than just money. Financial debt is definitely included, but so are debts of honour and respect. Which isn't quite as simple as paying our friend back the five dollars we owe for that pizza.

How could we possibly manage to give everyone everything they deserve? We reckon that Paul's approach to giving people their dues comes easier when our focus is on being generous. It's all about being willing. In 2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT it says, 'God loves a cheerful giver'. What if we apply that as a life principle? Whether it's paying back cash, giving respect to someone or sharing the love of God, there's no point if we do it with a frown, or because we feel arm-twisted into it. Let's decide in our hearts to give everything we owe generously, and we'll feel the difference.

So what now? Give back more than you owe. Whether it's money towards dinner, honouring someone for something they've done, or calling someone on their birthday, give a little bit more than you have to, with the generous love of God guiding your heart.