3. Asking the Right Questions Who's Really Blind?

4. To get the right answers… Ask the right questions

5. Why is God Doing this to me?

6. Where's a girl I can Share my life with?

7. Why can't I find a good guy?

8. Why doesn't she Like me?

9. To get the right answers… Ask the right questions

10. As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. Beggar, No Prospects

11. And the blind man Hears this:

12. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

13. Parents? Pre-born baby? Sin had to be involved…

14. Steeped in Religion Law=Blessings and Curses

15. People become objects of God's disdain Or heroes to be honored

16. Rather than people made in God's image

17. Rather than people made in God's image Equal Ground= No heroes, No Disdain

18. “Rabbi, who sinned…that he was born blind?

19. They ask, "Why?" They should ask, "How?"

20. What the disciples see: A theological problem to be solved

21. What Jesus sees: A man created in God’s image in need of compassion

22. Religion does this: "Why are you so jacked up?" instead of… "How can I help you?"

23. Why did she leave the faith?

24. Was she a believer who lost it? Or a pretender who never was? How can we reach out and show love?

25. Religion asks The wrong questions And the wrong questions Have real affects in the real world

26. Religion asks The wrong questions Why don't people live Like we think they should?

27. The Faith Asks Life-Changing Questions How can I/we serve People made in God's image To God's glory?

28. To get the right answers… Ask the right questions

29. Why do I have to go through this? Is God punishing me? Is he being mean? Does he not care? How can I reach out and find God's Presence- Even in this?

30. Why is he going through this? Doesn't God care? How can I reach out and give God's comfort- Even in this?

31. Why? is self-centered (usually based on comparison) and creates: Bitterness and Anger Self-righteousness De-personalization

32. How? is God-centered and gives: Perspective Direction Strength and Healing

33. Some of us Right now… Need to let go of "Why?" and seek "How?"

34. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life”

35. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but so that the work of God might be displayed in his life”

36. Jesus shifts from Cause to Purpose

37. Jesus shifts from "Why?" to "How?"

38. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” God did not cause the man to be born blind

39. Don't blame God For what God did not do

40. Don't blame God For what God did not do Or you might miss What God wants to do

41. To get the right answers… Ask the right questions

42. Fallenness coming from Free Will

43. "Why?" is a fine question As long as you move to "How?" or "What?"

44. "As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

45. What is the work? Doing what we can while we can In a way the sheds light On God's glorious Son

46. Kills every excuse Doing what we can while we can In a way the sheds light On God's glorious Son

47. Why can't I...? Becomes What should I…? How can I…?

48. Focus changes from self And "poor me" To God and Purpose Greater than Me

49. To get the right answers… Ask the right questions

50. "As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

51. Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.

52. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam…” So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

53. For the very first time!