Sermon Study Guide | Series: God, if You’re real | Sermon: Help Me
Scripture: Luke 8:43-48 | Date: April 19, 2026

Alpha is a 6 week faith exploration experience hosted by Menlo Church at the Devil’s Canyon Brewing Co. in San Carlos. It's the perfect place to invite a friend who is questioning belief while examining the core concepts of Christianity.

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CONNECT - “A Personal Reflection”

This section is designed to help you relate personally to the theme of the sermon. It encourages you to reflect on your own life experiences and how they connect to the message.

Most of us do not like feeling desperate. We would rather solve the problem, manage the pressure, keep functioning, and stay in control. Especially in the Bay Area, it is easy to believe that with enough effort, wisdom, resources, or time, we can keep things from spilling over. 

But eventually, most of us run into something we cannot fix on our own. It may be a relationship, a diagnosis, grief, anxiety, disappointment, or a question about God that will not go away. In Luke 8, this woman reaches the end of herself and, in that very place, reaches for Jesus.

Share about a time when you realized your strength, planning, or coping could only take you so far. What did that moment reveal about you, and how did it shape the way you approached God?

ENGAGE - “Exploring the Scripture”

This section invites you to dive into the biblical passage, discuss its meaning, and apply it to your life through thoughtful questions.

Read Luke 8:43-48 together. 

• What details in this story stand out most to you, and why?
  
  
• What do we learn about this woman’s condition, losses, and social isolation from the passage? How would those twelve years have shaped her view of herself and of God?
  
  
• Why do you think this woman approached Jesus quietly instead of publicly asking for help?
  
  
• Jesus stops and asks, “Who touched me?” What are some possible ways that question could have sounded, and why does Jesus’ tone matter in this story?
  
  
• The sermon suggested that Jesus responded with significance, not annoyance or performance. Where do you see that in the passage?
  
  
• Why is it meaningful that Jesus calls her “Daughter”? What does that communicate about belonging, dignity, and identity?
  
  
• How does this story challenge the idea that desperation is weakness or failure?
  
  
• The message contrasted cynicism and desperation. How would you describe the difference between the two?
  
  
• In what ways can cynicism look mature, intelligent, or self-protective while still keeping us distant from God?
  
  
• Why do you think honest doubt can be spiritually productive, while managed distance can slowly harden us?
  
  
• What is one area of your life where you are tempted to stay cynical instead of becoming honest and desperate before God?
  
  
• How does this story show that Jesus is not interrupted by our need, but attentive to it?

APPLY - “Putting the Scriptures into Action”

This section challenges us to take what we’ve learned and implement it in practical ways in our daily lives.

• Name one area of your life where you need help and have mostly been trying to manage it on your own.
  
  • Write that burden down in a clear sentence instead of keeping it vague or abstract.
  • Pray honestly about that need this week, asking God not only for understanding but for real help and intervention.
    
    
• Notice where cynicism shows up in your conversations, prayers, or reactions, and ask God to uncover what fear or pride may be underneath it.
  
  
• Replace one polished prayer this week with a fully honest one.
  
  
• Embrace the heart of Jesus to be with someone else and invite a friend to attend Alpha with you.
  
  
• Spend a few minutes each day reflecting on this question: “Where am I keeping a safe distance from God?”
  
  
• When you feel overwhelmed this week, practice a simple prayer: “Jesus, I need your help.”
  
  
• Reflect on whether you have been confusing comfort, control, or clarity with what you most deeply need from God.
  
  
• Take one concrete step toward Jesus this week, even if it feels small, risky, or unfinished.

PRAY - “Seeking God’s Guidance”

This section offers a short prayer to help us center our hearts and invite God to work in our lives through his scripture.

Jesus, thank you that you see us even when we feel invisible, exhausted, or overlooked. Thank you that you are not annoyed by our need, embarrassed by our weakness, or distant from our pain. Thank you for meeting desperate people with compassion and significance. 

Help us stop hiding behind control, self-protection, or cynicism, and teach us to reach for you with honesty. For the places in our lives that feel unresolved, overwhelming, or beyond our ability to manage, we ask for your help. Remind us that desperation is not the end of faith, but often the beginning of deeper trust. Help us live as your sons and daughters, named and known by you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you have feedback on this guide or ideas that would help your group engage more deeply, we’d love to hear from you. 

Your insight helps us continue growing as a church that wrestles honestly and walks faithfully together. Contact msummers@menlo.church