DEVOTED: Here's Your Sign | November 16, 2025

November 16, 2025

"I never have any difficulty believing in miracles, since I experienced the miracle of a change in my own heart."

–Augustine of Hippo

IN THIS EMAIL

Shout Out: Mission of Hope Medical Mission Trip

Try This: For When You Don’t Know What to Pray

Bible Discovery: Luke 11:27-36

SHOUT OUT

Devoted followers of Christ at DCC

What an incredible week in the Dominican Republic!

Through God’s goodness and power, our team was able to treat over 800 patients, bringing hope and healing to communities in need. Beyond the medical care, we witnessed countless “God stories” that strengthened our faith and reminded us of His presence in every moment. One such story was when a little boy was fitted with a pair of glasses for the first time and was instantly able to see well enough to read from the Bible that he received before his appointment. Many of us observed him sitting in a chair, reading the entire time his mom was being treated by one of the doctors. It was so inspiring to see this little boy so eager to know Jesus through His Word! It was more than a mission trip; it was a living testimony of what happens when we step out in obedience and serve together as the body of Christ.

And the momentum doesn’t stop there! We can continue being the hands and feet of Jesus right here in Dane County through Door Creek On Mission Grants. These grants are available to any Door Creek attender who feels called to make a local impact, whether it’s serving neighbors, supporting community needs or launching a missional project. Let’s keep the spirit of the DR alive by loving our community with the same passion and purpose. Together, we can bring God’s hope and grace to all!

Written by: Tammy Wood, Door Creek on Mission Director

TRY THIS

Fresh ideas for spiritual growth

For When You Don’t Know What to Pray

Prayer is one of the most wonderful gifts we’ve been given. Because of Jesus’ saving work on the cross, we are never alone. We can come before God Almighty with confidence—knowing that He hears us and delights to hear from us. Prayer draws us near to the Lord and, in doing so, shapes and softens our hearts.

Yet prayer can also feel mysterious. There are times when words don’t come easily, when we don’t know what to say, when we don’t fully understand what’s happening within us or around us. In those moments, Scripture is our steady guide, our map.

The beauty of God’s Word is that it can guide our prayers in any season, emotion or circumstance. Whether we’re rejoicing, grieving, anxious or weary, Scripture gives us language to bring it all before the Lord. We can remember that our Father always knows our hearts. And in turning our hearts to Him in prayer, we are actively trusting Him.

Here are a few helpful ways to let Scripture shape your prayers:

Pray through the Psalms.

Enter your own name into a psalm, asking the Lord to cause your heart to cry out with the psalmist. Let the timeless prayers of God’s people give shape to your own.

Pick one verse or phrase to pray.

For example, take Proverbs 3:5. Pray: “Lord help me to trust you with all my heart and not lean on my own knowledge.” Let one verse be a simple cry of your heart throughout the day.

Take a section of Scripture you’ve been meditating on and rewrite it in your own words.

Take a journal and write out Scripture in your own words. This is not only a way to pray Scripture, but also a great way to internalize the truth of the Word in your heart.

In times of weariness and trouble, remember: the Holy Spirit prays in groans for you.

The Lord truly understands our smallness and weakness. In those times, we can be encouraged in Romans 8:26-27. Rest in the Spirit.

BIBLE DISCOVERY

Get more out of the message

LUKE: Cost of Discipleship

Luke 11:27-36

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We’re diving back into the Gospel of Luke. After nine chapters introducing us to Jesus and His call, Luke now takes us with Him on the road to Jerusalem (Luke 9-19). Along the way, we’ll hear some of Jesus’ most famous teachings and stories, as He shows us what it truly costs to follow Him and why following Him is worth everything.

WATCH: YouTube or Website

To print discussion questions: Select "File" > "Print" > change the print range to the pages you want, or save as a PDF. There are other options, i.e. printing pictures, including backgrounds, to be helpful. OR you can highlight the text of the sections you would like to print > right click the highlighted text > "Print" to only print (or save as pdf) the sections you would like.

The Big Idea

(What is the author's point?)

Jesus is our ultimate sign of our need for repentance.

Why It Matters

(Why is this relevant to us?)

Jesus is the ultimate sign revealing our need for repentance and God’s great love for us. We can often be tempted to ask God to prove Himself through our circumstances, but He has already given us the clearest proof in Christ. Through Jesus’s life, death and resurrection, God has shown us everything we need to know about His mercy and grace. When we turn from our sin and place our trust in Him, His light draws us out of darkness and transforms our hearts. This matters to us today because, in every season and situation, we can look to Jesus as the sure sign of God’s faithfulness and keep returning to Him in repentance and trust.

Good to Know

(What are some helpful insights into this passage?)

Verses 27-28 – This comment from the woman in the crowd is not meant to be a theological stance. Rather, Jesus's response is. He calls His listeners back to what He said in Luke 8:21, that loyalty to discipleship outweighs all other ties. And further, Jesus is encouraging the women who believed that their worth could only be found in their ability to have boys and raise them to “greatness.”

In vs. 29-32, Jesus is still responding to the crowd’s desire to see a sign from v 16. Jesus hones in on the fact that signs are meaningless when hearts are hardened (see John 12:9-11).

Why does Jesus bring up Jonah? Jesus knew his Jewish audience was very familiar with the story. They knew that Jonah had been saved from the belly of the fish and that the people of Nineveh had been moved to repentance. Not only was this a reminder of their need to respond rightly by repenting, but Jonah being in the belly of the fish for three days was also a foreshadow of Jesus’s death and resurrection.

Verses 31-32 – Who is the Queen of the South? Why is she mentioned? She was the Queen of Sheba seen in 1 Kings 10:1-13. After hearing of Solomon’s wisdom, she traveled months to meet him and test his knowledge for herself. After seeing Solomon, she believed and responded in praise to the Lord. Now Jesus, THE Son of God, is standing in front of them, and the people are still asking for more signs. Jesus is far greater than any prophet (Jonah), greater than any king (Solomon) and still the people refused to believe.

Verses 33-36 are complex and debated among scholars. Lamp was probably a metaphor for Jesus and His mission. And “eye” was not a literal eye, but rather your sight/perception of life.

Verse 36 – When a person is filled with the light of Christ, it will affect their whole being. It is only through repentance that we can be holistically transformed by Jesus.

THIS WEEK'S

Bible Discovery Author

Lavi Lazarus

Group Guide

Following the series with your group?

Start with some icebreaker questions.
Read the passage together before you dive in.
Share any insights from the message. Use the questions below to get your conversation started:

Conversation Starters

1. How does Jesus’ response to the woman in verse 28 challenge us today?

2. Why do you think the crowd kept asking Jesus for a sign, even after witnessing His miracles and teaching?

3. How does remembering Jesus as the ultimate sign of God’s love and mercy change the way we respond to challenges or doubts?

4. How have you experienced God’s transforming light through repentance?

5. Is there an area of your life where you sense Jesus asking you to fully trust Him rather than asking for another sign?

Prayer

Jesus, our Savior, thank you for being a kind King who draws us to repentance. Help us to look to your saving work on the cross in every season. May we be your people of light, always turning to you in trust and repentance. Amen.

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