SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:4, John 11:20-26, & Romans 12:9-18

YOU CAN FIND THE SCRIPT FOR THIS WEEK’S SERMON HERE.

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Do you have experience with grief you would be willing to share? 

2. Why is it important to allow ourselves and others to experience the grief process without rushing it?

3. How does Jesus's response to Lazarus's death demonstrate the importance of empathy and understanding in the face of grief?

4. What does it mean to be 'Resurrection People' as described in Romans 12:9-18?

5. How can you apply the principles of being a 'Resurrection People' to your everyday life?

6. How do the Beatitudes, specifically the second Beatitude about mourning, help us understand the core message of Jesus's ministry?

WEEK 5 // A SAVIOR WHO LIVES

SCRIPTURE: John 20 

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Jesus’s biography is the one and only biography in history which doesn’t end in death! Take some time to think this through and wrestle with it: why is this an important belief for Christians? What would it mean? Is it something you believe?

2. Paul said that “believe” is the most important word in John’s gospel. What do you think John means by this term? What do you think this term means? What are some things you “believe” in?

3. What do you think John means when he asks that we “believe” in Jesus? What does that include? How do we do it?

4. When she sees Jesus near the tomb, Mary mistakes him for “a gardener.” Paul suggested this is an important word! What is significant about “gardens” in Jesus’s world? What hope might we find here?

5. Think about Thomas: is there something wrong with his desire to seek proof of Jesus’s resurrection? How does Jesus respond to him? How do you think Jesus responds to our own doubts?

What do you think “full commitment” looks like for us?

SCRIPTURE: John 12:13, 13:12-16, 17:6-11, 18:33-39, & 19:19-22

YOU CAN ALSO READ KENNY’S MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS SERMON HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What’s your pick for Best Picture tonight? Can anything slow down Oppenheimer’s momentum?

2. Okay, that was a silly question! More seriously: do you ever question God’s ability to really understand what it’s like to be a regular human being? Are there parts of your own experience you might doubt God’s ability to feel/see? 

3. In your opinion, what is so important about Jesus's role as both a communicator of God's message to us and a full participant in human experiences?

4. How do you feel knowing that Jesus, as both God and human, understands your personal struggles and experiences?

5. What challenges do you face in accepting God's love and closeness? Is it sometimes easier for you to imagine that God is “far away”? Why might that be?

Using John 19:30 ('It is finished') as a reference, discuss the idea that Jesus's crucifixion symbolizes the completion of his mission to bridge the gap between humanity and divinity.

SCRIPTURE: John 18

YOU CAN ALSO READ THIS WEEK’S MANUSCRIPT HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What are some of the Lent or Easter season traditions you have experienced before? Are there any traditions you’ve heard of and would like to learn more about?

2. Let’s talk about commitment: what does the word mean to you? What are some examples of commitment in your own life? 

3. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus says “I AM” when asked about his identity–which is the same name God gives to Himself in conversation with Moses in Exodus 3. What might the significance of this be? Why does it matter if Jesus “is God”? 

4. Why do you think Peter strikes the servant (Malchus!) on the night Jesus is arrested? Do you relate to Peter’s story in John 16-18? How so?

5. When Peter is asked if he is a disciple of Jesus, he says, “I am not.” What do you think is going on in his heart/mind?

Kenny’s big point this morning is that we’re all committed to something… but it might not be the right thing. Think about this statement in your own context: what changes might be important, in terms of your own “commitments”?

SCRIPTURE: John 14-16

READ THE MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS WEEK’S SERMON HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Do you ever feel afraid of God? Where does that fear come from? 

2. How might what you know/read about Jesus’s relationship with the disciples serve to calm that fear? What do we see in Jesus that can help us trust God more?

3. What have you heard or read about the Holy Spirit before? How does that compare to what Jesus says about “the Advocate” in John 14-16?

4. Kenny said that the Holy Spirit is the last step in God’s plan to rebuild intimacy with us. How might this plan work? If you are a Christian, have you ever experienced intimacy with God before? 

5. All intimate relationships require more than feelings of love! They also require a sense of safety that can foster genuine vulnerability and trust. Would you use any of those words to describe your relationship with God? What needs to change in order for your relationship with God to be more intimate?

SCRIPTURE: John 13:1-17

AS ALWAYS, YOU CAN READ THE MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS SERMON HERE!

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What is the “ending” of Jesus’s story? Where is all of this heading?

2. How does knowing the ending help us better understand (and trust) Jesus’s actions in John 13?

3. Kenny talked about the historic problem of God’s apparent distance from us (in the Tabernacle, in the Temple, et. al.). Have you ever felt like God was unapproachable? Have you ever feared God’s judgment of you?

4. How might Jesus’s choice to wash the disciples’ feet relieve that fear? What does it teach us about God’s heart?

5. Why was Peter initially resistant to having his feet washed by Jesus? 

6. Have there been times when you've resisted receiving God's help or love in your life? How can you be more open to allowing God to 'serve' you?

7. Do you have a memory of accepting God’s love for you, as revealed in Jesus? Do you identify as a Christian, or a follower of Jesus? 

8. If you do have this memory, what sometimes keeps you from “feeling” it or remembering it in your day-to-day life? 

9. How might allowing Jesus to serve you–and to save you–transform the way you think about serving others?

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 1:1-2, Matthew 5:1-5

***READ THIS WEEK’S MANUSCRIPT HERE!***

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. How has this conversation affected your understanding of what it means to be “blessed”?

2. Have you ever felt “poor in spirit”? Are you feeling that way now? Share your experience with a trusted friend.

3. Do you think it really is possible that moments of feeling “poor in spirit” bring you closer to the experience of God’s presence or love?

4. Read the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. Are there “blessings” here you are excited to learn more about? What resonates with you?

5. One of the most surprising things about a Christian worldview is that we believe the Kingdom of God has drawn near. This means it isn’t something coming way down the line or some place far away! Rather, Jesus gives us immediate access to God’s presence. How might this discovery challenge your own worldview? 

6. Who do you know right now who might be feeling “poor in spirit”? How can you draw near to them in this moment and be an encouragement or support? 

7. How does understanding the Beatitudes as definitions of living in alignment with the good life, instead of instructions, affect your approach to these sayings?

SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 27:17 & Galatians 6:2

MANUSCRIPT LINK

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What have you learned in this series so far? Where is it pushing you? How can you better connect with the “purpose” you might have in this church community?

2. Let’s talk about Proverbs 27:17… what did you make of Kenny’s revision of what it means for “iron [to] sharpen iron”? Did it resonate with your own experiences trying to correct or challenge the behaviors of a friend?

3. If Kenny’s reading is right, the bigger question Proverbs 27:17 prompts is what is our whetstone (i.e. - what is the other substance we actually need to be sharpened/honed?). What do you think?

4. Have you ever experienced having one of your “burdens” shared by others in a church community? What was that like?

5. Have you ever shared someone else’s “burden”? What was that like? 

6. Kenny said the biggest obstacle to living out Galatians 6:2 is not knowing what burdens people are carrying. How can you make sure you’re asking for help when you need it? How can you do a better job of asking others to share their needs with you?

7. “The Church shares change”: discuss this “thesis statement” for the morning. What do you think it means? How can our church do this more consistently and intentionally?

SCRIPTURE: Romans 3:22-24, Ephesians 4:11-13, & Genesis 2:15, 18-23

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. In what ways have you experienced the benefits of being in a church community?

2. Do you ever feel tempted to try and “make it on your own”? Where do you think this feeling comes from? How might your relationship with God and/or other Christians challenge this approach?

3. What does Romans 3:22-24 tell us about living on our own without the help of others? What does the “commonness of sin” have to do with the story?

4. How does the idea of American consumerism influence the way we think about personal growth, and how does community challenge this perspective?

5. Ephesians 4:11-13 emphasizes the importance of diversity in roles within a community for personal growth. What is your role in your church community, and how do you see it contributing to the growth of others?

6. How can we ensure that we are loving others in our church community deeply, as described in 1 Corinthians 13:1?

7. What is one thing you can do this week to take a step closer to community?