1)Listen to Podcast here
2) GG Questions 04/01/2018
Easter: Seeing Is Believing John 20
1. Close Reading: After praying for God to enlighten your mind, read through John 20 a couple times, slowly. Look for these three things: LIGHTBULB – something that shines from the passage, draws your attention; QUESTION MARK – something difficult to understand; ARROW – a personal application. Share the results of your study with your group.
2. Seeing Is Believing?: Thomas is not the only one who doubted (John 20:25) before seeing Jesus (20:27). Mary and the disciples also had their doubts (20:9, 13) brushed aside by a personal visit from Jesus (20:16, 20). Have you ever wished for such a personal visit? However… were there some who saw Jesus’ miracles but remained blind to His identity (9:26-34, 39)? And, who/what plants faith in our hearts, our sight or our God (6:44)? What does the Bible teach (20:29) about those like us who have not seen (17:20), but trust God and take Him at His word anyway?
3. Spirit-filled and Sent: ‘As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you’, Jesus told His disciples. The gospel of John constantly refers to Jesus as the one sent from heaven (3:17; 4:34; 6:38-39). Who now has the Sent One become (4:38; 17:18)? Do you think of yourself as being ‘on mission’? How does seeing God as a missionary help us better fill that role (1 John 2:6)?
4. John’s Purpose Statement: John 20:31 reveals the grand purpose statement of John’s entire gospel: “[these SIGNS] are written so that you may BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have LIFE in his name.” John records specific signs (seven of them!) to engender a specific faith (that Jesus is the Messiah + Son of God). How did you first come to believe that Jesus is your God (20:28)? Has God worked subsequent signs in your life which grew your faith? Have you considered how a testimony of these signs might encourage faith in others?
