Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 19:17-42

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 19:17-42

• As you read this passage, what details or moments stand out to you? Why?

The Loss of Jesus

• The sermon described Jesus as being stripped of honor (mocked as king). In what way do you see people chasing honor, recognition, or status? Do you personally feel that pull?
• Jesus is stripped of dignity and publicly shamed. Why is shame such a powerful part of the human experience? In what ways do people try to cover or manage their shame?
• On the cross, Jesus is isolated—separated from even those closest to him. How have you seen sin lead to isolation or broken relationships in your life or others’ lives?
• Jesus experiences abandonment and cries out in thirst. What are some ways people try to satisfy their deeper “thirst” apart from God?
• Jesus ultimately loses his life. Why is it important to face the reality of death when thinking about sin and the human condition?

Grace

• John Stott writes in The Cross of Christ,  “Before we can see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.” What does that statement stir in you? What does this teach us about the cross? 
• The gift of grace means that God does for us what we can’t do for ourselves. Why is that hard for people to accept? 
• The cross challenges both “religious” people (who focus on what we do for God) and “spiritual” people (who focus on what makes us feel good). Which of those do you tend to drift toward, and why?
• Why do you think it’s so natural for us to turn Christianity into something we do (performance) or something we feel (experience), instead of receiving it as grace?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 18:28-19:16

Gathering Question
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 18:28-19:16

Questioning Christ

• What do you notice about the questions Pilate asks Jesus? What about the answers that Jesus gives? Compare and contrast the two.
• Why doesn’t Jesus give straight answers to the questions asked of him?
• How do you tend to respond when accusations are made against you? Why do you respond this way?

You Can’t Handle the Truth

• Why is Truth such a significant focus for John?
• Read John 4:24, 8:40, 14:6, 15:26, and 18:37. What do these passages reveal about the nature of Truth?
• How does our culture view truth, and how does Jesus’ trial inform how we engage in that conversation?

The Good and Beautiful God

• In what way was Jesus “good” and “beautiful” throughout the journey from his arrest to his crucifixion?
• What is the danger in trying to display goodness, beauty, or truth without having all three?
• What would it be like if the people of God demonstrated goodness, beauty, and truth simultaneously?

The Way of the Cross

• Why do goodness, beauty, and truth lead to Jesus losing the trial? Ultimately, this is a good thing. Why?
• Bonhoeffer said, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die” (The Cost of Discipleship). What does this mean for us?
• The sermon said that “we don’t go to the cross; we go through the cross.” How does this reality give us hope? How does it prepare us for the Christian life?

Put Into Practice

• Between goodness, beauty, and truth, which is the hardest for you to demonstrate? What would it be like if Christ changed you in that area?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 18.15-27

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions
What stood out to you in the sermon?
What insights did you gain?
What questions did it raise?

Read John 18.15-27

Peter and His Denial
How have you thought about Peter’s denial? How has it been personal for you?
When you think about Peter’s denial, are you surprised that Jesus seeks to bring him back to the table?

Jesus and his trial
Jesus is mostly quiet in his trial. How do you want Jesus to react? How would you have reacted?

Isaiah describes the lamb of God as never saying a word (Isa 53.7) – Read all of Isaiah 53 – how does this inform Jesus as he stands before Annas, and then Pilate? How does this challenge or encourage you?

The Woman and her Questions

• John Wesley said the woman asked Peter if he was one of Jesus’ followers, without any design to hurt him. How does being afraid contribute to our mishearing of questions?
• The woman joins a panoply of other women who are significant in the gospel. Who in John’s gospel stands out as significant to you, and why?

Closing Prayer – you might want to use this prayer of confession 
“A Liturgy for Those Who Have Done Harm” (edited) in Every Moment Holy, Vol. 1 (237-241)

My soul is chastened within me, O God…
 
I have harmed another, O Lord, and now, I have neither peace nor rest.
Yet, I recognize in my own agitation the stirrings of your Spirit
Who works in us, ever for our good.
 
I have run from your presence and from my conscience,
But I would run no more, O Lord
 
I have hidden myself in shadows, seeking to avoid your face,
Even as did my father Adam and my mother Eve in their first guilt
 
… I confess, O God, that I have broken faith, broken trust, wounded another,
And for this I repent …
I am always, every moment, in need of you. Amen.

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 18:1-14

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 18:1-14

Peter and the Sword

• Why do you think Peter reaches for the sword?
• The sermon said, “Rational thought and fear don’t coexist.”
  • When have you experienced that to be true?
• In what ways do we “grab swords” today? (Control, anger, reputation management, overworking, withdrawal, etc.)
• Why does grabbing control feel safer than trusting God?

Jesus’ Identity, Power, and Purpose

• What stands out to you about Jesus’ composure in this moment?
• Why is it significant that Jesus steps forward instead of hiding?
• The sermon emphasized that encountering the true God is overwhelming rather than merely comforting. How does that challenge modern ideas about spirituality?
• How does Jesus’ power make His surrender even more meaningful?

Theology of Glory or Theology of the Cross (Martin Luther, 1518)

• Theology of Glory (Trusts in human ability, Seeks visible victory, Grasps for control, Wants a powerful Messiah)
• Theology of the Cross (Trusts what God has done, Accepts weakness, Surrenders control, Receives a crucified Savior)
• Which theology feels more natural to you?
• Where do you see “theology of glory” creeping into Christian culture?
• Why is it hard to accept that God often works through weakness?
• How does Jesus drinking the cup instead of using the sword redefine strength?
• How does knowing Jesus willingly stepped between you and judgment change your ability to surrender control?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 17

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 17

The Church is One

• Read 1 Cor 12:12-20. What is the difference between unity and uniformity?
• Where do you see real Christian unity across differences?
• Is there a church tradition you’ve been dismissive of? 

The Church is Holy

• What does Jesus mean by “sanctify them in the truth”?
• How is holiness different from moral superiority?
• How can a church be holy while still full of sinners?

The Church is Catholic (Universal)

• How does belonging to the global and historic church guard us from arrogance?
• How does it protect us from isolation?
• What are some challenges to the “catholic” nature of the church today?

The Church is Apostolic

• When you hear “apostolic,” do you think more about authority, mission, history, or doctrine? Why?
• What are subtle ways we might elevate personal experience over apostolic teaching?
• The apostles were sent ones. In what sense is the church still “sent” today?
• How does being apostolic shape how we think about evangelism?

What does this mean for us?

• Which of the four marks challenges you most right now?
• Which gives you the most comfort?
• Where do you see your church reflecting these marks well?
• Where do we need growth?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 16:16-33

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 16:16-33

The Paradox of Joy

• Why do you think today’s society works so hard to avoid grief and sadness?
• What are some common ways that we try to “manage” or escape sadness?
• How is Jesus’ promise different from the idea that we can manufacture our own joy?
• Have you ever experienced joy that came through hardship rather than around it?

The Paradox of Acceptance

• What do you normally think of when you say, “In Jesus’ name”?
• Why is “self-forgiveness” ultimately insufficient?
• Do you ever find yourself trying to prove, earn, or justify yourself?
• Jesus was rejected on the cross so that we could be accepted. What would it mean to actually receive Christ’s forgiveness rather than attempt to generate your own?

The Paradox of Victory

• Why does the cross look like defeat from a worldly perspective?
• What kinds of “trouble” do you personally find most destabilizing?
• How does Jesus’ statement, “I have overcome the world,” reshape how we interpret suffering?
• Can you give an example of something - in your current situation - that feels overwhelming or out of control?
• How might viewing that situation through the lens of the cross change your perspective?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 15:26-16:15

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 15:26-16:15

• Name all the ways you see the activity of the Holy Spirit in this passage. 

Concerning sin.

• When you think of “sin,” what typically comes to mind? How does Jesus’ definition (unbelief) expand or challenge that?
• What is the difference between worldly guilt and the Spirit’s conviction?
• Can you think of a time when conviction led you not into despair, but into deeper dependence on Christ?

Concerning righteousness.

• Where are you most tempted to try to “prove” your righteousness?
• How does knowing that Christ’s righteousness is given to you change the way you relate to God?
• What is the difference between trying to earn God’s approval and living from God’s approval?
• What is the fruit in our lives of understanding righteousness as a gift? 

Concerning judgment.

• How do you typically think about “judgment”?
• What does it mean that “the ruler of this world is judged”? How does that reshape the way you see evil and suffering?
• How does the reality of Christ’s victory affect:
  • Your daily temptations?
  • Your anxieties?
  • Your view of the future?
• Where do you need to trust that God’s final verdict is already settled?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 15:18-25

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 15:18-25

Reality of Persecution

• How do you respond to Jesus’ assumption of persecution for his followers? What would that assumption mean to us today in our context?
• Persecution comes in “different shapes and sizes.” What kinds of losses or oppositions feel most realistic in our context?

Reason for Persecution

• Why do you think Jesus’ message is acceptable as moral advice but offensive as ultimate truth?
• What’s the difference between Jesus being part of your life and being the source of your life?
• How does the world tend to answer the deep questions of life, like: “Who am I?” “What gives my life value?” “What makes me secure?” “What is the purpose of my life?” Why is it threatening to the world when someone no longer relies on the same answers for themselves?
• Can you think of a time when choosing to rely on Jesus—even quietly—made you feel out of step with others?

Response to Persecution

• How did Jesus respond when he was misunderstood, rejected, or falsely accused?
• Why is defensiveness often our default reaction when we feel challenged or threatened?
• Our response to opposition reveals who we belong to. What kinds of responses suggest belonging to the world? What kinds of responses reflect belonging to Christ?
• What do you think it looks like, practically, to respond with patience, humility, and love without becoming passive or silent about truth?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 15:1-17
 
Gathering Question 
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon?
• What insights did you gain?
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 15.1-17
 
Jesus the True Vine

• What other “vines”, or sources of life, do we turn to? What kinds of things do religious (we) people seek to add to the fullness of Jesus?
• Read Acts 15.1-21 - how did the early church work through this question in such a way that the Jewish teaching gave insight to Gentiles, and Christ continued to be the True Vine?

We are Chosen, Grafted In, Pruned/Cleaned
- John Wesley had three ways the Lord works to prune us:
1) by obeying the truth
2) Inward suffering
3) Outward sufferings
How have you sensed the Lord present in your life in these ways? Have you found it good?

We are Invited to Abide/Remain in Him….It’s a choice
- NT Wright said, “No such thing as a solitary Christian - we can’t go it alone.” How does corporate worship, or a group, help you abide in Him?
- What are some ways you abide in Him on a personal level?

We are meant to bear Fruit
Four marks of fruit-bearing are in the text:
1) Bold Praying and answers
2) Joy
3) Extreme Friendship
4) to Love as Jesus does

How do these marks line up with your expectations of fruit-bearing? What do you normally think of as being “Spiritual Fruit”? How do these marks encourage or challenge you?

Clement of Alexandria remarked: “He lets the justice from his veins flow in support of the branches… and in the Eucharist we find an antidote to our grief.”
Take heart, dear friend, in his giving of life, we live and are healed.

Closing Prayer

Kind Father,
What an invitation
To remain in You,
To have your life surging in us.
Yet similar invitations come
from every corner of the world.
Our hearts go astray and
We know the fruitlessness…
time, talent, treasure given for that which is not life.
Open our ears anew.
Graft us into the vine.
Bind us to Jesus with faith, hope, and love.
May his life surge in this life…
Amen.

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 14:15-31

Gathering Question
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 14:15-31

Who is the Holy Spirit?

• Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “another advocate” (v16-17). What does this teach us about the relationship between Jesus and the Spirit?
• Different translations use different words for “the Advocate”: Helper, Counselor, Friend, Comforter. Which of these most resonates with you and why?
• Jesus consistently refers to the Holy Spirit with the personal pronoun “he”. The Holy Spirit is a “who”, not a “what’. What practical difference does it make to remember that the Holy Spirit is personal, not impersonal?

What does the Holy Spirit do?

• Read verses 26-27. What specific things does Jesus say that the Spirit will do? How does a Christian practically experience the work of the Holy Spirit? 
• In this passage, why does Jesus repeatedly connect love, obedience, and the Holy Spirit (vv. 15, 21, 23-24)?

The Almost Christian vs The Altogether Christian

• The Almost Christian leads a moral, upright, religiously active life; but lacks a lived experience of God’s love. The Altogether Christian is marked by the love of God dwelling in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. 
• Why do you think an Almost Christian life might look convincing from the outside?
• When do you feel the most tension between outward faith practices and inward spiritual life?
• When you examine your inner life, what words best describe it: love, peace, and joy…or anxiety, striving, and restlessness?

How do we receive the Holy Spirit?

• How does the promise that the Spirit “abides” or “makes his home” with believers change how you think about your daily life?
• Why is it important to remember that the Spirit is a gift? 
• When you think about your life, in what areas do you feel that you need the Holy Spirit’s help the most: guidance, comfort, conviction, peace, or transformation?
• Do you feel that you’ve been trying to live the Christian life through effort, rather than dependence?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 14:1-14

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 14:1-14

The Comfort: In my Father’s house are many rooms.”

• A more literal translation: in my Father’s house are many “abodes.” Reflect on the importance of the abode/abide theme in John (i.e., John 6:56, 8:31, 15:4). How does this connection change or deepen your understanding of heaven?
• What difference does it make to think of heaven primarily as being with God (abide) rather than getting things (mansions)?
• How does belonging to God’s family bring peace to our troubled hearts?

The Question: How do we get this?

• Thomas asks:  “How can we know the way?” What do you think he expected to hear?
• What are the ways people often think are the ways to peace for our troubled hearts? 

The Challenge: I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

• Jesus says, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” What emotions or reactions does that statement bring up for you?
• Modern values assume every way/road/path is valid. This puts the pressure for peace, for happiness, for joy on us. Where do you see pressure in your life to depend primarily on yourself?
• How have you experienced Jesus as the Only Road as good news?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 13:18-38

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 13:18-38

• How does the footwashing inform what it means to love one another?

Judas

• What stands out to you about Judas in this passage? 
• What does Judas' story teach us about hidden and unchecked sin?

Peter

• Why do you think Peter thought laying down his life was something he could do?
• How does it change things to realize Jesus doesn’t need us to save him—but saves us?

John

• John calls himself the beloved disciple. How is “being loved by Jesus” different from “loving Jesus”?
• What would change in your life if you truly saw yourself as a “beloved disciple”?

Love One Another

• Love is not just an idea, but a way of life. What makes it easier to talk about love than to actually live it? For you, what gets in the way of loving real people in real situations?
• Love is a way of life lived with real people. Why is it easier to love the idea of the church than the actual people in it? How does remembering who was at Jesus’ table help reframe disappointment with the church today?

Closing Prayer

Aims & Outcomes
We aim to give a robust, 9-12 month ministry immersion experience that allows a person to explore a call to vocational ministry as a long-term life pursuit. Residents could include, but are not limited to: recent high school graduates, college students, recent college graduates, those considering a career change, and those who have recently retired. The purpose of the residency is to help a Resident gain clarity on their next step, which could include deciding whether or not to pursue a ministry undergraduate or graduate degree, as well as whether to begin interviewing with churches.

The Schweitzer Residency Program focuses on the following three areas:

1. Ministry Experience
Residents work 40 hours a week alongside Schweitzer Church staff, gaining hands-on leadership
experience. Residents will:

• Be given real-life ministry responsibilities.
• Lead and disciple teams.
• Enter fully into the worshiping and discipleship life of Schweitzer.
• Be exposed to every type of ministry at Schweitzer during the first semester, with a more specific ministry focus emerging during the second semester.

2. Mentorship
A pastor will serve as the primary Mentor for the resident, providing regular coaching, discipleship, and encouragement throughout the program. This relationship is designed to foster spiritual growth, leadership development, and practical ministry insight.

3. Ministry Training
Residents spend 4 days each week engaging in hands-on ministry, followed by 1 day each week of processing and training sessions focused on:

• Leadership and spiritual formation
• Practical ministry skills
• Biblical and theological studies
• Organizational and team leadership

Compensation & Evaluation

• Residents receive a monthly stipend of $1,600 + housing for 9-12 months, beginning Jan/Aug.
• If the Mentor recommends a certain conference or leadership development experience, those fees and costs will be covered by Schweitzer, up to $1,500.
• The Schweitzer Employment Policy will be the essential guide for all employment matters, including sick days. Residents will be given 2 weeks of vacation time.
• Schweitzer is an at-will employer. Therefore, if conduct is unbecoming or inappropriate, the agreement may be terminated without notice.

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 12:37-50

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

What is a hard heart?

• When you hear the phrase “hard heart”, what comes to mind?
• Based on the passage, how would you define a “hard heart”?
• Jesus says, “I came into the world as a light” (v. 46). How does walking in darkness relate to having a hard heart?

How do we get a hard heart?

• John 12:39-40 says that God has hardened their hearts, while John 12:43 says they have hard hearts because they love human praise more than praise from God. How might you respond to this tension? 
• How does the mystery of “100% God’s Sovereignty, 100% our choice” challenge the way you think of your life in Christ?
• Which false narrative do you tend to drift towards: “everything is on my shoulders” or “my life can never change”? How does the mystery of the gospel correct these false narratives?

What do we do about a hard heart?

• John 12:43 says that people love human glory/praise more than God’s glory. What does “living for human glory” mean to you?
• Think through John 12 as a whole (Mary’s worship, the triumphal entry, Jesus’ prayer “Father, glorify Your name”). How does this chapter call us to live for God’s glory?
• How do you discern whether God is at the center of your life—or whether you’ve placed yourself there?
• How might God invite you to surrender, trust, or obey Him right now?

Wesley Covenant Prayer
“I am not my own. I am yours alone.
Make me into what you will.
Rank me with those you will.
Put me to use for you.
Put me to suffering for you.
Let me be employed for you.
Let me be laid aside for you.
Let me be lifted high for you.
Let me be brought low for you.
Let me be full or let me be empty.
Let me have all things or let me have nothing.
With a willing heart, I freely give everything to your pleasure and disposal.”

• Which line of the prayer most resonates with your current season?
• Which line is the hardest for you to pray honestly?
• What might change in your heart or in your life if you prayed this prayer regularly?
• End by praying the Wesley Covenant Prayer together.

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 12:20-36

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 12:20-36

The Glory of God

• When you think about the word Glory, what naturally comes to mind?
• Where do you most easily give “weight” to things that are ultimately light?
• What helps you keep God’s glory—His weight, importance, and worth—in the center?

John Stott:
 “There is no greater cleavage between faith and unbelief than in their respective
attitudes to the cross. Where faith sees glory, unbelief sees only disgrace. What was foolishness to Greeks and continues to be to modern intellectuals who trust in their own wisdom, is nevertheless the wisdom of God. And what remains a stumbling block to those who trust in their own righteousness, like the Jewish leaders of the first century, proves to be the saving power of God.
The cross is where Christians “...have found their pride broken, their guilt expunged, their love kindled, their hope restored, and their character transformed.” (The Cross of Christ)

• Why is the cross such a paradox—both disgrace and glory?
• How does the cross reveal what truly matters to God?

My Soul is Troubled

• When your soul is troubled, what is your natural response?
• How does praising God help you put your troubles in their proper place?
• How do you practice obedience when life is confusing, painful, or overwhelming?

He Shares His Glory

• How have you experienced the sharing of God’s peace, joy, and strength as you’ve drawn closer to Him?
• How is Jesus inviting you to praise Him, trust Him, or surrender something to Him?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 12:12-19

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions
 What stood out to you in the sermon?
 What insights did you gain?
 What questions did it raise?
 
Read John 12:12-19
 

• In this passage, Jesus doesn’t speak a word. What do you imagine Jesus was thinking?
• John says that many in the crowd had been there when Jesus raised Lazarus, and they could not keep quiet about it. What have you seen Jesus do that you cannot keep silent about? What has God done that you find yourself sharing with others?
• John says that in riding on the donkey’s colt, Jesus fulfills a prophecy. How does the text of the Old Testament speak and describe Jesus to you? Do you anticipate meeting Jesus there? Why or why not?
• The crowd cheers for the coming of the King. What are the expectations you have of Jesus’ role as King? What does the saying Christ is King mean to you?
• The disciples “didn’t understand” until Jesus had entered his glory. What does this say to you?

Read 1 Corinthians 13 – especially verses 11 &12.
How has the Lord brought things into clarity the longer you’ve walked with him? What are you still waiting to be made clear?

John Wesley said, “The design of God’s providential dispensations is seldom understood at first. We ought therefore to believe, though we do not understand, and to give ourselves to the Divine disposal. The great work of faith is to embrace things we know not, but shall know.” (Notes on the NT)

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 12:1-11

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 12:1-11

• Reflect on Martha’s service. How do you see Martha expressing love for Jesus through service? 
• Reflect on Lazarus’ presence at the table. Lazarus simply sits at the table with Jesus. Why is his presence itself such a powerful witness? 
• Reflect on Mary’s devotion. What words would you use to describe Mary’s act? Strange? Extravagant? Beautiful? Costly?

The Worth of Jesus

• The sermon defined worship as giving worth. What are some things people commonly treat as “worthy” in our culture?
• In your own life, what tends to compete with Jesus for the highest place of worth?

Extravagant Worship and Resistant Objections

• Mary gave Jesus her best—financially costly and emotionally valuable. What might “your very best” look like in your life today?
• Why do you think a life of worship often looks foolish or wasteful to the watching world?

The Fragrance Fills the House

• John says, “The house was filled with the fragrance.” What does that image stir in you?
• How does wholehearted worship change the atmosphere of a home, a workplace, a church?
• What is one area of your life where Jesus is inviting you to trust him with something precious?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 11:38-57

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 11:38-57

The Sign at the Tomb

• What do you think this sign—the raising of Lazarus—reveals about who Jesus is?
• What do you think it means when Jesus tells the people, “Take away the stone,” and later, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go”?
• After witnessing this event, some believed, while others plotted to kill Jesus.
  What does that tell us about how people respond to Jesus’ signs even today?

Life From Death

• Reflect on this quote from Charles Spurgeon, “We are dead by nature, and you can never produce life out of death: the essential elements are wanting… from human nature the last spark of heavenly life is gone, and it is vain to seek for life among the dead…  The life of every Christian is Christ. He is the beginning of life, being the Resurrection: when he comes to us, we live. Regeneration is the result of contact with Christ: we are born again unto living hope by his resurrection from the dead. The life of the Christian in its commencement is in Christ alone; not a fragment of it is from himself, and the continuance of that life is equally the same; Jesus is not only the resurrection to begin with, but also the life to go on with. To look to self is to turn to a broken cistern which can hold no water. I tell you, you must learn that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Anything that is beyond the circle of Christ is death.” 
• What stands out to you? What challenges you? What encourages you?
• What does it mean for you to confess that Jesus is your life and not just the giver of it?
• What are some ways that you are tempted to look to yourself for life, rather than to Jesus?

Do You Believe?

• Read John 11:25-26 again. Do you notice the different ways he speaks of belief? 
• How does believing that Jesus is the resurrection and the life require letting go of self-reliance?
• How do you move from “I believe this in theory” to “I trust this with my whole life”?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 11:17-37

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 11:17-37

God with us

• How do you see the incarnation (Jesus is fully God, fully man) expressed in John 11? 
• How does knowing that God experiences human sorrow change the way you think about his presence in suffering?
• Was there a time in your life that you sensed God’s nearness most clearly through pain rather than through ease?
• Read Hebrews 4:14-16. How do Jesus’ tears in John 11 give you confidence to come to Him with your own grief, fear, or failure? What keeps people from honestly bringing these things before Him?

The furious love of Jesus

• “Standing before the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus is outraged. Why? Evil is not normal. The world was created good and beautiful. But now he has entered his Father’s world that had become ruined and broken. And his reaction? He was furious. Jesus wept at the pain and sorrow caused by the enemy invasion that had devastated his beautiful creation” (Nancy Pearcey, Love Thy Body). How does this perspective change the way you think about Jesus’ emotions in John 11:35?
• How does it change your view of God to know that He hates death and evil, instead of just tolerating them?
• In what ways do you see this same “furious love” leading Jesus to the cross?
• How might this kind of love shape how we respond to the brokenness of the world — injustice, suffering, or sin?
• How does Jesus’ anger at death give you hope when you face loss, disappointment, or fear?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John |  11:1-16

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 11:1-16

The Silence of Jesus | John 11:6 “He stayed where he was two more days.”

• Why do you think Jesus delayed going to Bethany, even though He loved Lazarus and his sisters?
• How do you usually respond when God seems slow or silent? Fear, frustration, doubt, trust?

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

• Put yourself in Paul’s shoes. How would you feel if God hadn’t removed the “thorn”?
• What does it mean that God said, “My grace is sufficient for you”?
• How does weakness and dependence actually draw us closer to God?

Contract or Covenant

• How would you describe the difference between a contractual and covenantal view of God?
• What might “contractual” faith look like in everyday life?
• How does understanding your relationship with God as covenantal change the way you see suffering or silence?

The Cross as the Constant

• Why is it so easy to measure God’s goodness based on our individual circumstances?
• How can we re-center our hearts on the cross when life feels dark or confusing?
• Is there an aspect of your current situation that makes you feel like you’re waiting on God in silence?
• How can you remind yourself that His grace is enough — practically, daily?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 10:22-42

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 10:22-42

• John 10 takes place during the Festival of Dedication (Hanukkah) — a holiday celebrating Judas Maccabeus’  (“The Hammer”)  military victory and the purification of the Temple. Why do you think John emphasizes this setting for Jesus’ teaching on eternal security? What might the people have expected a new “Messiah” to be like during Hanukkah?
• Judas Maccabeus used force to drive out Israel’s enemies. Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. How do these two leaders represent opposite understandings of power? Which kind of power feels more natural or appealing in our world today—and why?
• Judas “The Hammer” offers worldly security; Jesus the Good Shepherd offers eternal security. What are some examples of the kind of worldly security people seek today—and why do those often feel more tangible or reliable than what Jesus offers? How does trusting in eternal security through Jesus change the way we handle fear, control, or uncertainty in everyday life?

Read Romans 8:31-39

• Romans 8:38-39 assures us that nothing can separate us from God’s love. How does this promise of eternal security give you confidence and hope in the middle of suffering?
• Paul experienced hardship, persecution, and loss, yet he writes about God’s unshakable love. How does his example show that being secure in Christ doesn’t prevent suffering, but provides strength and assurance through it?

Why We Suffer: Our Own Bad Decisions

• Can you think of a time when God used consequences to bring you back to Him?
• How does being “secure in Christ” give you courage to repent and return?

Why We Suffer: None of Our Decisions

• What helps you stay grounded in God’s love when life makes no sense?
• How can the group support one another in seasons like that?

Why We Suffer: Our Own Good Decisions

• What forms of “suffering” or discomfort come with following Jesus today?
• What might it look like for you to embrace that discomfort as part of trusting Him?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 10:8-21

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer:
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 10:8-21

The Good Shepherd Knows His Sheep

• Reflect on the thought exercise about your past self. How does Jesus’ knowledge of your past, present, and future foolishness give you comfort or conviction?
• What does it mean for Jesus to know us fully and still love us? How does that contrast with human relationships you’ve experienced?

The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life

• Jesus’ sacrifice elevates the value of the sheep to the level of the shepherd. How does this truth affect your understanding of your own worth?
• Why is it significant that Jesus’ sacrificial love is personal? He lays down His life for the sheep He knows? How does this make His love different from general acts of kindness or care?

Find Your Value in God

• How do you see Jesus as the Good Shepherd speaking to you about your worth? 
• Contrast this message with what we hear from the world about our worth. 

Come to the Good Shepherd (in all your sheepness)

• Reflect on Luther’s statement, “…we should so preach Christ as one who will reject nobody, however weak he may be; but will gladly receive and comfort and strengthen everybody; we must always picture him to ourselves as a good shepherd.” (From: Of the Office of Preaching). How does Luther’s description of Christ challenge the way we sometimes view God’s standards for who is “acceptable” or “worthy” of His attention?
• What does this teach us about our ministry to those outside the church?

Follow the Good Shepherd

• Psalm 23 begins with “The LORD is my shepherd; I lack nothing.” How does knowing that Jesus lays down His life for you change the way you respond to the areas in your life where you feel lacking or insecure?
• Psalm 23 says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” How does the Good Shepherd’s presence shape the way you face uncertainties?
• Psalm 23 speaks of guidance (“He leads me beside quiet waters; He refreshes my soul”). What are some steps you have taken to learn how to hear and be led by the voice of the Good Shepherd?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 10:1-10

Gathering Question:
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would you guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 10:1-10

I am the Gate

• Reflect on Martin Luther’s 5 Solas: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone), Sola Gratia (Grace Alone), Sola Fide (Faith Alone), Soli Deo Gloria (To the Glory of God Alone), Solus Christus (Christ Alone). How is “Christ alone” good news?

Life

• Jesus describes life in him as “abundant” or “full.” How is this different from how our culture defines “the good life”?
• When have you felt most alive in your faith — not just busy, but deeply connected to God?
• If “abundant life” is more about depth than comfort, how have hard seasons deepened your experience of life with Christ?
• Where do you sense God inviting you to slow down, simplify, or trust him more so that his life can grow in you?

Christ is the Low-Gateway

• Augustine writes, “Christ the Lord is a low gateway: he who enters by this gate must humble himself, that he may be able to enter with head unharmed. But he that humbles not, but exalts himself, wishes to climb over the wall; and he that climbs over the wall, is exalted only to fall.” (Tractates on John: Tractate 45)
• Connect the “low gateway” to the incarnation: God stooping low for us.  How does that help us understand why the gate must be low?
• What does it mean, practically, to “stoop low” in order to enter through Christ?
• Can you think of a time when humility opened a spiritual door for you — or pride kept one closed?
• How might surrendering or confessing something specific make more room for God’s life in you?
• The “low gate” means everyone can enter — but no one can enter standing tall. What does that say about equality and grace in the Kingdom of God?
• Where might God be inviting you to kneel — to lower yourself in attitude, expectations, or control — in order to follow Jesus more fully?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Gospel of John | John 9:13-41

Gathering Question
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 9:13-41 (you might want to break this up for multiple readers)

• How do you see the conflict in this story grow from start to finish?
• What stands out to you about the healed man’s responses compared to the Pharisees’?

Spiritual Blindness

• How did the Pharisees show they were blind, even though they were devout, Bible-reading, religious leaders?
• What do you think it means today to be “blind” in a spiritual sense?

Seeing Sin

• Read Ephesians 2:1-3. Summarize this teaching about the human condition in your own words. How do you react to this description? 
• Why is it so easy to see sin in others but hard to see it in ourselves?
• Why is confessing our sin actually good news rather than bad news?

Seeing Grace

• Read Ephesians 2:4-10. Summarize in your own words this teaching about God’s grace. How do you react to this description?
• Why can’t we understand grace until we first understand sin?
• Share a moment when God opened your eyes to his grace in a fresh way.

Spiritual Sight

• The London Times once wrote an editorial titled “What is Wrong with the World?” 

G.K. Chesterston responded with: “Dear Sir, I am. Yours, G.K. Chesterton.”
How does Chesterton’s response articulate the Christian position on sin and grace? How does his response challenge our cultural thinking today?

• By the end, the formerly blind man is worshipping Jesus. The only person in the gospel of John to worship Jesus. Why do you think worship is the natural response when our spiritual eyes are opened to both our sin and God’s grace?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Gospel of John | John 9:1-12

Gathering Question:
Can you think of a time when you felt completely insufficient for a task or situation? How did you respond?

Gathering Prayer:
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 9:1-12

Prevenient Grace | Definition: God’s grace goes before us, working even when we have no ability to see him or seek him.

• What stands out to you about Jesus noticing and approaching the man who had no capacity to see Him?
• Can you think of a time in your life where God worked in your life before you were even aware of Him?
• What might it look like in your daily life to be aware of prevenient grace at work around you?

Justifying Grace | Definition: God has already done the work of salvation; our role is to trust and respond.

• Reflect on Romans 5:8. If Christ died for us while we were still sinners, what does that tell you about God’s initiative in salvation compared to our own efforts? In what ways does trusting that God’s love and sacrifice are already complete change how you approach prayer, repentance, or daily decisions?
• How does understanding justifying grace change the way you think about repentance, faith, or forgiveness?

Sanctifying Grace | Definition: God transforms us so we don’t return to our old ways.

• How did the man’s life visibly change after he received his sight? How do you see this reflected in your own spiritual growth?
• In what ways has God been reshaping you over time—your thoughts, habits, or relationships?
• Why is it important to remember that God’s grace doesn’t stop at the “first step” of faith?

“The gospel is not just the ABCs but the A to Z of the Christian life. It is inaccurate to think the gospel is what saves non-Christians, and then Christians mature by trying hard to live according to biblical principles. It is more accurate to say that we are saved by believing the gospel, and then we are transformed in every part of our minds, hearts, and lives by believing the gospel more and more deeply as life goes on.” (Tim Keller, Center Church)

• If the gospel is the “A to Z” of the Christian life, not just the ABCs, what are some areas in your own life where you might rely on your effort instead of believing the gospel more deeply, and how could this story of John 9 reshape that?

Closing Prayer