Sermon Discussion Guide
The Ten Commandments | The Jealous God | Exodus 20:4-6

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 Exodus 20:1-17

The Second Commandment: Three Commandments in One

• The second commandment actually contains three commands: don't make an idol, don't bow down to it, don't serve it. What do you think the significance of that progression is? Why does it matter that it moves from making to bowing to serving?
• Looking back, can you recall a time when you could see this progression happening in your own life, where something went from desire to devotion to control without you fully realizing it?
• Romans 6:16 says that whatever you offer yourself to, you become a slave of. Some of the symptoms of that slavery might be constant anger, anxiety, isolation, addiction, and the inability to forgive or let things go. What are some other symptoms of slavery? Do any of these land close to home? Which ones are hardest to admit?

Hebrew Cosmology and the Stakes

• The Bible assumes a populated heaven with real spiritual forces, not just competing philosophies or ideologies. How does that land for you? Does it raise the stakes of idolatry for you, or does it feel hard to accept?
• All of us were raised with a modern, western worldview that explains everything through cause and effect: science, medicine, psychology, and economics. How does it sit with you to consider that there might be a spiritual dimension to the struggles you face that your rational mind can't fully account for?
• Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10 that the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons. What do you think it means practically that the things we turn to for control can become genuine spiritual captivity?

A Jealous God

• A jealous God is not a controlling God but a fighting God, one willing to give everything for the person he loves. How does the cross look different when you see it through the lens of divine jealousy rather than just divine justice?
• A jealous God will do whatever it takes for you to have a chance at freedom, peace, joy, and love. Is there an area of your life where you need to receive that freedom right now rather than keep fighting for control on your own?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Ten Commandments | First Things | Exodus 20:3

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 Exodus 20:1-17

Who Has Your Heart

• Exodus 20:3 says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Consider the use of the word ‘have’ in marriage (Will you have this woman?) How does that imagery deepen your understanding of this commandment?
• What are some modern “rival gods” that compete for our trust, affection, and loyalty?

Disordered Desires
David Foster Wallace, This Is Water (Commencement Speech, Kenyon College),
“… in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship…is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive.
If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It’s the truth. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure, and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you. …Worship power, you will end up feeling weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to numb you to your own fear. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. But the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they’re evil or sinful, it’s that they’re unconscious. They are default settings. They’re the kind of worship you just gradually slip into, day after day… without ever being fully aware that that’s what you’re doing."

• Idolatry is not just doing the wrong things, but loving the wrong things in the wrong order. Where do you see this in your own life?
• Why do even good things (like family, success, or security) become dangerous when they become the ultimate things?

You Cannot Serve Two Masters 

• Read Matthew 6:19-24. What stands out to you in Jesus’ teaching?
• Jesus says, “You cannot serve both God and money.” Why do you think money is such a powerful rival to God?
• How do you see tension between trusting God and trusting money in your own life?

Worry and Worship

• Read Matthew 6:25-34. How does Jesus connect worry to what we worship?
• The sermon suggests that worry can be a sign of misplaced trust. Do you find that to be true in your own life?
• How might you personally “seek first the kingdom of God”?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Ten Commandments | The First Word | Exodus 20:2

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 Exodus 20:1-17

Grace Before Law

• Most people start reading the Ten Commandments in verse 3, not verse 2. What are some dangers of skipping over verse 2?
• How does starting with grace rather than rules change the way you think about your relationship with God?
• Fleming Rutledge says, "The Bible is first, last, and always about God." How does that land for you? Does it challenge the way you normally read Scripture?

Who Do You Belong To?

• Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6 that "you are not your own, you were bought at a price." How does it feel to hear that you belong to Jesus rather than to yourself? Where do you resist this? Where does it bring you joy?
• Where in your life do you most feel the pull of what the sermon called "Sovereign Individualism" — the belief that you are the king or queen of your own life?

Every Path Comes with Commandments

• Take some time to name some of the “cultural commandments” of our day. (Examples: You shall decide for yourself what is right? You shall overspend trying to keep up with others. You shall cut others out of your life.)
• Is there a specific area of your life you find yourself obeying cultural commandments? 

I am the LORD your God.

• The Israelites were rescued before they deserved it, before they earned it, before they even knew what was coming. Is there something you are carrying right now that you need to let God rescue you from? 

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 21:15-25

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 21:15-25

Grace is Comforting

• What do you think Peter expected from Jesus in this moment? How does Jesus’ actual response differ?
• How is Jesus’ posture toward Peter different from the way you speak to yourself?

Grace is Challenging

• Why does Jesus press into Peter’s failure instead of avoiding it?
• The sermon said, “Self-forgiveness is impossible.” Do you agree with that, or do you struggle with it? Why?
• How is Jesus’ response to Peter different from how we usually deal with guilt and shame?

Grace is Personal

• Peter immediately compares himself to another disciple. Why do we tend to do the same?
• Jesus responds: “What is that to you? You must follow me.”
   What does that reveal about how God works in our lives?

Grace Has the Last Word

• How does Peter’s future (including suffering) reshape our understanding of grace?
• Why is it important that grace is not just the beginning of the Christian life, but the whole of it?
• Where are you tempted to believe that failure, shame, or circumstances have the final word instead of grace?

Closing Prayer

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 21:1-14

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 21:1-14

Jesus Uses Imperfect People

• Notice who John lifts up by name: Peter (The Denier), Thomas (The Doubter), Nathaniel (The Cynic). What do you think someone has to be like for God to really use them? Where do you think those expectations came from (church culture, comparison, personality, upbringing)?
• Do you ever compare yourself to other Christians and feel like you don’t measure up? In what ways?

Jesus is the Fisherman

• Reflect on how you came to faith in Christ. Was it like a light switch or a dimmer switch? Who were the people involved who helped you come closer and cross the line of trusting in Jesus?
• How does the idea that God is already at work in people’s lives (before you show up) change your perspective?

Jesus Wants a Relationship

• Notice how the story ends with a meal rather than a command. Why do you think Jesus focuses on eating with them instead of immediately giving instructions? How is this related to the people Jesus chooses as “fishermen”?
• What are the primary practices in your life that help you spend time with Jesus and not just do things for Jesus?

Put It In Practice

• Reflect on the simple prayer, “Here I am, send me.”  What’s your honest reaction to the prayer: “Here I am, send me”? Does that prayer feel exciting, intimidating, or something else? Why?
• What makes that prayer difficult to pray sincerely? What do you think you’re risking if you pray that prayer?
• What do you think God is actually like when He “sends” someone?

Closing Prayer

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