week of 5/14

Unit 21  Session 2

AMAZED BY THE MESSIAH

LUKE 4

Jesus' power over evil and sickness showed people that He is the Messiah, the One Who had come to usher in God's kingdom.

In contrasting the rejection of Jesus in His hometown with the events that followed later in Capernaum, Luke purposely drew a comparison between these two narratives.Though the Nazarenes demanded Jesus give them a miraculous sign, He responded with a rebuke. But in Capernaum, Jesus provided several displays of His power. Though we may not always know why Jesus worked one way in one place and worked another way elsewhere, we can trust that He is omniscient omnipotent, sovereign, and perfectly working out His will to do the will of His Father.

Points to consider:

✞   Jesus' powerful teaching prompts astonishment.

     * How should we balance strategy with faith in 

        and dependence on the Holy Spirit in our 

        ministry efforts?

     * What does it mean to teach with authority today?

✞   Jesus' power over unclean spirits fuels amazement.

     * Why might we struggle to recognize the work of

        demons today?

     *What does it say about us when we don't obey 

       God's command?

✞   Jesus' proclamation of the gospel reveals His mission.  

     * How did the actions of Christ reveal His mission?

       

week of 5/7

Unit 21  Session 1

REJECTION OF THE MESSIAH

LUKE 4

Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah Who came to bring good news to all people.

With a view toward presenting proof of messiahship, Luke presented an orderly account of the life of Jesus through his Gospel. Filled with connections to the Old Testament, the Gospel of Luke recounts the power of Jesus, the Christ, and affirms the prophecies fulfilled in the events that unfolded throughout His life. Jesus began His public ministry in the insignificant village of Nazareth, His hometown. Here an incredible moment occurred. Jesus attended a local synagogue service, as He had many times before. But in this particular service, Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph, would claim to be the long-awaited Savior and turn this small town on its head.

Points to consider:

✞   Jesus is the Messiah bringing good news to Israel.

     * What characteristics of our triune God are 

        reflected in this passage?

     * If Jesus fulfills God's ultimate promise and 

        purpose, how should we view our salvation 

        through Christ?

✞   Jesus is the Prophet bringing grace to the world.

     * What are some reasons why people might refuse 

        to listen to God's mouthpieces?

     *How would you describe the relationship between 

       saving faith and works?

✞   Jesus is the Son experiencing rejection by His own.  

     * Why is admitting our sin so hard to do? 

       

week of 4/30

 Unit 20  Session 3

THE SON EMBODIES DIVINE LOVE

1 CORINTHIANS 13 ; 1 JOHN 4

God, Who in His essence is love, has called on people to love one another according to His love for them.

In his letter known as 1 John, the apostle John, one of Jesus' disciples, exhorted his readers to be on guard against false prophets. His readers must not be caught up in worldly errors but know "the Spirit of truth" (1 John 4:6). John then went on to point his readers to the importance of love in their relationships with  one another. This love is rooted in the love of God for His people. Knowing "the Spirit of truth" should lead to love that looks like God's love for us. Our love for our fellow Christians is rooted in the gospel. Belief in the gospel should lead to love for other believers and for the whole world.

Points to consider:

✞   The Nature of Love

     * How does the Bible's description 

        of love contrast with the world's 

        view of love?

     * What are some ways people can 

        misunderstand God's love?

✞   The Primacy of Love

     * Why do you think we find it 

        difficult to love others?

✞   The Character of Love  

     * Paul's list is not exhaustive in 

        terms of what love is or is not. 

        What would you add to the list?

     * What can you do to help you 

        love better? 

week of 4/23

Unit 20  Session 2

THE SON OFFERS LIVING WATER

JOHN 4

Jesus promised the Samaritan woman that all who believe in Him receive living water - the Holy Spirit - Who completely satisfies the longings of the heart and enables true worship of God.

Jesus was returning home to Galilee after some time spent in Judea. Instead of going around the region of Samaria, He went through it. While in Samaria, He stopped at a well and interacted with a Samaritan woman who was known for her immoral lifestyle, seeking satisfaction from the pleasures of the world. Jesus met her and promised that He could give her living water - the Holy Spirit - Who would completely satisfy her deepest longings.

Points to consider:

✞   The Son gives living water.

     * With what types of people might we 

        find it difficult to share the good 

        news of Jesus?

✞   The Son enables true worship.

     * Why are truth and the Holy Spirit 

        necessary for our worship of God?

✞   The Son provides an abundant harvest.  

     * Why is evangelism so important to God?

     * How can we have a stronger sense of 

        urgency in sharing with others the good 

        news of Jesus? 

week of 4/16

Unit 20  Session 1

THE SON BRINGS ETERNAL LIFE

JOHN 3

Jesus came to earth so that those who believe in Him would escape condemnation and have eternal life.

John began his Gospel helping his readers understand that Jesus is God and pre-existed at creation and was active in creation. He continued with John the Baptist and his pointing to Jesus as the Lamb of God. He then moved to the beginning of Jesus' ministry as He gathered disciples. In Chapter 2, Jesus turned water into wine and began to show people how He is able to transform things in His power for His glory. His zeal for the Lord is unmatched. Chapter 3, then, begins with one of the Pharisees, Nicodemus, approaching Jesus at night. Nicodemus wanted to talk with Jesus about the signs Jesus was doing.

Points to consider:

✞   The Son came so that people might 

     experience new birth.

     * How should a biblical understanding 

        of regeneration inform our evangelism?

✞   The Son came so that people might 

     have eternal life.

     * What is the present reality and future 

        expectation for one who doesn't believe 

        in Jesus?

✞   The Son came so that people might 

     escape condemnation.  

     * Why should we not brush aside sins, 

        even "small" ones? 

     * Why is sin so tempting and desirable 

        at times? 

week of 4/9

Unit 19  Session 6

THE SAVIOR IS OUR SACRIFICE

JOHN 2 ; 1 cORINTHIANS 5 ; HEBREWS 10

Jesus came to be the ultimate sacrifice to pay for the sins of the world and bring people into relationship with God.

Easter week is a vivid reminder of Jesus' purpose and work, the reason why He was born into this world as a human being. We focus on the cross and resurrection at Easter since this week commemorates these key events in Jesus' life. However, all the way back at His birth, the descriptions used of Jesus pointed forward to the way His life would lead to His sacrificial death. These descriptions also point back to the Old Testament as many of the images that foreshadowed His death were woven into the story of God from long ago - such as the temple and the sacrificial system.

Points to consider:

✞   Jesus came to be the greater temple.

     * What do you think of when you 

        hear the word temple?

     * How is the temple of Jesus' body 

        better than the temple building?

✞   Jesus came to be the greater Passover Lamb.

     * How should the church treat sin and 

        sinful people?

✞   Jesus came to be the greater sacrifice.   

     * How would you feel if you had to offer 

        sacrifices for sin year after year? 

week of 4/2

Unit 19  Session 5

THE SAVIOR IS FOLLOWED

JOHN 1

Jesus invited His first followers into relationship with Him and promised that they would experience great things.

John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the world as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He understood Jesus's role from the start. Jesus was the sacrificial substitute, laying down His life for His people. John again, the following day, called Jesus the Lamb of God (John 1:36), specifically telling two of his own disciples, allowing them to follow Jesus and become His disciples. The call to follow the Lamb is the foundation of John's Gospel and the basis for the entire story of the Bible. From cover to cover, the Bible invites the reader to look at Jesus, follow Him, and be saved.

Points to consider:

✞   The Messiah invites others to follow Him.

     * What does it mean to follow Jesus for 

        the modern reader?

     * Why is it sometimes difficult to share 

        about Jesus with others?

✞   The Messiah reveals His identity by His power.

     * What names of Jesus resonate with you 

        at this point in your life, and why?

✞   The Messiah promises greater things to come.   

     * What causes you to believe that Jesus 

        really is Who He says He is? 

     * Who do you say that Jesus is?