Here’s a few sermon discussion questions to help our church love God by applying his word to our lives. Feel free to use these questions for personal reflection, alongside your family, within a smaller discipleship/journey group, or even within the context of your Life Group. If you missed Sunday’s sermon from John 8:12-30 you can view it online here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeQQ7rhEWSk&t=9s
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As mentioned on Sunday, John 7:53-8:11 is not found in the earliest manuscripts of the New Testament and thus we consider this text spurious. There is much to say about this text but also why we can trust the reliability of our bibles. Here is a commentary from the
ESV Study Bible on this passage:
There is considerable doubt that this story is part of John’s original Gospel, for it is absent from all of the oldest manuscripts. But there is nothing in it unworthy of sound doctrine. It seems best to view the story as something that probably happened during Jesus’ ministry but that was not originally part of what John wrote in his Gospel. Therefore it should not be considered as part of Scripture and should not be used as the basis for building any point of doctrine unless confirmed in Scripture.
For more information on this area of study known as textual criticism, we recommend the following resources:
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Here are a few questions to spur further reflection and discussion from Sunday’s sermon, The Light That Cannot Be Eclipsed:
TPQ:
Take some time and reflect (personally or as a group): In what ways do you benefit from light? You can go any direction with this question from the gift that light is all the way to technologies of daily life that depend on it – but think through specifically, what would life be like without light?
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As Jesus consistently does throughout the gospel of John, he’s using a physical reality to explain a spiritual truth. Pastor Aaron nailed home this idea that Jesus’ claim of being the light of the world is in-fact what we need to not just survive life (bios) but to thrive and have abundant life (zoe).
Can you think of passages or verses that high(light) this significance of light? How about specifically OT passages? See passages like Isaiah 9:6, 42:6, 49:6; Psalm 27:1, 119:105
How is Christ the fulfillment of these OT passages?
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What is our role now as a people who are united to Christ? (Matthew 13:43; Acts 13:47, 26:18-23; John 1:5-7)
Matthew 5:14-16 says we are the light of the world. We are to shine through our deeds to the unbelieving world so that people will glorify God. Can God be glorified by our deeds alone? What else is necessary for someone to glorify God?
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How would you answer the application question from the sermon…how are your personal watts of shining Christ? We all could be brighter but is the Holy Spirit teaching your or leading you to make some changes in your life so you shine brighter? Share tangibly how you, in the context of community, can increase your wattage.
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As the discourse between Jesus and the Pharisees continue, they begin to mock him. What are the 2 ways they mock Jesus in this passage?
How does Jesus bluntly respond?
Jesus is a fullness of grace and truth. When it comes to evangelism, many of us are heavy on the grace (serving, loving, caring) and light on the truth (severity of sin, need for a savior, repentance). Is there anyone in your life you need to be more explicit or blunt with about Jesus? How can your Life Group play a role in sharing with this person(s) the gracious truth of who Christ is and why he came to save sinners like you and I?
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Pray that the Lord would open doors: Colossians 4:2-6
Next Sunday’s passage: John 8:31-59
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