GIG Guide by Shawn Young - Ministry Exchange (MX)

John 3:1-18 A New Birth

. Describe what has been your spiritual journey and where you are currently. . Read the Passage . What can we learn about Nicodemus? What does he want from Jesus? (Why does he come at night?) . Jesus’ response seems out of the blue.Why does Jesus respond like he did? . How did Jesus and Nicodemus differ in their ideas of what “born again” means? What does it mean to be born again? (hint: start with what it is to be born) . What images come to mind when you hear that phrase? . What does the wind analogy mean? (hint: you can’t see the wind but you can observe it effects of blowing leaves and bending trees) How is this different than our sayings, “Turn over a new leaf”, or “Make a fresh start”? . Jesus mentioned a bronze snake in verse 13 (see Numbers 21:4-9). What does this have to do with Jesus? How is it linked to eternal (or never- ending) life? . What was God’s reason for sending Jesus into the world (in verses 16-17)? What happens to those who believe in Jesus? To those who don’t? (18) . Why do you think believing in Jesus is necessary to receive eternal life? (hint: Jesus is God’s only son, sent to save the world. There isn’t another son, or a better way). . Application: If you could talk to Jesus alone, what would you say? What would you ask for? John 3: 1-18

After dark one evening, a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a
Pharisee, 2 came to speak with Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “we all know that
God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are proof enough that
God is with you.”

3 Jesus replied, “I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never
see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back
into his mother’s womb and be born again?” 5 Jesus replied, “The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God
without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only
human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. 7 So don’t be
surprised at my statement that you must be born again. 8 Just as you can
hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so
you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” 9 “What do you mean?” Nicodemus asked. 10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t
understand these things? 11 I assure you, I am telling you what we know and
have seen, and yet you won’t believe us. 12 But if you don’t even believe
me when I tell you about things that happen here on earth, how can you
possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven? 13 For only I,
the Son of Man, have come to earth and will return to heaven again. 14 And
as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the
Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, 15 so that everyone who believes
in me will have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God
did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
18 “There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not
trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of
God.[1]
John 2:1-11 The Life of the Party . Warm-up: What’s the best part of a wedding reception? . Take a minute to read the excerpt (John 2: 1-11). . If you were throwing a big party, would you invite Jesus? Why? What would Jesus be like at a party? . What is the problem at the wedding? How would it feel for the bride and groom to run out of wine at their wedding? (Note: huge deal if host runs out of wine. Hospitality and saving face are crucial elements in eastern culture). . What happens? How much wine was made? What is this wine like? . These waterpots were meant exclusively for religious purposes-”ceremonial purposes”-but Jesus fills them with wine. What’s the hidden meaning in this? . What do you think was going through the servant’s minds when they presented the water from the jars for the steward to drink? What do the servants get because they acted on Jesus’ words? . Who in the text understands the miracle? What do you think they “believed” about Jesus? . What symbolic meaning could there be in the wine itself? How is it forecasting what will happen to Jesus later? (Wine is red, like blood. God “saved the best wine” and then poured it out for everyone at the cross. This “wine” will clean the inside of a person versus the old water that only cleaned the outside). . Leader: (Tell a story about an area of your life where you have run out wine and Jesus filled that void with his good wine.) . What area of your life are you out of wine in? How can you be like the servants and obey Jesus and see some serious glory?

Part 2: Cracking the Whip (John 2: 12-25)

. To the temple: What did Jesus find at the temple? And what does he do about it? . Why was he so ticked off? . How does he answer their interrogation? What is he saying about himself? (Hint: he equates himself with the temple. He is the new temple). What are the implications of this? . What do we learn about Jesus from these two accounts (the wedding and the whip)? How does he overturn what we might expect from the son of God, or a great religious leader? (At a party, where you would think he would be judgmental of what’s happening there, he makes more wine; then at the temple, where you might think he would feel at home and affirm what was happening, he acts in violent judgment). . What are some ways people try to exploit or profit from religion today? How do you think Jesus would react to it? . If you had personally witnessed both these events, what reasons would you have for believing in Jesus (or not believing in him)? John 2: 1-11

The next day Jesus’ mother was a guest at a wedding celebration in the
village of Cana in Galilee. 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to
the celebration. 3 The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so
Jesus’ mother spoke to him about the problem. “They have no more wine,” she
told him.

4 “How does that concern you and me?” Jesus asked. “My time has not yet
come.” 5 But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Six stone waterpots were standing there; they were used for Jewish
ceremonial purposes and held twenty to thirty gallons each. 7 Jesus told
the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled to
the brim, 8 he said, “Dip some out and take it to the master of
ceremonies.” So they followed his instructions. 9 When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not
knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he
called the bridegroom over. 10 “Usually a host serves the best wine first,”
he said. “Then, when everyone is full and doesn’t care, he brings out the
less expensive wines. But you have kept the best until now!” 11 This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was Jesus’ first display of
his glory. And his disciples believed in him. John 2: 13-25 13 It was time for the annual Passover celebration, and Jesus went to
Jerusalem. 14 In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep,
and doves for sacrifices; and he saw money changers behind their counters.
15 Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple.
He drove out the sheep and oxen, scattered the money changers’ coins over
the floor, and turned over their tables. 16 Then, going over to the people
who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Don’t turn my
Father’s house into a marketplace!” 17 Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures:
“Passion for God’s house burns within me.” 18 “What right do you have to do these things?” the Jewish leaders
demanded. “If you have this authority from God, show us a miraculous sign
to prove it.” 19 “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I
will raise it up.” 20 “What!” they exclaimed. “It took forty-six years to build this Temple,
and you can do it in three days?” 21 But by “this temple,” Jesus meant his
body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, the disciples remembered that
he had said this. And they believed both Jesus and the Scriptures.
23 Because of the miraculous signs he did in Jerusalem at the Passover
celebration, many people were convinced that he was indeed the Messiah.[2]

Mark 4: Parable of the Soils

. Warm-up: Describe a time in your life when you were especially open to learning new things. . Read Mark 4:1-9 . What did you hear? What leads you to believe this is something we should not blow off as a simple farming story? . Compare the four soils and what happened to each. . Read Jesus’ explanation of the story: (Mark 4:14-20) . What would it look like for a person to be “hard hearted” after hearing God’s message? . What trouble or “persecution” might a person experience for being excited about God’s message? What do you think these people need? . Look at the list of things that crowd out the Good News in the thorny soil. How could these things prevent God’s message from growing in a person’s life? . What makes a person “fertile soil” to God? . How has God’s word been sown in you? (Can you see how you are a part of the story now?) . Which type of soil best describes you so far? . What steps can you take to be like the good soil? What would it mean for you to “produce a harvest” in your own life? Mark 4: 1-9

Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. There was such a large
crowd along the shore that he got into a boat and sat down and spoke from
there. 2 He began to teach the people by telling many stories such as this
one:
3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. 4 As he scattered it
across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate
it. 5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plant
sprang up quickly, 6 but it soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died
because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil. 7 Other seed fell
among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades so that it
produced no grain. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil and produced a
crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been
planted.” Then he said, 9 “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and
understand!”

Mark 4: 14-20
13 “But if you can’t understand this story, how will you understand all the
others I am going to tell? 14 The farmer I talked about is the one who
brings God’s message to others. 15 The seed that fell on the hard path
represents those who hear the message, but then Satan comes at once and
takes it away from them. 16 The rocky soil represents those who hear the
message and receive it with joy. 17 But like young plants in such soil,
their roots don’t go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt
as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the
word. 18 The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good
News, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of
this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop
is produced. 20 But the good soil represents those who hear and accept
God’s message and produce a huge harvest-thirty, sixty, or even a hundred
times as much as had been planted.”[3]
John 4:4-30 Spiritual Thirst . Warm Up: What things give you the most satisfaction in your life? . Warmer Up: What people or places have you been taught “good people” don’t associate with? Are there neighborhoods that you were taught not to go to when you were younger? Are there people that “good Americans” would never be associated with? . Read the excerpt. . How does the woman react when Jesus asks her for a drink? Why is she so shocked or surprised? . How many times is the word Samaria or Samaritan mentioned in the first 9 verses? What’s the big deal about Jesus stopping in Samaria? (Samaria was originally part of Israel, but there was a civil war and many years of terrible fighting. Jews hated Samaritans ever since. On top of this, men didn’t normally address women directly). . What did you notice about the flow of this conversation between Jesus and the woman? How well are they connecting with each other?—Why is that? . What’s different or unique about the water Jesus is describing to the woman? . What does Jesus seem interested in? What is he preoccupied with in this conversation? . How does this woman’s “thirst” emerge as she’s talking with Jesus? . In v. 16, Jesus seems to abruptly change the subject-”Go call your husband and come back”. What were they talking about before this? What’s the connection? . Why do you suppose she brought up the old religious disagreement between Jews and Samaritans about where you should worship? How does Jesus keep the conversation from turning into a pointless debate? . Do you think she was aware that she had a spiritual thirst before meeting Jesus? What did he do to help her discover and understand her own thirst for God? . Why do you think he approached the woman the way he did? Why didn’t he simply explain that he was the Messiah right from the beginning? . What conversations, events or circumstances have made you more aware of your own spiritual thirst? . The woman in this passage didn’t recognize (until Jesus showed her) that she was trying to satisfy her thirst for God with relationships. Why is it so easy to confuse emotional needs with spiritual needs? . How else do people go about satisfying their thirst for God? . Why do you think the woman left her water jar at the well? What could that mean? . When are you most aware of your own spiritual thirst? . Look back at how Jesus described the living water. What about this description would make you want to experience it yourself? John 4: 4-30 4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the
Samaritan village of Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to
his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long
walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman
came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He
was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to
buy some food. 9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with
Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman.
Why are you asking me for a drink?” 10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I
am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” 11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this is a
very deep well. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, are
you greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well? How can you
offer better water than he and his sons and his cattle enjoyed?” 13 Jesus replied, “People soon become thirsty again after drinking this
water. 14 But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It
becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life.” 15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me some of that water! Then I’ll
never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to haul water.” 16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband-18 for you have had
five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with
now.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is
it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while
we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors
worshiped?” 21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, the time is coming when it will no longer
matter whether you worship the Father here or in Jerusalem. 22 You
Samaritans know so little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all
about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time is coming
and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit
and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that
way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit
and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah will come-the one who is called
Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” 27 Just then his disciples arrived. They were astonished to find him talking to a woman, but none of them asked him why he was doing it or what they had been discussing. 28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and went back to the village and told everyone, 29 “Come and meet a man who told me everything I ever did! Can this be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him.[4]———————————-
[1]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[2]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[3]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[4]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc.) 1996.