John 4:43-54

1. What insight, principle, or observation from this weekend’s message did you find to be most helpful or eye opening?  Explain.

2. When was the last time you saw God do a miracle in your life, a specific answer to your prayers?  When, what, how and who.

3. Jesus went to Galilee, back where he performed His first recorded miracle at the wedding. Why did He go back there instead of staying in Jerusalem?  Read Matthew 13:57-58. Jesus left one “holy” place because of their lack of faith to look for a place that had faith (not a known “holy place”) in order to perform His miracles.  How can we link that to today’s times and churches and our Christian lives?

4. What is holding so many back from having the kind of faith that God performs miracles through?

5. Read John 4:47-48. I believe Jesus response was to the crowd and not to the father since He said, “you people”.  What is Jesus saying about many who call on Him?  What is your view on the “ME CHURCH” mentality (I better get what I want or I’m leaving mentality)?

6. Read John 4:49-53 and 1 John 5:14-15.  How important is it to know God’s promises (will)? Is knowing what Jesus said enough or do we have to believe like the father did? How did the father show faith after Jesus agreed to heal his son?  How important is to act upon our belief? How do we do that?  When is a time you acted or didn’t act on your faith?  What did you learn from it?

7. Read John 14:13. I believe that this is the most important part of our prayers. What does John 14:13 say is the key to answered prayers, what does the answer need to do in the end? How should this change our prayer request?

John 4:27-45

1. What insight, principle, or observation from this weekend’s message did you find to be most helpful or eye opening?  Explain.

2. In John 4:27 what were the disciples so amazed about? Why do you think they were so amazed? Have you ever discovered a Biblical truth that is different than what you were brought up being taught? (Role of women, music, husband/wife relationship, use of alcohol, church governance…) How did you handle it? Did you change how you thought to fit the Bible? Read Proverbs 3:5-6.

3. Read John 4:31-34.  What was Jesus disciples concerned about? What was Jesus concerned about?  Why are so many church goes more concerned about where and when they are going to eat lunch than taking in God’s Word and Worshiping? What needs to change to in our hearts to be more like Jesus and more concerned about learning and doing the will of God? Read Luke 10:39-42. Who do you identify with more?

4. Read John 4:35-38. Jesus said these words immediately after saying that His food is to do the will of God; do you think there is a connection here? What is it? What is Jesus trying to teach us here? What are you going to do about it? Read Matthew 9:37. Why do you think so many are unwilling? Is there any good excuse?

5. Read John 4:28-30,39-42.  What was the result of the Samaritan’s woman’s personal testimony?  Do you think that all “true Christians” should have a personal encounter with Jesus at some point in there life? Don’t we always say it’s a “personal relationship”? Doesn’t that imply that we know Jesus personally, even outside of what we have read about Him?

6. Read John 9:25 and Mark 5:18-20.  What did Jesus tell the man, healed of demons, who wanted to follow Him? What does Jesus tell people today that want to be His followers?

7. Break up and practice sharing your personal testimony with someone in the group.  Will you commit to sharing Jesus with the lost?

John 4:17-26

1. What insight, principle, or observation from this weekend’s message did you find to be most helpful or eye opening?  Explain.

2. Read John 4:17-20. Have you ever tried to share your faith and have the person you’re talking with take you down theological rabbit trails?  When?  How frustrating was it? Why do you think they divert from talking about Jesus, the cross and the need for forgiveness? (Read John 3:19-20).

3. Read John 4:23-24.  What is God looking for? If God is seeking true worshipers then there must be false worshipers. How can God tell the difference between a true worshiper and a false worshiper? Can we tell the difference?

4. Do you ever struggle with staying focus and not day dreaming during worship? How does a true worshiper worship (John 4:23-34)?  What does it mean to worship in the spirit? When was the last time that you really felt that you were in the spirit when you were worshiping? If we are not in the spirit are we worshiping or just singing? How does it make you feel knowing that many peoples singing doesn’t go any farther than the ceiling of the church (not up to heaven)?

5. What does it mean when Jesus says that a true worshiper worships in truth?  (Read Mark 7:6-8). How or should we make time to prepare our hearts before we worship? Read Psalm 51:2,3,10-12,15-17. Read Luke 18:10-14, how does this apply to worshiping in truth?

6. Who or what should be the center of our worship? Read Philippians 2:9-11.  I asked “what” because so many think worship is more about a style than the person Jesus. Why is “worship” such a divider of the church?  Who do many make worship about, themselves or Jesus?

7. What can you do from this point forward to assure that you are a true worshiper?

Sermon-based Bible Study Questions

John 1:14-18

1. What insight, principle, or observation from this weekend’s message did you find to be most helpful or eye opening?  Explain.

2. When you hear the word GRACE what comes to mind, what is your definition?  When you hear the word TRUTH what comes to mind, what is your definition?

3. Which do you tend to be more concerned with: Truth or Grace?  What are some of the negatives of being too one sided on these two attributes?

4. Read John 1:14-15.  Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins and John was about 6 months older.  If John was older than Jesus why did he say what he said in verse 15?

5. Read John 1:16-17 & Romans 5:20.  What is the purpose of the Law (God’s commandments [Rom. 3:20])? How does  knowing God’s grace is always greater than our sin make you want to respond?  To sin more  or less? Why?

6. In Sunday’s sermon we heard many examples of Jesus dealing with people in sin: The woman at the well, The adulteress, Peter’s denial… How did He balance truth and grace?

7. Jesus was perfectly balanced in grace and truth (John 1:14; full= perfect).  Do you know of some churches that are gracious but  lacking in truth and what is the result of that?  Do you know of some churches that are strong in truth but lacking in grace and what is the   result of that?  Where would you say CBC is on that scale?  Where  would you say you’re on that scale of truth and grace?

8. Is there someone in your life that you haven’t forgiven?