Announcements
1. We are having a new members class on October 21st and 28th! They will be held at 10:00am in the center for contemporary arts. These classes are for anyone who have been attending the well for a while and want to learn more about our membership covenant.
2. We are also moving back down to 3 services starting on October 21st for the rest of the fall.
Theme
Drawing on content from the passages and the sermon, this week’s guide will focus on Loving through Discipleship as an essential part of what it means to follow Jesus.
Passages
John 3:1-15
Numbers 21:4-9
Summary
Nicodemus seeks out Jesus to have a conversation at night where Jesus tells him how someone can “seek the Kingdom of God.” It is not what Nicodemus expected. In all of the metaphors Jesus describes (rebirth, the wind, raising up the Son of Man like the serpent) the message is clear: Salvation is not something we do ourselves. It is God who saves.
Discussion
What stood out to you from the passage?
Think again about how JR described the conviction and commitment of the life of a Pharisee:
Commitment to the Scriptures: Pharisees would have been seen as scholars and theologians.
Commitment to Discipline: Pharisees would have tried to conform every part of their life to the teaching of Scripture, striving for righteousness and purity.
Commitment to Evangelism: The Pharisees were zealous in their desire to make converts.
How could it be that Nicodemus was so committed to these good things and still be so far from understanding what it meant to be saved? Which of these things do you feel most drawn to?
Abilene is often seen as having a dominant Christian culture. You’re pretty much always just 10 minutes from a Christian university and there is a “church on every corner.” How does this make the job of “making disciples” more difficult in our community? Do you see ways in which our culture is similar to that of the Pharisees?
Suggested Activity
Open the conversation up for a discussion about making disciples. The goal here is to address the fact that many of us are intimidated by the prospect of sharing the Gospel or our own testimony. Consider using some of the following questions to have an open, honest conversation about evangelism and discipleship:
What scares you about trying to share the Gospel?
What are some ways you’ve seen evangelism go bad?
What are some ways you’ve seen it go really well?
Who in your life needs to hear the Gospel? What do you think you should do?
How can we help each other with this?
Prayer
Pray for the people in our lives who need to hear the Gospel and that the Spirit would encourage us in our role to disciple those people.
