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Facing our Past, in the Present, Enables us to move Forward into our Future.
Here are a few of the verses that we centered on this morning: John 13:33-38 NLT and John 21:3-19.
STEP 1- Ice Breaker
Help people to loosen up and share. It will be helpful if someone is new to go around and do names and have each person share about a question and share a bit about themselves. CLICK HERE for ice breaker questions ideas.
Scriptures from Sunday: John 13:33-38 NLT and John 21:3-19
STEP 2- Take Time For Learning through Observation, Reflection & Discussion
(Group Leader Note: These are set questions meant to spur conversation. It may be helpful to watch/listen to the message together if people did not have a chance to listen on their own time.)
Read through the main scriptures together from Sunday’s message:
John 13:33-38 NLT –
“Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. 34So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
36Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?”
And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.”
37“But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.”
38Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.
John 21:3-19 –
Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”
“We’ll come, too,” they all (the rest of the disciples) said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.
4At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. 5He called out, “Fellows,c have you caught any fish?”
“No,” they replied.
6Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
7Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic, jumped into the water, and headed to shore. 8The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yardsd from shore. 9When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.
10“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 11So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.
12“Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.
15After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love (agape-undying committed, sacrificial kind of love) me more than these (fish)?e”
- What stuck out to you as meaningful, confusing, impactful and/or important?
- What might this message and portion of scripture relate to in your life or our cultural moment?
STEP 3- Take Time To Process
- Is anyone willing to share some thoughts, questions or curiosities about what you sense God speaking to you about through the message and scripture?
- Is there a need for deeper reflection or observation? What might be some ways to dig deeper, if necessary?
STEP 4- Work Towards Application
- What area of life is God working in through this? (Inner, Outer & Other Life Map)
- What might God be asking of me in this? What is my response?
- What might be a practical application or action step to take over this next week?
STEP 5- Prayer
Please don’t skip prayer!! Cut the discussion short if needed to pray for one another. Try one of these options, don’t be afraid to mix it up.
- Have people split into groups of 2-3 to share prayer needs and pray for each other.
- Share requests as a group and pray for one another. Assign requests to people that are comfortable with praying and go around the circle praying for each others needs.
- Meditation with silence and stillness- A short scripture, word or phrase to focus your group. A time of silence and stillness, set a timer for 5 minutes if you want. Close the time with a prayer for your group.
- Develop someone in your group as the Prayer Coordinator. Have them write down prayer needs, ask them to pray for those needs during the week, have them send a list to the group to keep in prayer, go through the list regularly to celebrate answered prayers and check off or add on prayers.
