Gospel of John | Jesus Raises Lazarus | John 11:1-53

Discussion Questions

  • Reflect on a time of suffering in your life. How did it change you?

  • Do you tend to focus on one aspect of Christ's character when facing suffering? Which facet of Christ's glory do you find yourself most drawn to, and which do you most often overlook?

  • In what ways does Christ’s suffering specifically address the problem of evil?

  • The sermon concludes that the Christian hope isn't escape from this world but resurrection and renewal. How might this hope of "everything sad becoming untrue" transform how you face current struggles?

  • What role does community play in helping us navigate suffering well?

Prayer Points

  • Pray that God would open your eyes to the fullness of his glory in the midst of your hardships

  • Pray for those in our church who are currently walking through seasons of suffering

Gospel of John | Jesus Heals the Blind | John 9:1-41

Discussion Questions

  • How has the world viewed disability over time?

  • What does the world say about suffering?

  • What has been a damaging theology about suffering you have heard?

  • How does Jesus teach us to think differently about suffering?

  • What makes this truth difficult to accept, especially during times of suffering?

Prayer Points

  • Pray that God will work through you to strengthen and encourage his people when they suffer.

  • Pray that you will trust him and his purposes during times of suffering.

  • Pray that your suffering will provide opportunities to point people to the truth and power of
    Jesus.

Gospel of John | I Am the Good Shepherd | John 10:1-18

Discussion Questions

  • Do you agree with the statement that everyone has to follow someone through life? Is it possible to be your own leader through life?

  • Pastor Reece mentioned three false shepherds of our time. Are there other pseudo-shepherds you feel yourself or others tempted to follow instead of Jesus?

  • How can someone know if they’re treating Jesus as a sidekick rather than a leader of one’s life?

  • What might it look like for Sound City to grow in partnering with Jesus to bring more sheep into the fold?

  • Where in your life do you need to grow as a “cruciform leader”?

Prayer Points

  • Pray that God would show you where you’re not listening to the voice of The Good Shepherd

  • Ask the Lord to give you a heart to seek after those who are lost and helpless

Gospel of John | Jesus and Identity | John 10:1-18

Discussion Questions

  • How would you define personal identity?

  • Why do you think our culture is so obsessed with identity?

  • In the sermon, Pastor Reece critiqued the modern approach to identity? Do you agree or disagree with any of his points? Are there other additional reasons you think the modern approach to identity is ineffective?

  • How have you seen the identity Jesus gives freely change how you live?

  • As Christians, we believe we are known and loved despite our performance, and yet, we still struggle at times with feeling worthy. How do we learn to live out of our identity in Christ instead of trying to achieve an identity on our own?

Prayer Points

  • Pray that the Lord would expose the ways you’re trying to achieve your identity

  • Ask the Lord to free those in our lives who are striving to find themselves without coming to Christ, the Good Shepherd

True Freedom | John 8:31-47

Discussion Questions

  • How does our culture define freedom? How is this different from how Jesus talks about freedom in this passage?

  • Pastor Reece mentioned three enemies that conspire against our freedom: the world, the flesh, and the devil. How do you see each working against the life Jesus came to give?

  • What does it look like practically to “abide” in the words of Christ? 

  • Where is God calling you to surrender to his ways?

Prayer Points

  • Pray that God would show you where you’re refusing to accept the words of Jesus

  • Pray that God would give you the strength to obey all his words

The Woman Caught in Adultery | John 7:53-8:-11

Discussion Questions

  • How do you process failures in your own life?

  • How have you seen your own sin drive into shame and isolation?

  • What are the lies you tell yourself when you’ve made a mistake?

  • How have you seen the grace of Jesus rewrite your story?

  • What’s the difference between condemnation and conviction?

  • What does it look like practically to break the cycle of condemnation in your life and instead choose the path of freedom?

Prayer Points

  • Thank God for freeing us from the condemnation we all deserve.

  • Ask God to teach you what it means to run to him in the wake of our mistakes rather than shame and guilt.

Gospel of John | To Whom Shall We Go? | John 6:60-71

Discussion Questions

  • Have you ever gone through a season where you doubted the truth of your faith? What brought that season on?

  • What are some of the questions you wrestle with most?

  • Of the five principles Pastor Reece laid out, which have you found most helpful in seasons of doubt?

  • How can we as a church create an environment where it’s safe to doubt

  • Take a few minutes for a member to share their doubts and then give the group a few minutes to respond with things that have helped them process through similar questions

Prayer Points

  • Ask the Lord to make our church a place where those seeking God feel safe to wrestle with hard questions

  • Ask that God would open your eyes to see the glory of Christ more clearly

Gospel of John | I Am the Bread of Life | John 6:1-59

Discussion Questions

  • Share about the most recent time you felt deeply content in life. What do you think brought that about?

  • What’s the difference between coming to Jesus to get things from him and coming to Jesus to get him?

  • What are some of the “perishable breads” you look to for satisfaction?

  • Share about a time you felt deeply satisfied in Jesus

  • How are you feasting on Jesus in this season of life? How can our community encourage you in that pursuit?

Prayer Points

  • Ask the Lord to expose any perishable bread you are putting your trust in

  • Pray the Lord would show you what it looks like to feast on him this year

Gospel of John | Jesus Heals a Lame Man | John 5:1-18

Discussion Questions

  • What stands out to you about Jesus’ interaction with the lame man in John 5:1 -18?

  • Is there a defining affliction in your life that you are desperate for Jesus to heal? If you feel comfortable, share with the group.

  • How do you attempt to heal yourself when you decide not to turn to Jesus?

  • What do you think Jesus was getting at with his question, “Do you want to be healed?”

  • What keeps you from going to Jesus for healing?

  • What would it look like for you to start the process of healing from whatever your defining affliction is this year?

Prayer Points

  • Ask God to show you the ways you’re trying to heal yourself

  • Ask the Lord to reveal what it looks like practically for you to run to him for healing

The Light of Peace | Luke 2:8-14

Discussion Questions

  1. The shepherds’ fear when encountering the angel reminds us how often we feel anxious when we face something unexpected or uncontrollable. What are some areas in your life where you experience fear or anxiety?

  2. What are some “particle board” solutions you might be using to fill peaceless voids in your life? What would it look like for the peace of God to be present in those areas?

  3. Peace in life isn’t the absence of anxiety or difficulties, but it’s the presence of Jesus in the midst of it. How can you embrace the gift of Jesus’ presence in moments of fear or anxiety?

  4. Corrie ten Boom’s quote mentions finding rest by looking to God. Discuss spiritual disciplines and practices that can help you look to God.

Prayer Points

  • Praise God for the incredible gift of peace we have through Jesus!

  • Pray for the people in your life who are hurting and without peace.

  • Pray that the Holy Spirit would empower the people at Sound City to bring the light of peace to our neighbors.

The Light for All | Luke 2:8-14

Discussion Questions

  • What is the myth of exclusivism as Pastor John taught about the exclusivity of the gospel?

  • What is unbelievable about God including the nations as his special people?

  • What gets people “in” to Christianity if it is so exclusive?

  • How should Christians treat people they disagree with in response to the gospel?

Prayer Points

  • Pray our church would grow in our ability to understand and engage with other belief systems outside of Christianity.

  • Pray we would have a deep appreciation and wonder for God’s grace demonstrated to us through Jesus Christ and a confidence that we’ll never be turned away because of him.

The Light Appears | Luke 1:26-38

Discussion Questions

  • In what way have you been confronted with your unworthiness in light of God’s holy, perfect, righteousness?

  • Are you more likely to over-emphasize your own merits, or wallow in a sense of unremarkableness?

  • When does your need for God’s work in your life seem too great to believe he will do it?

  • Is it more difficult for you to have a humble faith, an imaginative faith, or a trusting faith?

  • What is a path you are walking or recently have walked that requires a trusting faith?

  • What are some ways you can grow in the depth of your faith in Jesus as the Light in your life?

Prayer Points

  • This Advent season, pray for God to show you the wonder of his unbelievably miraculous sending of Christ.

  • Ask God to let you experience that nothing is impossible for God.

  • Thank God that he always leads the way, even when the path has not been fully revealed.

The Light Promised | Genesis 3

Discussion Questions

  • What has helped you celebrate the true significance of Christmas in the past?

  • What makes you doubt the goodness of God? How do you deal with those doubts?

  • How have you experienced the darkness of this world in the past year?

  • How do we tend to try to deal with the darkness on our own?

  • What promises of God are you holding on to in this season to give you hope?

Prayer Points

  • Pray that God would help our church family celebrate Christmas for all the right reasons instead of getting caught up in the superficiality of the season

  • Ask God to help build your faith in his love for you this Advent

Gospel of John | Jesus & the Insider | John 3:1-31

Discussion Questions

  • What does it mean to be "born again" in the context of John 3? Is this different from your previous understanding?

  • How can we relate to Nicodemus's struggle with control when it comes to our spiritual walk?

  • Nicodemus was familiar with the idea of future regeneration in the Jewish faith. Why do you think the idea of present spiritual rebirth was so revolutionary to him?

  • How can understanding salvation as both a current experience and a future hope guide the way we live today?

  • What does it mean for you personally to say, "He must increase, but I must decrease"?

Prayer Points

  • Praise God for the love that he poured out through Jesus that allows us to be born-again!

  • Pray that we would be people at Sound City that stand firm not on our own credentials but the credentials of Jesus.

  • Pray that the Holy Spirit would help us share the good news of Jesus so that those around us would “look and believe”.

Gospel of John | The Lord of Whips | John 2:13-25

Discussion Questions

  • What’s the difference between having an authoritative Jesus and a domesticated Jesus?

  • What are some ways we try to domesticate Jesus? Are there any parts of Jesus you have difficulty accepting?

  • Has there ever been a time when God removed something from your life that eventually led to deeper intimacy with him?

  • Jesus tells the people in this story to “take these things away”. What in your life might Jesus be asking you to remove in order that you might experience more of his will for you?

Prayer Points

  • Ask the Lord to bless our church this week as we host our non-Christians friends and family at our house for “Every Table”

  • Ask the Lord to reveal anything in your life that needs to be taken away

Gospel of John | The Lord of Wine | John 2:1-12

Discussion Questions

  • Do you often think of God as the happiest being in existence? Why or why not?

  • If you feel comfortable, share a story about how Jesus has saved you from the crushing burden of shame in your life.

  • How do you think those outside the church would describe Christians? Joyful? Serious? Judgmental?

  • What’s one thing you already do to celebrate the goodness of God in your life?

  • What’s one thing you could do to begin celebrating God’s goodness more intentionally in your life?

Prayer Points

  • Spend some time thanking God for all of his goodness in your life

  • Pray that God would make our church family into a people known for their joy

Gospel of John | Come and See | John 1:35-51

Discussion Questions

  • How should Jesus’ model of invitation inform how we share the gospel?

  • Do you have any friends who don’t know Jesus? How could you patiently and

    graciously befriend others to invite them to “come and see”?

  • Are you intimidated by people skeptical of Christianity? How did Jesus treat

    Nathanael? How can you treat people like him?

  • What comfort can believers take from the truth that Jesus is the gate of heaven?

Prayer Points

  • Pray God would grant us a mature mindset so that whatever space we enter we

    aren’t thinking of how people aren’t befriending us, but who we can befriend.

  • Pray for an awareness of our heavenly standing and nearness to God because of

    what Jesus has done for us.

Gospel of John | The Lamb of God | John 1:19-34

Discussion Questions

  • How would you answer the question, “Who are you?”

  • How does our culture tend to think about identity? How is it different from how the Bible talks about identity?

  • What’s unique about the way John the Baptist answers the religious leaders' questions about his identity?

  • John commands us to “Behold!” in this passage. What does it look like practically for us to “behold” Jesus in our everyday lives?

  • When you aren’t looking to Jesus to define you, who do you tend to listen to most? The opinions of others? Your own voice? Someone else?

Prayer Points

  • Ask the Lord to help us “Behold!” the Lord Jesus more and more each day

  • Ask the Lord to help us root our sense of identity in what he says about us