Reflection & Discussion Questions

Bible reading: John 17:17-26

    • The focus this week is on our fourth core value as a church, which is that we look beyond ourselves, using Jesus’ focus on that as part of His prayer in John 17 as our example.
    • What stands out to you from the verses in this week’s reading from Jesus’ prayer in John 17?

    • Reflecting on verses 17-19, what are some ways that God has already been at work in your life ‘sanctifying’ you or making you more like Jesus?

    • Reflecting on verses 20-21, what are some ways that you have seen God already at work in people’s lives around or beyond you?

    • Reflecting on verses 25-26, what are some ways you can
      • individually
      • together as a small group
      • together as a church community

               show or share God’s love with others in a way that looks beyond ourselves?

    • Take some time to pray for God to be at work through you in the lives of others, for you to be open to the God-opportunities He brings across your path, and to take the opportunity to show or share His love at those times.
            Reflection & Discussion Questions

            Bible reading: Exodus 4:1-5, John 17: 1-5

              • What stands out to you from the Bible readings for this week? 

              • The focus this week is on what it means for us to live out our third core value as a church community of caring for all that God has made. How can we care for what God has made?

              • Reflecting on how John 17:2 refers to the authority that Jesus was given or entrusted with by  God as a part of God’s redemptive purposes, how was that used by Jesus to make right what wasn’t as it should be in the world?

              • Reflecting not only on this, but on what God has ‘placed in our hands’ (refer also to Exodus 4 verse 2), and given us authority over and choices in, how can the resources God has given us be used to play a part in caring for or making right what isn’t as it should be in our world?

                • Our time?
                • Our talents, gifts and skills?
                • Our physical and financial resources?
                • The created world around us?
                • Other aspects of life e.g. what we buy/consume, how we live (simply or excessively) etc?

              • Not only are we called to care for all that God has made or made possible, but we are also called to do so with integrity and accountability (refer to 1 Cor 14:2). Why is integrity and accountability important when it comes to this core value of caring for all God has made?

              • What are some steps you can take moving forward to care more wisely for all God has made, or to re-purpose what you’ve been entrusted with for God’s glory by using them in such a way that leaves a redemptive imprint on this earth?

                    Reflection & Discussion Questions

                    Bible reading: John 17:6-17

                    • What stands out to you about Jesus’ prayer in these verses?

                    • The focus this week is on what it means for us to live out our core value as a church community of caring for people. What helps you feel cared for?

                    • Reflecting on how we can care for people by looking into each others eyes (taking time to not just say ‘How are you?’ but ‘How are you really?)
                      • What can get in the way of you looking out for others in this way?
                      • What can get in the way of people feeling safe to reveal themselves authentically or   vulnerably with others?

                    • Reflecting on Jesus’ prayer in John 17, and in particular verses 9-10, when has someone praying for you made a very real difference?

                    • ‘Praying for someone is not simply a cliché, but it’s the critical part of the critical care process for someone.’ What stands out to you in this statement? Why is prayer such a critical part of caring for someone?

                    • Who can you lift up in prayer before God as a way of caring for them?

                    • Reflecting on what Jesus says in verses 11-12 and 15-17, why do we need protecting spiritually? (refer also to 1 Peter 5:6-9)

                    • What are some ways each of us can play our part in caring for others by ‘looking out for each others backs’? (refer also to Hebrews 10:23-25)
                          Reflection & Discussion Questions
                          Bible reading: John 17:1-5
                          • The focus this week is on Jesus’ words in verse 4 ‘I have brought you glory by completing the work you gave me to do.’
                          • Why is being a contributer rather than a consumer in life so important in fulfilling God’s purposes for our lives, and thus one of our core values as a church?
                          • What significant role or roles has God given you in life in His world and in His work? (in family life, in church family life, in life in general)
                          • Reflecting on Ephesians 2:10, what stands out to you from this verse?
                          • What difference does it make knowing that God has given us the roles we have in life?
                          • What might be needed for you to find, fulfill or finish ‘the work’ that God has given you to do in your life on this earth?
                          • Take some time as a group to pray for each other in the different contributions you all can make to God’s world and work.
                                Reflection & Discussion Questions

                                Bible reading: John 15:1-8

                                • What stands out to you from this passage?

                                • What times in your life and faith journey have been the most fruitful?

                                • Reflecting on verses 1-3, why is ‘being cultivated’ necessary in the process of bearing spiritual fruit in our lives?

                                • Looking back, how has God been at work in your life in and through those times, even though they may have felt like painful or puzzling times, or times of greater vulnerability?

                                • Reflecting on verses 4-5, why is ‘being connected’ to Jesus also necessary in the process of bearing fruit?

                                • What might ‘being cultivated’ and/or ‘being connected’  in your life at the present involve, and thus bring glory to God through the fruit that comes out of that?

                                      Reflection & Discussion Questions

                                      Bible reading: John 14:16-27, 16:5-16

                                        • What do you have to be thankful for today that someone else has made possible?
                                        • Read John 15:12-19. In response to the question ‘How is it possible to even grow in our hearts and lives the kind of love for one another and others that Jesus describes here?’, how does the second half of verse 12 shows us the secret to that, which has more to do with Jesus and His love than us?
                                        • Reflecting on verse 13, and the sacrificial nature of the love that Jesus speaks about,
                                          • what did Jesus’ sacrificial love look like?
                                          • what does sacrificial love look like for you or I?
                                        • Reflecting on verse 15, and the special nature of the love that Jesus speaks about,
                                        • what is significant to you about being called a friend of God?
                                        • what is significant to you about the relationships you can share with others in the community of God’s people?
                                        • Reflecting on John 13:35 and verses 17-19, along with Matthew 5:43-47, and a love that stands out,
                                          • when has someone else’s love stood out to you?
                                          • what are some ways that you can grow in a love that stands out by going the extra mile with others?

                                        • Take some time to allow the love of God shown through Jesus to be at work afresh in you, so that you can grow in reflecting that love to others.
                                              Reflection & Discussion Questions

                                              Bible reading: John 14:16-27, 16:5-16

                                              • What is a memorable gift that you’ve been given?
                                              • Reflecting on John 16 verses 6 and 7, why do you think Jesus said that ‘it was for your good’ that He was leaving the disciples?

                                              • Reflecting on John 14 verses 16-17, in what ways is the presence of God not just with us but within us through the indwelling Spirit of God so significant in our lives?

                                              • Reflecting on John 14 verses 25 and 26, in what ways has the prompting of the Spirit – teaching and reminding you of God’s promises, purposes or pathways for you – helped you in following Jesus?

                                              • Reflecting on John 16 verses 8-11, in what ways has the prompting of the Spirit convicted you along the way in your faith and life?

                                              • Reflecting on John 14 verse 27, in what ways has the Spirit brought peace to your heart, mind or life in the midst of times of despair, doubt or difficulties?

                                              • Take some time to prayerfully reflect on, respond to, and rest in the very real work of the Spirit in and through you.

                                                    Reflection & Discussion Questions

                                                    Bible reading: John 13:1-17

                                                    • What stood out to you in this passage/What bothers you about it

                                                    • What does this passage tell you about God?

                                                    • What does this passage tell you about humans?

                                                    • What does it look like for you to live life serving just as Jesus has done?

                                                    • Reflecting on verses 1,10 and 17, respectively:
                                                      • What would loving to the loving someone to the end look like?
                                                      • What does being full clean in Christ mean to you and have you accepted His cleaning?
                                                      • What does ‘doing these things’ look like in your next week and month? 

                                                          Reflection & Discussion Questions
                                                          Bible reading: John 10:1-15

                                                          • What does it look like for you to live life to the full as Jesus speaks of in verse 10?
                                                          • Discuss or reflect on the Christian statement of faith the Westminster Confession, ’The chief end of mankind (all men and women) is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever” as well as the response of theologian C.S. Lewis to this ‘Fully to enjoy is to glorify. In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him”. How do the good life and the God life – a life of glorifying God – go hand in hand – based on this statement?
                                                          • Reflecting on verses 3-5,8 and 14, and the importance of listening to God
                                                            • how can we know or recognise the voice of God in our lives when there are so many other voices and opinions in our culture and world?
                                                            • what are some ways we can put ourselves in a position where we can hear the voice of God? (also refer to Psalm 46:10 and 1 Kings 19:11b-13)
                                                            • what can stop us from being willing to actually hear what God might be saying to us? 

                                                          • Reflecting from verses 4-5 and verse 27 on the importance of following God,
                                                          • what steps have you already taken to follow God?
                                                          • What ‘next steps’ might God be calling you to take to follow Him