Opening:
Last week we had a discussion about our experiences of feeling loved (and unloved). We looked at several passages that assured us that God loves us. This week we want to find out what difference knowing and embracing God’s love can make in our lives. Ask yourself in this discussion, “Do I really believe in the promise of John 3:16?”
Digging Deeper:
John 3:16 can be broken down into four simple movements:
- God loves…
- God gave…
- We believe…
- We live…
Discuss each- how did God show his love? Use examples from the Old Testament, New Testament, and your life.
What did God give? What did it really cost? Why was there such a high price to pay? This part of the conversation should focus on the “atoning sacrifice” of Jesus. Why a sacrifice? Why Jesus? Why did if have to happen this way?
Read 1 John 4:7-12. How dies this help us to understand the effects of sin and the sacrifice of Christ.
What does belief actually look like? Where do trust and faith fit in? Does this make it all seem too easy for us? Why is belief so important to God?
What does eternal life mean? Really, examine the implications of God’s promise of eternal life.
Closing:
Ask yourselves, “What do I really make of this promise? Is there eternal life in Jesus, and if so, what does that mean for our present life in Jesus?” And of course, pray for one another.
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1 John 4:7-12
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Sonb]">[b] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice forc]">[c] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
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