Ness Baptist Church - Sermon Blog

John 3:1-15 - Born from Above

1/25/2021

Background on Nicodemus: Pharisees and the Sanhedrin New types of political and religious leaders arose because of all these changes. By Jesus' day, Pharisees were one of the leading groups. Pharisees were scholars who tried hard to obey the laws in the Old Testament and a dizzying array of man-made laws which they added to the Old Testament. The Jews respected them and gave them great social, religious and political influence. Pharisees usually took great pride in their positions. Nicodemus, (in this passage), is also called a "Ruler of the Jews." That means he was also one of the elite 70 members of the Sanhedrin, the political / religious body that ruled Israel. The Sanhedrin ruled under the supervision of Herod, who reported directly to the Roman emperor. A Roman governor and legion were also stationed in the area.

What do we know about Nicodemus according to these verses?
What did it mean that he was a Pharisee?
Why did he come to see Jesus? Why did he come at night?
How did Nicodemus address Jesus? Was he correct or not?
If you were to walk up to Jesus today, how would you greet him?
How might you summarize Jesus' response in verse 3? Does it seem weird at first? What does the image of birth convey?
How did Nicodemus respond in verses 4 and 9? Did he understand what Jesus said?
What did Jesus mean by verse 5?
Have you ever had a friend or family member who began a new relationship with God? How would you describe the difference God made in their life?
One of the marks of being born again is that you have a new identity and a new sight. How have you seen this evidenced in your own life? Did your priorities change? Do you see the bible differently now? etc.
We see from Nicodemus’ life at the end of the gospel that he had an incredible boldness and humility. He was no longer ashamed of his association with Jesus and he did the job of a servant even though he was of the highest standing in society. In what way can your life be more bold for Jesus this week? How can you exercise greater humility this week?

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John 2:13-25 - Jesus Rearranges the Temple

1/17/2021

What was your experience like the first step you stepped into a church? If you grew up in the church, have you ever talked to someone about their first experience?
In Jesus saying that he was the temple; what implications would that have for people that wanted to come and worship at the temple?
In what ways were things going to be different and in what ways would they be the same? In other words, how was Jesus like the Old Covenant temple and in what was he different?
The commotion of John 2 was happening in the Courts of the Gentiles; what were these courts used for and why was this location significant?
In what ways does the truth of this story transform your relationship with God? (hint - Jesus becomes the sacrifice rather than you bringing the sacrifice and it is all by grace.)

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John 2:1-12 Jesus’ Abundant Provision

1/10/2021

What was the one thing (or maybe two) that didn’t go as planned at your wedding?
Why do you think Jesus and his disciples were invited to this wedding? Do you think Mary was playing a role in organizing this wedding?
Why was running out of wine such a big deal for the family and the couple?
When Mary asked Jesus to help, what do you think she was expecting him to do?
What did Jesus mean when he said “My hour has not yet come?”
Why do you think Mary and the servants respond the way they did to Jesus?
If you were one of the disciples and saw this happen, how would you have responded?
John says that this miracle was a “sign”. What was it a sign of?
In what ways can you look to Jesus as your provider of abundant provision and joy this week?
How can you allow this flow from yourself to others?

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John 1:35-51 - Come and See

1/4/2021

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John 1:29-34 - Behold the Lamb of God

12/27/2020

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Christmas Eve 2020

12/24/2020

John 1:19-28 - The Accuracy of the Incarnation

12/20/2020

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John 1:14-18 The Glory and Hope of Jesus Christ

12/13/2020

What things in your life do you have to have a compelling reason for doing?
John came along and said that the compelling reason for everything is Jesus. What life changes or decisions have you made because Jesus was your compelling reason?
Have you ever had someone come alongside you at just right the time? Someone who could understand what you were going through because they too had been through it?
This is what Jesus is for each of us - there is no place that we could go that Jesus hasn’t been. The bible calls us to sit down with him in our suffering. When has Jesus been a comfort to you in your suffering?
Throughout history, Christians, though few in number, have been some of the first to respond to the world's hurt and darkness. Because of these radical communities of love with Christ at the center, many people have also become followers of Jesus. How can you, in your Chrisitian community, take practical steps to live this way?

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John 1:12-13 Born of God

12/7/2020

Pastor Matt shared how he enjoyed growing up in a small town. Where did you grow up? What did you like about your “hometown” and growing up there or what did you not like about it?

How do you think it would have felt to not be welcome in your hometown?
Read Ezekiel 36:25-27 as a group. What is the evidence of a heart of flesh in your life? How has God been transforming you? Or how have you seen God transforming the other members of your group?
What areas do you keep the doors closed and blinds down so as to keep the light from coming in? What is holding you back? What would be the first step to opening that door or those blinds to let the light come in?

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John 1:1-11 - Jesus: The Light of the World

11/29/2020

1. Is there a “light wars” going on in your home? And if so, who wins?

2. Do you have a favorite decoration? If so, why is it so special?

3. How does light affect you? Do you notice when we have a stretch of dark, cloudy days? Do you do anything to combat that?

4. Light is a major theme in the book of John and the bible in general. How many times do you see this word in the first chapter?

5. The first few verses of John create an obvious connection to Genesis creation. Why does John do this? What does this do to our understanding of Jesus as the Word?

6. What does it mean that Jesus’ life is light? And does this connect to Genesis creation?

7. Our world is described as being “darkness” in verse 5. What does this mean? Is this something you’ve observed?

8. What does it mean that the “darkness” was not able to overcome the light? The word “overcome” is also translated as “comprehend”. Both meanings seem to be in view. What kind of hope can that bring you and others?

9. This passage gives us a glimpse into the relationship of the Trinity and the perfection of that relationship. It was out of abundance that the Godhead invites us into relationship, not out of need. How does this bring perspective to the incarnation?

10. In John's day, philosophers said that if you aligned your life with the Logos (the Word), life would go well; you would find meaning, purpose and fulfillment. Then John came along and said that the Logos (the Word) was a person. This revolutionized everything. Has your life been revolutionized by this truth? In what ways?

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