Benjamin Murphy
Small Group Questions
Benjamin Murphy
Sermon Series Highlights
Sermon Series Highlights

Knowing Jesus

Knowing Jesus - Knowing His Word

Introduction:

4 Reasons Why You Refuse
to Come to Jesus: (John 5:30-47)

  1. It's NOT because of "Lack of Evidence . (John 5:30-40)

    3 Ways God the Father Bears Witness about Jesus:

    1. Through John the Baptist's testimony. (John 5:33-35)
    2. Through Jesus' miracles. (John 5:36)
    3. Through God's Written Word. (John 5:37-40)
  1. Because you don't Love God. (John 5:41-43)

    John 3:19 - And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

    Romans 1:21 - For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

  2. Because you're Self-centered . (John 5:44)
  3. Because you don't believe God's Word . (John 5:45-47)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
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Small Group Discussion
Read John 5:30-47

  1. What was your big “take-away” from this passage / message?

  2. What 3 things did the Father give as evidence of Jesus’ identity? Why did Jesus find it necessary to point these out (John 5:31)? Which one seems most important to you?

  3. Read Romans 1:21. What is the connection between thankfulness and faith?

  4. How can you convince a self-centered person that they are, in fact, self-centered? How can you recognize this trait in yourself?

  5. Explain why unbelief of the Old Testament leads to unbelief of Jesus (John 5:47). Do you have to believe Genesis is literal in order to believe in Jesus?

Breakout
Pray for one another, and for anyone you know who still refuses to come to Christ.

Knowing Jesus - Knowing His Life

Introduction:

Three Astonishing Claims of Christ
for Those Who Will Believe: (John 5:18-29)

  1. Submission is power. (John 5:19-23)
  2. Judgment is cancelled. (John 5:24)

Satan's Lies:

  1. Man is basically good
  2. The "good Lord" overlooks our faults.
  3. If we try to do right, God lets us into heaven.
  4. The pain we go through on earth is God's only judgment for sin.
  5. I've always been a Christian.
  6. Any "religious path" will get you to heaven.
  7. We can't really be sure of heaven.

    1 John 5:13 - I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

  1. Life is Restored . (John 5:25-29)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
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Small Group Discussion
Read John 5:18-29

  1. What was your big “take-away” from this passage / message?

  2. Why do you think Jesus didn’t try to “reason” with His critics? Why would Jesus declare such truths about Himself if He knew it would only make them angrier?

  3. According to John 5:29, what is the basis of judgment? If good works cannot save you, what does this mean? What place do “good works” have in the life of the redeemed?

Breakout
Have you ever struggled with feeling condemned? What does John 5:24 say about judgment for the one who believes in Jesus? Why do we often believe our feelings over the Word of God? How can we change that? Pray for one another.

Knowing Jesus - Knowing His Healing

Introduction:

Do You Want to Be Healed?
5 Things You Need to Do to Get Better :
(John 5:1-18)

  1. You have to Want to. (John 5:6)
  2. Stop Blaming others for your problems. (John 5:7)
  3. Stop doing things Your way. (John 5:7)
  4. Do what Jesus says to do. (John 5:8)
    1. Get up
    2. Take up your bed
    3. Walk
  5. Live in Gratitude to Jesus. (John 5:14)

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Small Group Discussion
Read John 5:1-18

  1. What was your big takeaway from this passage / message?

  2. Why do you think some people do NOT want to be made well? (John 5:6)

  3. Why do you think we naturally tend to point fingers and blame others for our troubles? (John 5:7)

  4. How does living in gratitude keep us from living in sin? (John 5:14)
    What specifically has God done for YOU that you could use reminded of?

Breakout
With which of the “5 things needed to get better” do you struggle the most with? Why? Pray for one another.

Knowing Jesus - Knowing His Sovereignty

Introduction:

Knowing Jesus Through Desperation (John 4:43-54):

  1. Desperation must Drive us to Jesus. (John 4:46-49)
  2. Desperation must seek the Gift-giver , not just the gift. (John 4:50)
  3. Desperation (Leading to Faith) discovers that Jesus always Overdelivers . (John 4:51-54)

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Small Group Discussion
Read John 4:43-54

  1. What was your big “take-away” from this passage / message? Does it change how you pray for healing for those who are sick / injured?

  2. The dad (official) obviously believed in Jesus (on some level) in order to come to Him in the first place (John 4:47). Then John 4:53 says he himself believed. What’s the difference?

  3. Tell of a time you definitely saw a miracle. How did you know it was a miracle? How did it affect you?

BREAKOUT
Pray for those who need healing, that they would be desperate not just for the gift, but for the Gift-Giver!

Knowing Jesus - Knowing His Mission

Introduction:

When I See the Mission Like Jesus (John 4:27-42):

  1. Make it the Priority . (John 4:31-34)
  2. I see it as a Team effort. (John 4:35-38)

    1 Corinthians 3:6-8 - I (Paul) planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

  1. I invest in those who are Responding . (John 4:39-42)

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Small Group Discussion
Read John 4:27-42

  1. What was your big “take-away” from the passage / message?

  2. Tell of a time you saw God’s timing in an amazing and obvious way (John 4:27).

  3. How fired up are you about Jesus’ mission, on a scale of 1-10. Be honest!
    What would fire you up more?

  4. Christmas is coming! Who are you inviting to our upcoming Christmas series?

BREAKOUT
Pray for one another, and the rest of HBC, to share Jesus’ passion for the work of God.