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Charity Missionary Baptist Church: Bible Study: John 16

November 5, 2009 in Bible Study, Charity Missionary Baptist Church by RiverAngel42

JOHN 16

Startup: During the time you’ve been a Christian, what important changes, if any, have there been in your under- standing about the Holy Spirit?

SEEING WHAT’S THERE

1. In what important ways would you say Jesus is looking after the best interests of His disciples in this chapter?

2. In your own words, how would you express the main points Jesus makes about the Holy Spirit in verses 7-15?

3. Who is Jesus talking about when He speaks of “the world” in verse 8?

4. From what you see in verses 8-11, explain in your own words what the Holy Spirit does for the world.

5. From what you see in verses 12-15, explain in your own words what the Holy Spirit does for the disciples of Jesus.

6. From what you see in verses 14-15, explain in your own words what the Holy Spirit does for Jesus Himself

7. Describe as fully as possible the joy which Jesus talks about in vs. 20-24.

8. In verse 23, what is “that day” which Jesus speaks of?

9. What are the biggest promises which you see Jesus making in this chapter?

10. What in this chapter do you think might be most surprising to a new Christian reading it for the first time?

11. Think again of the statement about Jesus in John 1:18. From what you see in chapter 16, what is God like?

12. EYE FOR DETAIL—From what you recall seeing in this chapter, try answering the following question without looking at your Bible: What names does Jesus give to the Holy Spirit in this chapter? (See verses 7,13, and 15.)

CAPTURE THE ESSENCE

13. What would you say are the most important things this chapter teaches about the Holy Spirit?

14. What wrong thinking or actions on the part of the disciples do you think Jesus may be trying to prevent by what He says in verses 8-11?

15. In verse 14, look at the process of glory which Jesus describes as He talks about the Holy Spirit’s work. On a practical level, how would you explain how this works?

16. From what you see in verses 22-24, discuss how much you agree or disagree with this statement: It is impossible to experience the fullest dimension of joy in this life without having a vital prayer life.

17. What wrong thinking or actions on the part of the disciples do you think Jesus may be trying to prevent by what He says in verse 33?

18. Chapters 14, 15, and 16 all contain key verses about prayer. Look at them together, and decide what is the most important prayer principle that is taught in all of them: 14:13-14; 15:7, and 16:23-24.

19. If you had only this chapter in Scripture to refer to, how would you use it to help show someone that Jesus is truly God?

FOR LIFE TODAY

20. Look at the promises Jesus makes to the disciples in verse 13. To what degree would you say these promises are true for Christians today?

21. What kind of mental habits do you think could most easily block the invitation of Jesus in verse 24 from coming alive in our minds and hearts?

22. Once more, if you were asked to summarize the most important “marks of Christian maturity” as taught in this chapter, which ones would you mention first?

23. In light of how you’re doing spiritually in your life today, which verse in this chapter do you think is the most important at this time—and why?

FOR GOING DEEPER

Look together at the generosity of God which Jesus teaches in verse 23. The gospel of John has much to say about giving—especially God’s giving. Look at each of these verses, and make a list together of the gifts God has given to His Son, Jesus—5:27,36; 6:39; 10:29; 17:2,9,24, and 18:11.

(from The Complete Bible Discussion Guide: New Testament, © 1992 by Questar Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)

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by RiverAngel42

Charity Missionary Baptist Church: Bible Study: John 15

November 5, 2009 in Bible Study, Charity Missionary Baptist Church by RiverAngel42

JOHN 15

STARTUP: At this point in your life, how strong is your personal desire to know Jesus better, compared with other times in the past? Use a scale of one to ten (one = “much weaker than ever,” ten = “much stronger than ever”) to help you decide.

SEEING WHAT’S THERE
1. What fruit do you think Jesus is speaking of in verses 5, 8, and 16? Is it the same in each of these verses?

2. In verses 4-6, Jesus speaks of the utter necessity for us to “abide” or “remain” in Him. Explain whether you think this “remaining” or “abiding” has more to do with faith, more to do with love, or more to do with hope.

3. In what practical ways does our bearing “fruit” bring glory to God, as Jesus says in verse 8?

4. From what you see in the verses around it, what is the true source of the joy Jesus speaks of in verse 11?

5. What are the biggest promises which you see Jesus making in this chapter?

6. Think again of the statement about Jesus in John 1:18. From what you see in chapter 15, what is God like?

7. EYE FOR DETAIL—From what you recall seeing in this chapter, try answering the following question without looking at your Bible: How did Jesus complete this sentence in this chapter: “If the world hates you,—”? (See verse 18.)

CAPTURE THE ESSENCE
8. From what you see in verse 15, how would you define the kind of human friendship Jesus would approve of and endorse?

9. What do you think was involved in the choice Jesus made in verse 16?

10. Keep verse 19 in mind as you discuss how much you agree or disagree with this statement: A person either belongs entirely to God, or entirely to the world; there is no middle ground.

11. In verse 26, look at the words which Jesus uses to describe the Holy Spirit (and notice the same words in verses 16-17 in the previous chapter). By using these words, what does Jesus want us to understand about the Holy Spirit?

12. Once again, if you were asked to summarize the most important “marks of Christian maturity” as taught in this chapter, which ones would you mention first?

13. If you had only this chapter in Scripture to refer to, how would you use it to help show someone that Jesus is truly God?

FOR LIFE TODAY

14. Think once more of the command in Col 3:1—”Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” What have you personally observed about Jesus Christ in this chapter that would be worthy of setting your heart on?

15. With the picture in verses 1 and 2 in mind, what significant pruning would you say God has already accomplished in your life?

16. Jesus speaks in verse 11 of how our joy can be made “full” or “complete”, On a scale of one to ten (one totally empty, ten = totally full or complete), how full or complete would you say is the joy which you are now experiencing in life?

17. In what way would you say the words of Jesus to His disciples in verse 16 are also true of us today?

18. In light of how you’re doing spiritually in your life today, which verse in this chapter do you think is the most important at this time—and why?

FOR GOING DEEPER
Jesus teaches us that we must depend on Him (verse 5). Look together at the following verses and discuss how Jesus Himself sets the example for us in the way He depends on His Father—5:30; 6:38; 10:37; 12:49-50, and 14:31.
(from The Complete Bible Discussion Guide: New Testament, © 1992 by Questar Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)

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by RiverAngel42

Charity Missionary Baptist Church: Bible Study: John 14

October 28, 2009 in Bible Study, Charity Missionary Baptist Church by RiverAngel42

JOHN 14

Startup: What pictures come to your mind as you imagine heaven?

SEEING WHAT’S THERE

1. Look at the very first sentence in the chapter. For what reasons might the disciples feel troubled at this time?

2. How would you explain verse 6 to a young child? (You may want to include verse 5 as well.)

3. What examples would you give of the “greater things” or “greater works” which Jesus talks about in verse 12?

4. What does Jesus mean by the phrase “in my name” in verse 13?

5. In verse 20, what is “that day” which Jesus speaks of?

6. What are the biggest promises which you see Jesus making in this chapter?

7. Think again of the statement about Jesus in John 1:18. From what you see in chapter 14, what is God like?

8. EYE FOR DETAIL—From what you recall seeing in this chapter, try answering the following question without looking at your Bible: How did Jesus complete this sentence in this chapter: “Because I live,—”? (See verse 19.)

CAPTURE THE ESSENCE

9. Imagine you are the disciple Philip, and you are present with the other disciples and Jesus on the night when the events described in John 13-18 take place. What thoughts and questions do you think might come to your mind after you hear Jesus answer your question the way He does in John 14:9?

10. Keep verse 6 in mind, and answer these questions: Why is Jesus “the way”?

11. In verse 13, look at the process of glory which Jesus speaks of. On a practical level, how would you explain how this works?

12. Look at verse 26. Why do you think this third Person of the Godhead is so often called the Holy Spirit in Scripture, instead of the Powerful Spirit, or the Loving Spirit, or the All-Knowing Spirit?

13. Look at what Jesus says in verse 31. Why does Jesus consider this love so important for the world to learn about?

14. What would you say are the most important things this chapter teaches about the Holy Spirit?

15. How does this chapter’s teachings on the Holy Spirit compare with what you learned in John 3, in the words Jesus spoke to Nicodemus?

16. Again, if you were asked to summarize the most important “marks of Christian maturity” as taught in this chapter, which ones would you mention first?

17. If you had only this chapter in Scripture to refer to, how would you use it to help show someone that Jesus is truly God?

FOR LIFE TODAY

18. What kind of mental habits do you think could most easily block the words of Jesus in verses 1-3 from coming alive in our minds and hearts?

19. How could you use verse 6 in response to a false teacher who said Jesus is only one of many ways in which human beings can reach God?

20. From your own experience, why would you say you need the kind of Holy Spirit described by Jesus in verses 16-17?

21. From what you see in this chapter, what are the most important things to believe about Jesus?

22. In light of how you’re doing spiritually in your life today, which verse in this chapter do you think is the most important at this time—and why?

FOR GOING DEEPER

Verse 6 is one of the best-known examples of how the apostle John uses the word life in his gospel. John uses this word more than twice as often as any other New Testament writer. In the listed references here, look at a few other passages in John where he used this word earlier, and decide together how he would have defined this word—1:4; 3:36; 5:21,24; 6:33,63; 10:10, and 12:25.

(from The Complete Bible Discussion Guide: New Testament, © 1992 by Questar Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)

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