Sermon Response Guide
PRIMARY SCRIPTURE: John 3:1-21
Key Points
- When sharing the good news of Jesus, remember:
1) The gospel doesn’t make sense when you’re spiritually dead in darkness. Be patient, loving, compassionate, and kind.
2) It’s not only what you share, but how you share it. What message is your life preaching?
3) Open up about what you have experienced in your own relationship with Jesus.
4) The gospel is the power of salvation for all who believe (Romans 1:16).
5) Trust Jesus to do the heavy lifting. Jesus is the one who brings dead people to life.
Memory Verse
Ask God to write this word on your heart this week:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
- John 3:16 ESV
Questions for Reflection
Take time to reflect and respond to these questions on your own in the presence of the Holy Spirit, or with trusted friends or family members:
1: What is the good news (the gospel) of Jesus Christ?
2: Why is the gospel of Jesus Christ a message worth sharing?
3: In your own experience, what keeps you from sharing the gospel? On the other hand, what prompts you to share the gospel?
4: Who do you remember sharing the gospel with you? Did you believe it right away? What has been your personal journey regarding the gospel?
5: How does your understanding of John 3:16 change when you consider John writing it compared to Jesus saying it?
6: How is God inviting you to live like you believe the gospel?
7: Who do you know who needs to not only hear the good news of Jesus, but see it on display?
8: How will you respond to what God is showing you today?
Pray
Lord, thank you for your story. Let us never grow tired of hearing your story and passing it on. Revive us as you remind us your story is the power of salvation for all who believe. Show us just how beautiful your love is – that you would come for us, suffer and die for us, and be raised to life for us – all so we might live with you forever. Lord, we don’t deserve your love, but now that we’ve seen it, we don’t want to desert your love.
DOWNLOAD OUR 2021 LENTEN JOURNAL HERE AND JOIN US AS WE SEEK TO BLESS 4 PEOPLE OVER 40 DAYS BY LOVING WHERE WE LIVE!
references
For those interested in further study, our pastors want to share resources that have aided them in their sermon preparation (in conjunction with the Bible and the Holy Spirit):
· B.L.E.S.S. 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World by Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson
· 40 Days of Blessing: Love Your Neighbor. Change the World. PCBC 2021 Lenten Journal
· Jesus According to Scripture: Restoring the Portrait from the Gospels by Darrell L. Bock and Benjamin I. Simpson
· The Gospel According to John (The Pillar New Testament Commentary) by D. A. Carson
· The Greatest Thing in the World by Henry Drummond
· Evangelism in the Early Church (Revised Edition) by Michael Green
Find more Lenten resources here.
