Today’s passage: John 3:16-21
Helpful thoughts:
- The eternal, self-existent, almighty, omniscient, holy, creator God sent Jesus to save us from our sins because He loves us!
- We are born in our sin. Our natural condition is in condemnation. People are not inherently good (Romans 3:10-12). But we can be rescued and no longer condemned (Romans 8:1).
- Everyone who rejects what can be known about God does so because that’s what they want to do (Romans 1:19-21). The sinner who repents comes to the light, confesses their sin before the Lord, and is saved from it. This results in a miraculous change (Ephesians 2:8-10, 1 John 1:5-10).
Questions to consider:
- What motivated God to send Jesus into the world? What do we learn about the heart of God in today’s passage?
- Is a person right to be comfortable with their life outside of Christianity? Are people who practice other religions in just as good of a place as Christians are? Without faith in Jesus, where does a person stand?
- Is the gospel supposed to be a “nice” idea that makes us feel good or is it supposed to radically change our lives? If a person says they believe but live no differently than the rest of the world, what is wrong? Why is it so hard to talk to people openly about this? How can God’s love for us give us courage to speak the truth in love to others?