Psalm 118:14-29 14 The LORD is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation. 15 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the
tents of the righteous: “The LORD’s right hand
has done mighty things! 16 The LORD’s right hand is lifted high; the
LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!” 17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what
the LORD has done.
Psalm 118:14-29 18 The LORD has chastened me severely, but
he has not given me over to death. 19 Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will
enter and give thanks to the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD through which
the righteous may enter. 21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation. 22 The stone the builders rejected has become
the cornerstone;
Psalm 118:14-29 23 the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous
in our eyes. 24 The LORD has done it this very day; let us
rejoice today and be glad. 25 LORD, save us! LORD, grant us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the
LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless
you.
Psalm 118:14-29 27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light
shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal
procession up to the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will praise you; you
are my God, and I will exalt you. 29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his
love endures forever.
Group Questions #1
1: What is your name and something good that happened this
week…a praise?
2: What are you afraid of…
or were afraid of?
3: What brings you peace?
John 20:19-31 19 On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the disciples were together, with the
doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders,
Jesus came and stood among them and said,
“Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he
showed them his hands and side. The
disciples were overjoyed when they saw the
Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!
As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
John 20:19-31 22 And with that he breathed on them and said,
“Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive
anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do
not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” 24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one
of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when
Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him,
“We have seen the Lord!”
John 20:19-31 But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail
marks in his hands and put my finger where
the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I
will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were in the house
again, and Thomas was with them. Though
the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood
among them and said,“Peace be with you!”
John 20:19-31 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger
here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and
put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have
seen me, you have believed; blessed are
those who have not seen and yet have
believed.”
John 20:19-31 30 Jesus performed many other signs in the
presence of his disciples, which are not
recorded in this book.31 But these are written
that you may believe that Jesus is the
Messiah, the Son of God, and that by
believing you may have life in his name.
Group Questions #2 1: In each section (19-23, 24-29), how were
the disciple(s) feeling at the beginning? Why?
2: How did Jesus want them to feel? What
does this say about his priorities? What did
they need to overcome to get there?
3: How do you think the disciples felt when
Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, I am
sending you.”? In what way is Jesus sending
them? What was the role of the Holy Spirit in
this passage?
John 20:19
19 On the evening of that first day of the
week, when the disciples were
together, with the doors locked for
fear of the Jewish leaders,
John 20:19
Jesus came and stood among them
and said, “Peace be with you!”
John 20:20
20 After he said this, he showed them
his hands and side.
The disciples were overjoyed when
they saw the Lord.
John 20:21
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with
you! As the Father has sent me, I am
sending you.”
John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that he
gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life. 17 For God
did not send his Son into the world to
condemn the world, but to save the
world through him.
1 John 4:10-11
10 This is love: not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son
as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11
Dear friends, since God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another.
1 John 3:16
16 This is how we know what love is:
Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
And we ought to lay down our lives for
our brothers and sisters.
1 John 2:5b-6
This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must
live as Jesus did.
1 John 4:13
13 This is how we know that we live in
him and he in us:
He has given us of his Spirit.
John 20:22-23
22 And with that he breathed on them
and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If
you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are
forgiven; if you do not forgive them,
they are not forgiven.”
Galatians 5:22-25
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, forbearance, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness
and self-control. Against such things
there is no law. 24 Those who belong to
Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh
with its passions and desires. 25 Since
we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step
with the Spirit.
John 20:23
23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins
are forgiven; if you do not forgive them,
they are not forgiven.”
John 20:24-25
24 Now Thomas (also known as
Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not
with the disciples when Jesus came. 25
So the other disciples told him, “We
have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the
nail marks in his hands and put my
finger where the nails were, and put my
hand into his side, I will not believe.”
John 20:26-27
26 A week later his disciples were in the
house again, and Thomas was with
them. Though the doors were locked,
Jesus came and stood among them
and said,“Peace be with you!” 27 Then
he said to Thomas, “Put your finger
here; see my hands. Reach out your
hand and put it into my side. Stop
doubting and believe.”
John 20:28
28 Thomas said to him,
“My Lord and my God!”
Group Questions #3 1: We don't face the fear of death. What kind
of fears do we face?
2: Thomas missed the first gathered
experience...but he was willing to show up the
next time. What value is there in experiencing
faith in community?
3: What does being sent look like for you in
your context? How can...does selfishness or
self preservation keep you from going? What
role does the Spirit play?
William Greathouse “We must keep our self-love in check by
walking in the Spirit. Jesus said, “Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself.” By nature we
love ourselves excessively. Likening human
nature to a pair of scales, we may say that
apart from God’s grace we are heavily
weighted and tipped toward self.
William Greathouse We may jump up and down in the scales and
move them somewhat, but by our own efforts
we can never achieve a balance between self
and others. However, by the gift of the Spirit,
God lays His hand on the scales of life and
brings them to balance. To maintain this
balance we must walk in the Spirit. But as we
so walk the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost, and we are enabled
to keep the second great commandment.”
Application Questions
1: What does being sent look like in
your context?
2: What is your next step in moving
toward living for God’s Kingdom?
3: What is Jesus nudging you to do
this week?
Top Related