John 3 (NLT)
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
God’s gracious love is an intentional feature, not a concession.
Here are some questions for discussion:
1. Many of us have been raised in a tradition dramatically different from this concept of being born inherently worthy of God’s love and this can be quite a thing to consider. If this is a different message for you, how does this bring a hope that may not have been there before? How does this impact your view on your neighbors?Strangers? Enemies?
2. Pastor Trey talked about good messages that get junked up by bad intentions. What in your life has resulted from hearing something that was meant for good but became something bad? What did you do what are you doing about it?
3.How can we get out of the trap of seeing our unworthiness as a key factor of the “good news of Jesus Christ”?
If you’d like to dig a little deeper, consider the following:
1. Genesis 3:9 says, “But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” and Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” How does this seeking of man (not our actual physical location) indicate that each of us is worthy of an intrinsic love?
2. God has judged us worthy of love, and Jesus commands us to love. “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) When called upon to love, we have been modeled a love that willingly sacrifices all. How might this definition and example of love help shape our views of the world apart from the unnatural boundaries of partisan politics that divide?
3. Does the phrase “Gave His only begotten Son” encompass more than just Jesus’ death? Could it also include His life, teachings, relationships, and embodiment of divine presence?
4. Does the presence of Jesus in the world as a living example of God’s love and truth lend credibility to the idea that the ultimate purpose of His coming was to reveal God’s nature as opposed to solely a more transactional act to atone for transgressions? And if so, how does this lens play out when we look at the whole of His life from birth into ministry and from crucifixion to resurrection.
5. Compare John 3:19, which speaks of light coming into the world, and Hebrews 10:26–29, which warns of judgement for those who willfully sin after knowing the truth. How does the concept of divine wrath relate to the idea that rejecting God’s light and love is a choice, rather than a deprivation imposed by God?
6. What does it mean to you to be blessed by a God who loves unconditionally and who fully sees and know us as inherently good? How does this affect the way you view yourself? How should this shape our approach to justice, inclusion, and community building?
7. When you think about the Gospel, what do you feel is the central message for you, and how do you respond to what you think of that message? Can you attach a summary scripture or passage to it?
For further contemplation, consider these quotes & prompts:
1. What did you think/feel when you heard the phrase “Grace-filled love was always Plan A. Not the back-up plan”? What can we do to embrace the Gospel of Plan A – the rescue mission by God to help people in this war zone who are living in such darkness that we forget our value to God?
2. “God is neither a poor planner nor a foolish spender.” What’s your response when you read this in connection with the salvation plans of God for you?
3. What you do think when you hear the phrase “Our value is not on our actions or beliefs but upon our creation as the beloved children of God whom God will love to the uttermost”? Does it feel real or does it feel like “sounds like a good idea”?