And then, there are brief interactions that you wonder why anyone would write them down at all. Simple banter, really, where the participants couldn't have known anyone would ever remember. But we did.
For the next several weeks we're going to focus on seemingly insignificant exchanges that people had with Christ which, in some cases, were over in half a minute. And yet, millennia later, they still shape how we think about our lives and God. As LifeGroups, lets learn more to be people who notice significance where others may not, and let's see all the wisdom and insight Jesus packs into every chat.
Thaw
- What's one of the first conversations you can remember?
- Why do you think this conversation stuck with you, and what does it tell you about yourself?
- What stuck with you the most from Sunday?
Read
- John 3:1-9
- Thoughts?
- What are some of the layers of the metaphor "Born From Above"? Describe ways that this imagery carries meaning?
- Why does Jesus use nonliteral, illustrative language with a religious teacher? Why doesn't Jesus just lay out his theology?
Discuss
- If Jesus spelled things out plainly, there'd be little risk of us misinterpreting it. But, as it is, Jesus uses metaphor (as does much of the Bible) to teach deep truths about God and life. What does this tell us about the broadness of reality, versus the limits of doctrinal statements?
- What's at stake for Nicodemus in this conversation with Jesus?
Leader note: Help the group bear in mind that, as a religious leader, Nicodemus's status in his society is rooted in being solid and certain about faith and life. He's a go-to. Jesus inviting him to behave along the unpredictable patterns of "wind" would be like asking a Mayor to begin "winging" a budget or a judge to start flipping a coin. It renders Nicodemus powerless to begin following Jesus and being born of the Spirit. This is applicable to us, who want to be spiritual and strong, not vulnerable or appear wishy washy.
- What is the value of ambiguity?
- What are the difficulties with ambiguity?
- How does living "in the middle", where real people and real life happen, take faith, courage and wisdom?
Read
- Romans 12:1-2
- Thoughts?
Discuss
- Why is transformed thinking the ultimate goal? Why not a new list of rules, or even transformed behaviors?
- Transformed thinking means constant work for us. Discuss rule keeping versus mind-work; simply following and upholding precepts, or having to apply God's heart to every situation.
- What are the base values upon which we make decisions if Jesus wants us stepping out of a mere black-and-white to living?
Apply
- How do we live in the middle as a group and a church?
- Are there absolutes to cling to?
Leader note: There are fewer than we think. Respectfully, if it seems to be where the conversation is going, wrestle a bit with what we think are absolutes, and what is at stake with the idea remaining absolute. Keep in mind that there may be disagreement, but disagreement doesn't need to be war, but should look more like a dance. It is also helpful to understand that if sever there were an absolute, it would be the Great I Am, Yahweh. Everything else in is orbit around God.
- How do we help each other as a group navigate the difficulties of living in a non-binary world?
- Would anyone say that they feel like they had little experience with this idea?
- Would anyone say that they had some experience with this idea?
- How can these two help balance each other?
Prayer
- Close with prayer to the Great, Unpredictable Spirit that cannot be contained, explained, predicted or simplified into something we "figure out". Ask God to continue to make us, a people "born of Spirit" "from above", to live in tandem with such a God.
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