Week Two - The Tidal Wave Spend FIFTEEN - Day One Spend

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Week Two - The Tidal Wave John 12:23-26

Spend FIFTEEN - Day One 1. Think back to a moment where someone made a sacrifice for you. Why did they do it?

2. A sacrifice with no purpose would simply be a tragic waste. Great stories of sacrifice are moving and inspiring because they have a purpose. The soldier who falls on a bomb to protect his squad, the firefighters who died evacuating people at the World Trade Center on 9/11… they speak to us in a way that few other stories can. What would you say is the purpose of sacrifice?

3. Jesus’ act of sacrifice is the most impactful moment in all of history. One of the most well-known Bible verses captures the power in this sacrifice. Read John 3:16 and answer the following questions. a. What was the source of Jesus’ sacrifice? b. What was the purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice? 4. Why do you think this verse is so popular?

5. This verse gives us a simple formula to see what sacrifice looks like: Love + Purpose = Powerful Impact. How does this change the way you look at sacrifice?

6. One of the frustrating things about sacrifice is that we don’t always know whether the “powerful impact” will happen and we don’t always get to see it. Read Hebrews 11:1 and describe the role faith might play in our acts of sacrifice.

7. Finish your FIFTEEN by reading again through John 3:16. If you haven’t memorized it, try to commit it to memory. If you have, allow yourself to read it in a new light and be refreshed by the powerful impact Jesus’ sacrifice has in your life.

Spend FIFTEEN – Day Two 8. Read this statement and then write down why you agree or disagree. “I believe an act of sacrifice can change the world.”

9. What means more to you - one great act of love or many small acts over time? Why?

10. For many, sacrifice is associated with pain, hardship, loss, even death. But Jesus sees something different. He sees beauty, worth and deep meaning in what He is doing. Read John 12:23-28. Highlight the phrases that reflect Jesus’ attitude.

11. Jesus talks about His act of sacrifice and compares it to a cycle in verse John 12:24. What do you think He is trying to say by using this metaphor?

12. Read John 12:27 again. Does embracing sacrifice mean we have to pretend as though it’s not hard? How does this verse teach us to cope with hard things?

13. Finish your FIFTEEN in prayer. Ask God to give you a greater vision for what He might want to do in your life through hard things. Pray for the ability to trust that He can use hard moments in your life to do amazing things in the lives of others.

Spend FIFTEEN – Day Three 14. Do you think God sending Jesus into the world was a “Plan B” or was that the idea all along? Explain.

15. Read Genesis 3:14-15. This is the part of the story of the fall into sin. At the end of verse 15, God says something profound to the serpent. What do you think this means and how does it relate to the question above?

16. Throughout Scripture, we see hints that God is planning something big to bring restoration to His people. Read the following verses and write/think about how they fit into God’s plan. a. Deuteronomy 18:15 (approx. 1,400 years before Jesus) b. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 (over 1,000 years before Jesus) c. Isaiah 53:3-6 (approx. 800 years before Jesus) 17. What does it tell you about God that Jesus wasn’t a backup plan, but that He always intended to walk with us?

18. Finish your FIFTEEN in prayer. Reflect on the fact that God wants to have a perfect relationship with you and planned to make that happen from the very beginning. Give thanks for that relationship and how it has changed your life.

Spend FIFTEEN – Day Four 19. Take some time to think and answer this question: “What does Jesus’ death on the cross mean to me?” Write down your thoughts.

20. Read Romans 3:21-26. How does this affect your answer to the above question?

21. The word “atonement” means to make amends for a wrongdoing. How would you answer this question: “How

can Jesus atone for my sins?”

22. Based on this text of Scripture, for who does Jesus’ sacrifice Himself?

23. Look again at Romans 3:26. What allows someone to receive the benefits of Jesus’ sacrifice?

24. Imagine that you are having a conversation with someone about spirituality and he or she says, “I believe that if you do enough good you can make up for the bad that you’ve done.” What is a good (and grace filled!) response that reflects the truth of this text?

25. Finish your FIFTEEN in prayer. Thank Jesus for His atoning sacrifice and pray for those in your life who do not know this great gift yet. Ask for opportunities to share this good news and courage for when God gives those opportunities.

Spend FIFTEEN – Day Five 26. The Bible is filled with some beautiful metaphors and imagery for the work that Christ accomplished for us through His sacrifice on the cross. Read the following verses and write a bit about the imagery you see. a. 1 John 1:7 b. 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 c. Galatians 4:4-5 d. Ephesians 1:7 27. Which of the above verses resonates with you most? Why?

28. Metaphors are great ways to talk about the work Jesus has accomplished in ways that make sense to us. They can also help us communicate God’s work in our story to someone else. Take a moment to write out a few lines that describe God’s work in your life that you could tell someone to help him or her understand how God works.

29. Sometimes God uses our story to powerfully impact someone with a similar story or background. Write down some people who could benefit from hearing about God’s work in your life story.

30. Finish your FIFTEEN in prayer over your story. Thank God for his ultimate sacrifice for you and how He is preparing your story to be shared with others. Pray for the people whose names you wrote above and for opportunities to share your story with these people.