(These Discovery questions go with the Bible lesson for June 28, 2020: “Perfect Love in Truth” For a detailed explanation of how to use Discovery Bible Study, click here.)
By Leigh Mackenzie
1. What are you thankful for today?
2. What examples do you have of living as Jesus did this past week?
Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask two people to read 3 John 3-8 one after the other (preferably from different versions). Repeat this process for 1 John 2:20–3:1.
Ask the third person to summarize what both passages are saying as a whole as if sharing it with a 10-year-old.
3. What main themes do you see running through these passages? (Hint: look for repeating words.)
• What evidence do you see for why John wrote this?
4. Let’s dig deeper into some of the specifics in these passages:
• What gave John joy?
• Look for verses that encourage people to continue or remain. What do you learn from these verses?
• What do you learn about the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Father?
5. What truths do you learn about God in these passages?
• What do you learn about his nature?
6. What do you learn about the nature of humanity in these passages?
7. What will you do this week to better know, walk in, and obey the truth?
8. What can we do as a group to help one another remain in Christ and not be led astray?
• In what ways can showing hospitality to others help us work together for the truth?
9. What will you do this week to make God’s truth known to those who do not know him?
10. Based on these sections of Scripture and our discussion, complete this sentence: This week, I will . . .
11. What challenge will you be facing this week?
For next week: Sometime over the next week, read and reflect on 1 John 3:10-23 and 2 John 4-6 as we continue looking at “Perfect Love” through the letters of John. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Author: Michael C. Mack
Michael C. Mack is editor of Christian Standard. He has served in churches in Ohio, Indiana, Idaho, and Kentucky. He has written more than 25 books and discussion guides as well as hundreds of magazine, newspaper, and web-based articles.
