By Doug Redford
1. Did you reach out to a “messy” person during the past week? How did your effort go? Is there any possibility of following up with this individual?
2. What is the earliest event in your life that you can remember? How old were you?
Ask two people to read aloud John 1:1-18, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize the passage.
3. Why is this text from John’s Gospel an appropriate one to read and study during the Christmas season?
4. List five truths about Jesus that you take from this passage.
5. John 1:10 says that Jesus “was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” How do we see these words demonstrated during the Christmas season?
6. John 1:16 says, “Out of his [Jesus’] fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.” Look back over the past year and list some evidence of God’s grace in your life.
7. Thinking about our passage, John 1:1-18, which verse in this passage would you say is the . . . most hopeful? . . . most humbling? . . .most troubling? . . . most profound?
8. Mark Scott writes, “God gave the balance of grace and truth through Jesus.” Why is it important to keep these in balance? In other words:
- What happens when grace is shown without respect for the truth?
- What happens when truth is adhered to without a demonstration of grace?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. During each day of the coming week, take time to read John 1:1-18. Select one verse from that passage each day as your “verse of the day,” and repeat it whenever you have some spare time. Thank God each day that “the Word became flesh.”
For Next Week: Read and reflect on John 6:25-40. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
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