September 15 | Discovery Questions

September 15: Discovery Questions (based on Revelation 3:1-22)  

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1. Share with your group one considerable obstacle you have overcome—or are overcoming—in your life. How does being an overcomer make you feel? 

Ask two people to read aloud Revelation 3:1-22, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize the passage. 

2. On the surface the church in Sardis appeared to be alive (thriving), but in reality it was dead (3:1b). 

• Jesus said about them, “I know your deeds” (3:1a). 

• What does this say to you about outward appearance vs. inward obedience? 

3. Jesus said to the church in Philadelphia that he had placed before them “an open door that no one can shut” (3:8). 

• Does this give you confidence when you think about the opportunities the Lord has placed before you? 

• Does it encourage you to pray with boldness? Explain. 

4. Jesus promised the church, “I am coming soon,” and added, “Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown” (3:11). 

• How can faithful followers of Christ hold on to what we have today? 

5. Lesson writer Mark Scott describes the church in Laodicea as “the church that has nothing good said about it.” 

• Why do you think a lukewarm church (neither hot nor cold) is so detestable to the Lord? 

• What do you think makes a church lukewarm? 

6. Sadly, the Christians in Laodicea had little, if any, spiritual self-awareness. They considered themselves rich while they were poor, able to see while they were blind, and well-dressed while they were naked. 

• What does this say to you about the need for self-examination in the Christian life? 

• How should the process of self-examination be worked out in our lives? 

7. Amid their flaws, Jesus held out the hope of victory for each of the three churches in Revelation 3 (vv. 5, 12, and 21). 

• What does this say to you about the hope of the church today? 

• What does it say to you about hope in your own life? 

8. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .” 

For Next Week: Read and reflect on Revelation 4:1-11. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.