A Plentiful Harvest of New Lives

In one paragraph

This message worked through John 12:37-50, where John records that most people still would not believe in Jesus despite the signs he had done. The preacher held that question up against the present: what are our reasons to believe and follow, and is the cost worth it? The conversation that followed the reading let the group press into that question together. The passage opens on a hard note. Even...

Read together

1. John 12:37-50 main passage read and discussed throughout the message
2. 2 Corinthians 1:20 quoted to affirm that all God's promises are fulfilled in Christ with a resounding yes
3. Isaiah (unspecified passage) cited as prophesying that people would hear but not understand, and that the Lord blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts
4. Ezekiel (unspecified passage) quoted as God's promise to give a new heart, remove the stony stubborn heart, and give a tender and responsive heart
5. John 10 (unspecified verse) referenced to support that the good shepherd gives a rich and satisfying life
6. Revelation 21 (unspecified verse) cited as the heaven of the no mores, no more death, sorrow, or tears, God dwelling with us
7. Romans 15:13 quoted at the close as a blessing that God fill believers with joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit

Talk about it

1. The message described the human tendency to harden our hearts toward God as 'the story of humanity, going back to Adam and Eve.' Where do you see that tendency show up in your own life, and what has worked to soften it?
2. Some of the Jewish leaders believed in Jesus but would not admit it because the cost was too high. What does following Jesus cost you personally, and how do you weigh that cost against the reasons to follow him?
3. The image of the sun was raised: its purpose is to give light, not to cast shadows, even though shadows are inevitable when light shines. How does thinking about Jesus that way, as someone who came to bring light rather than to judge, change how you understand your own faith or your conversations with people who are skeptical?
4. The prayer 'Lord, I do believe, but help me in my unbelief' was called a favorite prayer in all of scripture. Have you ever prayed something like that? What was going on in your life at the time?
5. The group talked about aligning our will with God's will, and about how God has done everything He possibly could to draw us to Himself while still not forcing our hand. What does it look like in your daily life to actively move your will toward His rather than waiting for belief to just happen?