the gospel challenge

An 8-week adventure of discovery

Week Five: Nic At Night

1.  Watch the message
What did you hear?
What did you notice?
Jot down a word, a phrase, or insight you want to remember throughout the week.
WATCH ANY MESSAGE FROM THIS SERIES HERE
2. Read the passages at least one time during the week:
In the passage this week a religious leader comes to talk with Jesus under the cover of night.  He has some questions.  If you were expecting a Messiah, had heard about Jesus and saw him clear the Temple, what questions would you want to ask him?
Some things to think about the passage:
  • Nicodemus, a religious leader, a teacher himself, came to Jesus to be taught. 
  • Jesus revealed to this devout Pharisee that the Kingdom would come to the whole world (3:16) and not just the Jews, and that Nicodemus wouldn’t be a part of it unless he was personally born again.  This was a revolutionary concept:  The Kingdom is personal, not national or ethnic, and its entrance requirements are repentance (turning away from sin and back to God) and spiritual rebirth. 
  • Have you experienced personal repentance and spiritual rebirth or have you been relying on family, nation, culture, or good behavior as a way to be included in God’s Kingdom?  Jesus is clear about how to enter God’s Kingdom.  Take some time to express your gratitude to God for your personal spiritual rebirth or, if needed, offer your repentance and allow God to birth in you something new.

John 3:1-15   NLT

3 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again,[a] you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.[b] 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.[c] 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You[d] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man[e] has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.[f]

Practices to supplement your reading

3.  Explore a Practice
You are encouraged to explore different spiritual practices during this eight-week challenge.  Not all practices benefit everyone, but you are encouraged to use this time to experiment with something new or return to a practice maybe you haven’t done in a while.  You will be provided with a couple different options.  You are encouraged to try one each week.

Asking God Questions

“When we live in interactive relationship with God, we naturally ask God questions about all kinds of things. Surrender is the atmosphere of the prayer, and questions are an outward sign of surrender.”  What kinds of questions do you ask God?  Consider these.
Questions to God for myself
  • What do I need to know about my relationship with you, God?
  • What do I need to know about how my character needs to change?
  • What do I need to know about how you want me involved in advancing your Kingdom?
Questions to God for the sake of others
  • What does it look like to love this person as a neighbor?
  • How do I engage in what is best for this person (show love) in a sensible way?
  • What does my friend, spouse, child, etc. need?
  • How can I tune in to the strangers I will meet and enlarge their vision for your Kingdom?
"As we ask God questions in prayer, we live with more intentionality, readily asking, "How can I be compassionate in this situation? How can I live out justice here?"
(When the Soul Listens by Jan Johnson)

Confession and Self-Examination

Set aside some time for confession and self-examination.  Imagine you are in a safe place, surrounded by the love of God.  In the presence of God ask for light to pierce your defenses.  Ask yourself, “Who have I injured recently through thoughtlessness, neglect, anger, and so on?”  (Include God as someone you may have hurt, or dismissed or neglected.)  As the Holy Spirit brings people to mind, confess your hurtful actions and feelings about these people to God.  Ask God to forgive you and if need be to give you grace to forgive them.  Write an apology, make a phone call or confess out loud in an attempt to put the relationship back on track.

Prepare yourself for your next Communion (next Sunday!) by naming and listing your wrongdoing to God.  Consider what you might actually deserve for this wrongdoing.  When you eat the bread and drink the cup, savor the deliciousness of knowing that none of your wrongdoings stick to you!
(The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, By Adele Ahlberg Calhoun)

Seek God for the City Prayer Guide

Pray powerful prayers of biblical hope for the people of your community. This prayer guide makes it easy for you to pray rich, biblical prayers for spiritual awakening throughout your city. Dated to unite prayer during the 40 days leading to Palm Sunday, February 17 – March 28, 2021.

You can purchase through your app store, pick up a hard copy at the connection center (first come, first serve) or you can purchase at https://waymakers.org/store/

Talk to a Friend

Take the initiative to call, Zoom, Facetime or talk with someone about the message and/or your reading of the passage from John this week.  Here are some optional questions/suggestions to get your conversation started:
  • Share a thought or insight from Sunday’s message.
  • What did you notice from the Scripture passage?
  • Share about a time when God seemed especially near.  Does God seem near to you in this season or does he seem distant? Describe what you are experiencing.
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View All Previous Weeks Here

May God meet you in the dailyness of life, as you live life from his Word and show the world a picture of what the Kingdom of God is like.
Have a wonderful week!