Weekly Sermon Study Guide

This resource is intended to help us prepare our hearts for the upcoming Sunday's sermon and reflect on what we heard after the sermon. Study guides are available on Friday of each week. If you are looking for a study guide associated with a past sermon (February 2023 on), a link will be available on the individual sermon page. For past sermons, click here.

Sermon Details

April 9, 2023
"Encountering and Believing the Resurrected Christ" 
John 20:1-18

Leading up to Sunday's Sermon

Read the Passage

John 20:1-18

Reflect

  1. How might you react to Jesus appearing in the midst of your weeping and tears? We tend to struggle to see God in the midst of grief and suffering, yet this is where God so often shows up most powerfully.
  2. Does the Bible still feel mostly like fiction, or has the truth of the Gospel hit you like it did John when he saw the empty tomb? If you’ve had that moment of believing in the truth of the Gospel for the first time, what was it like? If not, what might be holding you back from belief?

Respond 

Suggested Prayer Prompts
  • Spend time thanking God for sending His Son to make a way for us to be able to run to Him as Peter and John run to see the empty tomb.
  • Pray for a Spirit of gratitude and joy that is reflected in how you think about and care for others, especially during this Easter season.

After Sunday's Sermon

Review

Review John 20:1-18 and listen to sermon (if you have not done so already)

Reflect

Key Idea
All through this series, we’ve focused on John’s idea of “seeing is believing,” and at the end of this passage, we finally see the truth of the Gospel in full – just like Mary Magdalene, we “have seen the Lord.”
Questions for Consideration
  1. So often, we talk about “living out the Gospel,” but what does this mean practically? When we see the depth of our need and the extent of God’s grace and power in Christ’s death and resurrection, how should that change our lives?
  2. Jesus responds to Mary’s tears with great compassion and empathy. How do you see the love Jesus has for us reflected in this encounter? What can we learn about how to respond to those who are suffering from how Jesus responds to her?

Respond

Suggested Prayer Prompts
  • Take some time to confess to God where your own understanding of what He’s done for you falls short. Where are you struggling to believe the truth of the Bible? Share that with God knowing He wants to be with you in your struggle and doubt.
  • The Gospel is for more than just this one time of year. Ask God to help remind you of the significance and magnitude of Jesus death and resurrection in a powerful way daily, year after year.