Changing Your Mind

Sermon Discussion Guide

Easter 2016
March 27, 2016

Goals for this Week’s Study:

  • Review Sunday Morning’s Sermon.
  • Give everyone another chance to respond by “changing their mind” about Jesus.
  • Encourage people in your group to invite people back to the kick-off of No Perfect People Allowed. Everyone who attends this Sunday will get a free t-shirt! Sunday @ 10 AM, & 11:45 AM.

Getting Started: Open your group with prayer.

Pastor Daniel preached a laser-focused message on what it means to repent, or change your mind, about Jesus. Let’s dive into that now.

Share Stories:

Pastor Daniel mentioned a couple of things that he changed his mind on over the course of his life (minivan, and black denim jeans). Take a moment to reflect and share about things you now do or have done that you said you’d never do.

Opening Questions:

  1. What caused you to change your mind?
  2. What evidence was there that you “changed your mind?”

Study Questions:

Let’s take a look at a man name Nicodemus and see how he changed his mind about Jesus.

READ John 3:1-12 aloud. Ask different ones to read different parts, or you read it all at once.
  1. Who is Nicodemus? [Pharisee, member of ruling council, authority on the law.]
  2. Why do you think he came to Jesus?
  3. When did he come to Jesus? WHY?
  4. What does Jesus tell Nicodemus he needs to do? [Be born again]
  5. What does Jesus say is preventing Nicodemus from being born again? [Belief]

Application Questions:

READ John 3:12 – 18 aloud.
  1. Why was it so hard for Nicodemus to understand the concept of being born again?
  2. Is this still a challenge for people to understand today?
  3. Nicodemus knew all the right things, but Jesus said he still didn’t have the right belief. What is the right belief? [Belief that leads to “changing your mind”—repentance!]
  4. Do we know if Nicodemus changed his mind? [YES] READ John 19:38 – 42.

Opportunity for Response:

Maybe you identify with Nicodemus and Joseph. Maybe like them, you’ve kind of been a secret “follower” of Jesus Christ. Or, maybe you’ve realized that while you know about Jesus, you’ve not really been born again.

  • Ask everyone to bow their head and invite them to pray with you. If you want you can use this simple prayer:
Jesus, thank you for giving your life in place of mine. I don’t fully understand it, but I believe you lived, you died, and 3 days later you got out of the grave! I’ve blown it, I’ve messed up and right now I am committing to, as best as I know how, to begin following you as the Lord of my life. Give me strength to turn from my sin and begin pursuing the Better Life you have for me.
  • Ask them to raise their hands or let you know somehow that they prayed that with you. Encourage them to do this publicly within the group setting. Just like Joseph and Nicodemus did. Remember, there actions demonstrated they had repented—changed their mind about Jesus!
  • For those that make this decision, CELEBRATE like crazy!! Pray over them with your group. Don’t forget to get some info from them so we can follow up with them (name, phone, email, address, etc.).

Final Thoughts:

  • Jesus did not come to this Earth to judge us, He came to SAVE us.
  • For those who don’t believe, we are already condemned.
  • There is NO Condemnation for those who believe in God’s son, Jesus Christ!
  • Pray!

Adam Eldridge