Easter At Better Life

Goals for this Week’s Study:

  • Review Saturday Night/Sunday Morning’s Messages.
  • Help group members (especially new members) get to know one another.
  • Reflect on the story of Easter and what it means to each one of us

Getting Started:

Open your group with prayer.

SHARE: Share your favorite Easter memory! (It could be a funny story, favorite dish at Easter dinner, favorite gift you received, etc.)

Scripture:

- The Day of Rest was over. The sun was coming up on the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the grave. At once the earth shook and an angel of the Lord came down from heaven. He came and pushed back the stone from the door and sat on it. His face was bright like lightning. His clothes were white as snow. The soldiers were shaking with fear and became as dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus Who was nailed to the cross. He is not here! He has risen from the dead as He said He would. Come and see the place where the Lord lay. Run fast and tell His followers that He is risen from the dead. He is going before you to the country of Galilee. You will see Him there as I have told you.” They went away from the grave in a hurry. They were afraid and yet had much joy. They ran to tell the news to His followers. As they went to tell the followers, Jesus met them and said hello to them. They came and held His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My followers to go to Galilee. They will see Me there.” – Matthew 28:1-10

-  Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed. – John 20:3-8

- The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” – Luke 24:5-7

- That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” One of the twelve disciples, Thomas, was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” – John 20:19-29

Sermon Notes: Take time to let everyone share some of the notes they took or anything that stood out to them from the message. Use this time to get everyone in your group talking (a good tip for this situation would be to go around the room and have everyone share one thing that stuck out to them from Pastor Daniel’s sermon)! Keep in mind, not everyone may feel comfortable talking yet, so try your best to help assist them in any way you can!

Study Questions

  1. If you could put yourself in the shoes of anyone in this story, who would it be and why?
  2. Put yourselves in the shoes of Mary. How would you have reacted when you walked up to the tomb to find that it had been opened and the body was missing?
  3. Read John 20:3-8. When it comes to seeing how God’s working around you, do you find yourself being like John (the other disciple) or Peter? (John just looked, Peter actually saw and believed)
  4. What is something specific in your life that would change if you reacted more like Peter instead of John?
  5. Read John 20:19-29. What do you think was going through Thomas’ head when Jesus showed up the second time?
  6. What is one thing you can takeaway from this message?
  7. How can your group help you apply this?

Final Thoughts:

  • The enemy comes to take away, but there is abundance with Jesus.
  • Following Jesus is a series of next steps.
  • When you are reading the Bible, put yourself in the story! (It helps you gain better understanding).
  • The angel didn’t roll the stone away so Jesus could get out, the angel rolled the stone away so we could get in and see that He’s alive!
  • Why are you looking for life among dead things?

Pray Over Your Group!

Pray for all requests and for the 56 salvations we had this weekend!!

PRAYER CHALLENGE

Have each member pick someone within your group to intentionally pray for throughout this week! 

Zach Hacker