The River of God - Pentecost Sunday

 

Study Guide for the Week of  May 23, 2021

This Week Reading: John 7: 37 - 39 - also can be studied with John 4: 1-26

Crossroads Community Group Guide:
A. Welcome: Welcome everyone especially new persons and read out loud the purpose of your group
B. Purpose: Our purpose is to spread the Kingdom of God. We do this by multiplying groups of people who care for each as God's family. We begin by inviting new people to our group and building them to be followers of Jesus. Each person here has the potential to be empowered to start and be the leader of a new group and spread God's kingdom.

C. Worship Time: Spend a few minutes singing a worship song. Here is one you may want to use The Your Presence is Heaven  (or pick your own on YouTube make sure it has the lyrics on the screen)

D. Announcements

1. Weekly Resources on Crossroads Facebook Page    

        Monday: Listening Room Resources for the week

        Children's resource each week  

2. Daily Devotional Video: The Encouraging Word with Pastor Willie

3. Announcements and Events:  Crossroads Web Site

4. Watch the Sunday service here Sunday 11:45am

E. Review   

1. How did you do with what you wanted to apply from last week?
2. Who did you invite to the group for this week?

F. Opening Question (a simple question to introduce the main theme - called an icebreaker): What things have you tried in your life that you though would bring satisfaction to you?

G. Read Background Information: 

These short verse contrast Jesus as the source of satisfaction with other things people look to for satisfaction. Jesus is at a religious festival of the Jews. It was called the feast of Tabernacles. The Jews celebrate God's blessing upon the harvest. All men were required to come to the temple for this festival. The are would have bee packed with thousands of people. As part of the festivities the high priest pours out some water on the altar representing the blessing of rain on the crops. It was probably at this time that Jesus stood and shouted out what John recorded in verse 37-39. John was a eye witness of what happened and records it accurately for us. These verses are very similar to John chapter 4: 1-26 - which is a good application of these verses. 

Verse Outline:

       I.            I. Fact One: The river of God comes from God alone – verse 37; John 4:1-14

Key Concept: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made know through Jesus Christ.” – Pascal

Key Verse: Isaiah 55:2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare.

Community Group Application: Community group members boldly tell others the good news about new life in Jesus 

I.  II.   Fact two: The river of God comes to anyone who is thirsty and drinks – 37 - 38 and John 4:15-26

Key Concept: The river of God is teeming with life
And all who touch it can be revived – Andy Park

Key Verse: John 4: 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Community Group Application: Community group members celebrate when a member of their group is baptized 

I.       III.   Fact Three: The river of God flows through you to others – verses 38 - 39

 

Key Concept: God wants to fill you with His river so you can be a flowing river to others  

Key Verse: Ezekiel 47:9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.

Community Group Application: A community group receives from God’s Holy Spirit and is an outlet of God’s river of life in a dry empty world. 

      I.            

     II. H. Word: John 7:37-39  - break it down into smaller portions to read. Read it in portions aloud together several times. (Goal is that everyone understand the Bible story or verses by retelling them in their own words - keep at it until everyone knows the story or verses)

1. What key (important) words do you see in these verses?
2. Tell in your own words what happens in these verses.
3. What are the details?
4. What details can you add to what others in the group have said?

I. Discuss the following general questions together (Goal is to use these general questions to guide a discussion - the leader should not speak more than 30% of the time - let the group discover what God is saying to them).
1. What catches your attention in these verses?

2. What new thing did you discover in the story or verses that you did not know before?
3. What did you learn about God (Father, Jesus or Holy Spirit) from the story?
4. What do you learn about people from the story?

5. What important lessons for us do you see in this story?

 
J. Commitment - Obedience - Application  (This is the key - have everyone answer this question): 
1. What in specific will you commit to apply in your life from this study? 

K. Prayer Time:                
1. Pray for an empty chair representing new people who you want to join your group. Name names of people specifically. 

2. Pray for your group to multiply.               
3. Pray for the needs of the members of the group. It is best to divide into 2 groups one of male and the other female.

L. For Next time:                
1. Ask each person the name of a person they will invite to the group                                         for next week.