John 7:1-13
ICE BREAKER
Think of a time when you were really thirsty and you had nothing to drink.
Try to recall the intense desire you had at the time.
Share your story with the group and how you eventually quenched your thirst.
Jesus is speaking today of our deepest thirst. He alone can satisfy it.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Group leaders: consider reading Isaiah 55:1-3 and John 7:37-39 with the group.
- We all have deep thirsts. We long to be loved, to be valued, and to be accepted.
We long to relax and to be secure in love.
When we do not turn to God we take these thirsts to people.
At times we grasp desperately in our relationships for love.
Even though we thirst deeply for love we often put up self protective walls around our hearts or we end up being buried in shame or self contempt.
Each of these keeps love at arms length.
In what way(s) do you tend to block receiving love?
What do you think is the fear underneath this and what do you do with the thirst to be loved?
- Christ declares in John 7: 37-39 that our deepest thirst is met in Him.
David Benner in his book, “Surrender To Love” says that love can only be received in vulnerability.
Are you able to receive love from Jesus and from people in a vulnerable manner (please think about both)? Explain your answer.
Next, share what has helped you to grow toward being vulnerable with Jesus and with people.
- Our small group relationships can be a place of healing for all of us who have a hard time being vulnerable.
We can cultivate becoming a safe community for one another by taking risks to be real.
Through these healing relationships with one another we create bridges that help us to learn to be safe and vulnerable with Jesus as well.
Share how your small group or someone in your life has been safe for you and share your story of learning to be vulnerable.
How has this affected your relationship with Christ?
- In regard to satisfying your deepest thirst, who or what is Jesus competing with in your life?
NOTES AND QUOTES
All the teaching of chapter 7 drives us to a point of invitation by Jesus.
He bids us to come to Him with our deepest thirsts.
The feast of booths is 7 days long and it takes place after many months of enduring the dry season in the nation of Israel.
Each family would build a booth and live in it for the week to remember the 40 years in the wilderness.
On the last day of the feast they pray for rain.
There was fear to talk about Jesus openly because you did not know what each persons’ view of Him was.
Ever have a fear of speaking up for Jesus? That is exactly what the tone was among the people in chapter 7.
People are doubting who Jesus is. It is getting intense.
Who believes in Jesus and who doesn’t? Who do I dare to express my opinion to?
On the last day of the feast Jesus stood up and cried out: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of HIs heart will flow rivers of living water.”
This is a shocking moment for the crowd.
Do you have relational discord in your life? Do you thirst?
Do you want those who hurt you to fail?
Do you wish the relational discord would be gone?
At the end of the day we just want to have friends we can count on who have time for us.
This is the thirst.
So, Jesus tells us to follow our thirst all the way to Him!
If we are not being satisfied in Christ’s love we try to suck life out of one another.
We spend our lives trying to get people to like us.
Even when people do like us it never quenches our thirst.
Looking to people is like drinking salt water.
Come to Jesus and if you do then out of you will flow living water!
