John 3:1–21 (NIV)

¹ Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

⁹ “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. ¹² I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. ¹⁴ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

1. Being born again.

No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

2. Blowing of the Spirit.

“The wind blows wherever it pleases… So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

3. Inviting all out of love.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.

4. Loving light over darkness.

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light.

And now we begin to see what it is that the New Testament is always talking about. It talks about Christians “being born again”; it talks about them “putting on Christ”; about Christ “being formed in us”; about our coming to “have the mind of Christ.”… It is a living Man, still as much a man as you, and still as much God as He was when He created the world, really coming and interfering with your very self; killing the old natural self in you and replacing it with the kind of self He has. At first, only for moments. Then for longer periods. Finally, if all goes well, turning you permanently into a different sort of thing; into a new little Christ, a being which, in its own small way, has the same kind of life as God; which shares in His power, joy, knowledge and eternity… C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Next Steps

• A prayer of faith. God, thank you for revealing yourself to me through Jesus. I want to live in your light, to live in your truth. I ask you to forgive me for not following you or your ways. I want to be born of the Spirit of God—to be born again as your child. I believe in you and want to experience the new life and the eternal life you have for me through Jesus. Help me to live in you. Thank you. Amen.

• In your time alone with God, read John 3. What do actions do you notice in the passage? Read it again. What surprises you? What do people see that causes them to put their trust in Jesus? Read it one more time. What are the old teaching Jesus is turning upside down or giving new meaning? In what ways have you experienced new life because you have been born of the Spirit?

As needed, refer to the Order of Worship and Resources at solanabeach.church for sermon video, message outline, and small group questions print version.

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER 

Before beginning your time in John, create intentional time getting acquainted and re-acquainted with one another. Share together, using the following ice-breaker question: If you had to use one word to describe your week, what word would you choose and why?

CONNECT WITH GOD  

Use one of the below practices.

• Describing the Holy Spirit

“God must be allowed the right to speak unpredictably.” -Thomas Merton

Individually, spend a quiet few minutes jotting down words describing the Holy Spirit. Then, together, as an act of praise and connection, say these words or phrases aloud. Try to come up with as many as you can.

• Encountering Your Story: Through prayer and journaling, reflect and remember how the Spirit has been a part of your own story. 
• Journal: Have there been times where the Spirit has surprised you? Has God moved in unexpected ways in your life?

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER 

Read John 3:1-21

• Before digging into the scripture and message more, pray together. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate and enlighten, and to speak to each one of you through the passage. 
• Together: Read John 3:1-21.
• In pairs, reflect together on the below prompts:
• What questions do you have about the passage? 
• What are you most curious about? (Do your best to honor the journey of curiosity and not give an immediate reply) 
• Together as a whole group: Around the circle, share your questions about the passage. Encourage one another to engage their curiosity, confusion, and bigger questions.

CONNECT WITH SCRIPTURE 

Watch the Bible Project video (John, Part 1) and, if needed, read the passage again. Then select the best questions or customize the questions for your group. 

• Were you surprised by anything you learned through the Bible Project video?
• Review the main points from the sermon outline. 
• How did God meet you in the message this week? 
• Reflecting on the main points of the message, what will you continue to wrestle with in the coming days? 
• Does reading John 3:16 in the context of the larger passage shift how you understand this well-known verse? 
• Which themes of Jesus’ life and ministry do you notice in this passage? 
• What does it mean to be ‘born again’? 
• What are the old teachings that Jesus is turning upside down or giving new meaning?
• How do you connect this passage to your own life right now? Or to circumstances around you?

ENGAGE AND EXPLORE 

Together: explore the quote below, in connection with John 3:1-21.

“And now we begin to see what it is that the New Testament is always talking about. It talks about Christians “being born again”; it talks about them “putting on Christ”; about Christ “being formed in us”; about our coming to “have the mind of Christ.”… It is a living Man, still as much a man as you, and still as much God as He was when He created the world, really coming and interfering with your very self; killing the old natural self in you and replacing it with the kind of self He has. At first, only for moments. Then for longer periods. Finally, if all goes well, turning you permanently into a different sort of thing; into a new little Christ, a being which, in its own small way, has the same kind of life as God; which shares in His power, joy, knowledge and eternity.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

PRAYER 

As Jesus declares that Light has come into the world, let’s turn our prayer to confession tonight. How do we pray for the Light to shine on us so that we might see plainly how we ought to live as people made new through Jesus? Close your prayer by saying the Lord’s Prayer together.