Week Eleven – Invitations

Episode Passages: Numbers 21:4-9, John 3:1-21; Matthew 9:9-13

Questions

1.  What is one big question you have as a result of watching this episode, or something that captured your imagination the most from the episode?

2.  What is the significance of the bronze serpent in the Bible?

3.   In what way did Joshua doubt that the serpent could rescue people from the curse of death? How does this correspond with people’s doubts regarding Christ’s ability to rescue them from the curse of death?

4.  In this episode we see Jesus continue to extend invitations to unlikely individuals – Nicodemus and Matthew. What makes both of these individuals “unlikely individuals”?

5.  What differences did you notice between the two invitations extended by Jesus? What do you think the reason was for such differences?    

6.  What differences did you notice between the responses of Nicodemus and Matthew to their invitation from Christ to follow Him?   

7.  How do these two responses correspond with Jesus’ teaching found in Matthew 16:24-26?  

8.  What are some of the things that you struggle to deny yourself, or count as loss, that interfere with you being able to faithfully follow Christ? 

9.  What was Simon’s reaction to Jesus’ invitation to Matthew? In what ways can we find ourselves acting like Simon?

10. What is your response to Jesus’ statement to Simon, “Get used to different”?  

11.  Name an attribute of God that you were able to see displayed in your life this past week.

12. Name a blessing from God that you experienced in your life this week.

13. How did you do with what you said you were going to go after last week to grow in your faith journey?

14. What is something that you need to go after this week to grow in your faith journey? How will you go after that this week?