Living IncarnationallySummary: From the beginning of the Gospel of John, we see that Jesus was a cultivator of relationships which was a key to his ministry. Jesus fellowshipped in our humanity to build meaningful relationships to bring people closer to God.
Open (5 - 10 minutes)
1. What would be some of the things you would worry or be concerned about if your job transferred you and your family to the middle of Indonesia for three years? What would it take for you to settle in?
Dig (20 - 25 minutes) (John 1:14-18)
2. How might this have been like or unlike going to Indonesia?
3. Why did the Word become flesh? Why not build another tabernacle and reissue the law?
4. How does 1:37-41 illustrate what is said in 1:14? What impact did this have on the two disciples?
5. Does the incarnation (Him becoming “flesh” - in the likeness of men) of Christ have any bearing on how we are to conduct ourselves? (see Phil 2:3-7)
Apply (20 - 25 minutes) - Living “incarnationally”
6. How accessible and approachable are you? Hardly? -- somewhat? -- very? Why is that?
7. How perceptive and sensitive are you to others? Hardly? -- somewhat? -- very? Why is that?
8. What are some steps you can take to cultivate more sensitivity to others?
9. What role does prayer play in developing more sensitivity to others?
10. Write down the name of one person from each category below that you know has a need
a. Someone in your life group ___________________
b. Someone in the church ___________________
c. Someone who is not in the church ________________
Now write down how you can pracitice incarnational Christianity with each of these --Prayer