The crowd of people that Jesus is talking to in John 6 are searching for a god who will perform for them—who provides immediate earthly needs. How have you had similar expectations of God recently? For what have you demanded immediate gratification instead of looking to Him as the source of true life?

The people brag about receiving manna, which only temporarily sustains them physically and ultimately doesn’t give them life. What temporal thing have you chosen to put your hope and trust in? What is it that you treat as your “manna” (e.g. dreams about what your life should be; your beauty; your strength; your money; your spouse, family, or relationships; your retirement; the status that you have acquired; etc.)?

Everything meaningful to us in this world will in some form leave us or we will leave it. We are in need of a stable future—a life beyond death. Are you certain of your future? Do you believe that Jesus raised from the dead so that you may truly live? What does it mean to you that Jesus is the bread of life? What would it look like to build your life on Jesus?

In order for Jesus to expose, lead us through, and overcome the darkness, we have to recognize that we are living in darkness. When did you first come to acknowledge the darkness of your heart?

Jesus is the light that reveals and exposes what is hidden in the darkness. What is hidden in your life that you need to let Jesus expose? Who are you going to talk to that can help bring it into the light?

We are not comfortable acknowledging or thinking about the darkness in our hearts, so we are easily distracted. What are you easily distracted by that keeps you living in a superficial realm? How can you move forward in bringing what is in the dark to the light? What is one distraction you can remove from your life that is keeping you from confessing sin?

There is only one light that leads to salvation and that is Jesus; however, we tend to run to what temporarily fixes the darkness rather than what overcomes the darkness. What do you run to that is just a temporary fix?

"This section of the discourse is addressed to those who believe and yet do not believe. Clearly they were inclined to think that what Jesus said was true. But they were not prepared to yield to Him the far-reaching allegiance that real trust in Him implies. This is a most dangerous spiritual state."

When Bill first read this quote by Leon Morris, what was your initial reaction regarding how how accurately this represents your faith and spiritual state? After reflecting on the quote, in what ways do you feel or not feel prepared to yield to Jesus the far-reaching allegiance that real trust in Him implies? What does this look like in your own life?

While Jesus holds Himself out to the people, they reject Him because they are unwilling to accept the reality of who they are in their own minds—it is a part of the human condition to live constantly deceiving ourselves of our own frailty and sinfulness. In what ways do you distract yourself from the reality of who you really are? How have you seen in your past the ways you can deceive yourself of your brokenness?

A person’s character is revealed by how he or she responds to Jesus. Jesus explains that the issue is not intellectual, or even theological, but rather willing unbelief. In our natural state, we are unbelieving. How are you currently struggling with unbelief? Do you respond to Jesus in humility and understanding of your brokenness or in a posture of defensiveness?

How do you try to negotiate the terms by which you follow Jesus instead of accepting Him as He is? In what ways do you attempt to dumb Him down so that He is less threatening and easier for you to understand? What is the thing you try to make of Him (e.g. a “family values Jesus,” a “social justice” Jesus, a “God and country” Jesus, a “prosperity Jesus,” etc.)?

We are helpless when left to ourselves. Like sheep, we need a shepherd and sheepfold; for us, this means biblical community and a local church. As followers of Jesus, need to make a structural and systematic commitment to both of these. It is possible to be in some form of community and not actually practice community. Are you hiding in plain sight? When was the last time you exposed something about your sin that required courage to do it? When is the last time you challenged someone else to do that?

God speaks to us in a personal, customized way that is tailored for our souls— giving us direction on what it means for us, individually, to move. How is Jesus speaking to you that way? We are responsible to respond and act as Jesus speaks to us personally. What are the core one or two areas of your life where you are being called to move?

Jesus is the door to the only life that satisfies our souls. Because God is our Creator, we have to humble ourselves and trust that he knows how to satisfy us. While we are tempted to indulge in sin and must humble ourselves to pursue satisfaction in Jesus, we have to trust that only He can give us true life. What are the false doors you are looking in for satisfaction? What does it look like to shut those doors?

We need to identify ourselves as sheep—we are needy, stupid, and dependent. Our limitations and brokenness point directly to our need for a Shepherd because, apart from Him and His guidance, we can do nothing (John 15:5). What is your natural reaction to being called sheep? What experiences in your life prove you to be a sheep? What circumstances do you need to currently surrender to the Good Shepherd and stop trying to manage on your own?

We can be tempted to treat Jesus like tech support, calling on Him when we are in a bad season. When has your relationship with Jesus been characterized this way? Why do you think you do this? How is this rooted in pride?

We are not promised a “good” life but we have been given the Good Shepherd; Nowhere in the Bible are we promised a pain-free, comfortable, and prosperous life on earth. On this side of Heaven, there are many false shepherds vying for our allegiance and attention that promise the “good” life we think we deserve. What can you identify as your false shepherds? In what area of your life do you need to turn your hope over to the Good Shepherd?

Some false shepherds seem obvious with teaching that immediately doesn’t line up with Scripture, but are we able to discern the lies from someone who downplays sin, subtly reinterprets the gospel, or skews Scripture to promise a good life? How have you been blind to these deceptions in your own life? Do you have a realistic understanding of your own brokenness and need for Jesus? How do you know?

What is a situation in your life where you thought: if God really does love me, why would I experience pain in this way? Based on the way in which Jesus reveals the love and character of God in John 11, how might God have been loving you through that circumstance? Looking back, how was your definition of God’s “love” during that time different than God’s terms of love?

Even in the midst of Martha’s suffering, Jesus didn’t say: “I’m going to fix this.” Instead, He asked her if she believed in Him—if she trusted Him. God cares more about the orientation of our hearts than the outplay of our circumstances. In what ways does this apply to your life now? In what area of your life is your heart not oriented around trust in God?

Jesus is committed to us not going to anyone else to solve our problems because He knows that He is the only solution. Who or what of this world do you try to grab on to in order to solve your problems? Have you experienced the person of Jesus? What might He be trying to reveal to you about His love and relationship with you?

The “I AM” statements help us deepen our understanding around the magnificence and mystery of Jesus. What have you learned so far about the magnificence of Jesus? What questions do you have surrounding who He is revealing Himself to be?

Jesus commands us to not let our hearts be troubled and to trust in both the Father and in Jesus. There is a relationship between our anxiety and trusting God: when we trust ourselves with things beyond our capacity, it fuels anxiety, but when we trust God with things we realize are bigger than us, it fuels peace. In what area of your life are you trying to trust yourself instead of God? How can you move towards peace and trusting Him?

In our world, we put too much pressure on this life. We expect peace, happiness, kindness, love, and stability that this world cannot give—the world cannot come through on the things we crave deep in our souls. Only eternity with our Creator will reconcile our deepest desire. We have to shift our expectations and look past this moment to fix our eyes on the stability of our eternity with Jesus. What do you expect from the world that it cannot give to you? When you fix your eyes on eternity, how does your perspective change?

The Father’s purpose is to make sure the branches produce the fruit that He needs them to bear; therefore, what matters for us is what the Father wants to do in our lives not what we want to get out of our life. Where is the Gardener producing fruit in you? How has this looked the same or different than what you wanted for your life?

When we wake up in the morning, our focus should be one thing: how to stay connected to Jesus. To do this, we must get rid of distractions and hindrances that keep us from getting to Him. What keeps you from staying connected to the Vine? What do you need to change to order your life around things that connect you to Jesus?

Bill White challenged us to build our lives around the structure of love rather than the feeling of love. What do you think he meant by this? How were you challenged by the examples of what it means to truly love others?

As humans, we are slaves to the moment. If grace and peace depend on our circumstances, we will never find stability; true grace and peace come from God alone. What does His transcendence have to do with us having grace and peace? In what circumstances in your life do you need to be tethered to the One who brings grace and peace and believe that God is both in the moment with you and sovereign over all?

God has made us priests in this world, advocates for those who don’t know Him, and gives us work to do as His ambassadors. In what ways are you tempted to just “hang out” as a Christian? What work do you need to do to serve God’s people? What does it look like for you to live like a priest?

Matt reminded us that there is an event coming that will be great for some and not great for others. Those who have rejected Jesus are not ready to meet Him, and it will be a day of rejection and mourning instead of a day of celebration. Do you trust in the ultimate ruler who created you and gave up His life so that you can live?