Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    3:16 Bible Study Guide: A Study for Small Groups
    3:16 Bible Study Guide: A Study for Small Groups
    3:16 Bible Study Guide: A Study for Small Groups
    Ebook114 pages1 hour

    3:16 Bible Study Guide: A Study for Small Groups

    By Max Lucado

    3.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    If 9/11 are the numbers of terror and despair, then 3:16 are the numbers of hope. Best-selling author Max Lucado leads readers through a word-by-word study of John 3:16, the passage that he calls the "Hope Diamond" of scripture. The study includes 12 lessons that are designed to work with both the trade book and the Indelible DVD for a multi-media experience.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateSep 9, 2007
    ISBN9781418586799
    3:16 Bible Study Guide: A Study for Small Groups
    Author

    Max Lucado

    Since entering the ministry in 1978, Max Lucado has served churches in Miami, Florida; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and San Antonio, Texas. He currently serves as the teaching minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. He is the recipient of the 2021 ECPA Pinnacle Award for his outstanding contribution to the publishing industry and society at large. He is America's bestselling inspirational author with more than 150 million products in print. Visit his website at MaxLucado.com Facebook.com/MaxLucado Instagram.com/MaxLucado Twitter.com/MaxLucado Youtube.com/MaxLucadoOfficial The Max Lucado Encouraging Word Podcast

    Read more from Max Lucado

    Related to 3:16 Bible Study Guide

    Related ebooks

    Christianity For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Consecrate Yourself To The Lord

      Dec 30, 2022

      Happy new year! I wish you everything of the best for this year ahead. Each day is a blessing from the Lord, let us use 2023 wisely. Have you ever ‘consecrated’ yourself to the Lord? I am not talking about when you got saved and invited Jesus into yo

      2 min read

    • Article

      Women Of Grace

      Oct 21, 2019

      Many who read the above scripture are usually quick to grab the promises of prisons shaking, stubborn doors opening, and chains falling away. However, upon deeper study of this scripture, it is evident that the “Suddenly” in verse 26 was a direct res

      3 min read

    • Article

      Ask Val

      Jul 21, 2023

      Ask Val
      2 min read

    • Article

      Word Search

      May 19, 2023

      Word Search
      2 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Dec 29, 2023

      D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to k

      7 min read

    • Article

      Radiance

      Dec 30, 2022

      Radiance
      7 min read

    • Article

      Bible Fun

      Mar 8, 2024

      Bible Fun
      3 min read

    • Article

      Getting to Know God

      Mar 16, 2020

      Getting to Know God
      3 min read

    • Article

      RELIGIOUS, But Lost…

      Nov 18, 2019

      RELIGIOUS, But Lost…
      2 min read

    • Article

      Forward March!

      Sep 4, 2020

      Forward March!
      5 min read

    • Article

      Surviving YOUR WILDERNESS

      Oct 21, 2019

      “ If you’re going through hell, keep going!” So said Winston Churchillduring one of the worst crises in world history. And these words of wisdom still apply to anyone passing through a trial today. Maybe you are passing through a difficult season i

      2 min read

    • Article

      Samuel Rodriguez

      Jul 26, 2022

      Samuel Rodriguez
      2 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Sep 24, 2021

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Figuring Out Who We Are

      Oct 12, 2021

      What really defines us? Looking beyond our physical attributes or circumstances and considering our nature as God’s children offers healing, empowering answers.

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Danger Of Isolation

      Jun 12, 2020

      It seems that a new ‘style’ of church has swept onto the scene with some extraordinary success and incredible impact on young and old alike. Steven Furtick is the founder and lead pastor of an ‘off beat’ evangelical ministry called Elevation Church,

      6 min read

    • Article

      “Lord Heal Our Nation”

      Sep 23, 2022

      “Lord Heal Our Nation”
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Truth That Set Me Free

      Oct 15, 2019

      When a woman severely injured her toe during a weeklong hike, she found hope as well as healing in Jesus’ teaching about truth and freedom. Each of us can also find genuine healing by going deep with God’s inspiration.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Ask Val

      Dec 30, 2019

      Ask Val
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Parables Of Jesus

      Dec 30, 2022

      The Parables Of Jesus
      3 min read

    • Article

      7 Quirky ‘Doctrines’ DEBUNKED

      Oct 28, 2022

      Jesus said that the truth sets us free. But the opposite is also true: Lies put us in bondage—even if the lies are spoken from a pulpit by a sincere minister or a Christian celebrity. In my international travels, I’ve sat in countless meetings and he

      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for 3:16 Bible Study Guide

    3.5/5

    6 ratings6 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      Lucado's writing doesn't impress, and his treatment of the text is hardly expositional. There's no heresy here, but nothing profound, either.
    • 5/5
      This is an excellent presentation of the Gospel. I would highly recommend giving this book to anyone who is seeking to know God.
    • 4/5
      A single verse that means so much. It sums up God's incredible love, His incredible plan and His incredible sacrifice for us. A verse that is simple to understand, yet so filled with meaning, and so filled with HOPE. I enjoy the way Max Lucado writes. He highlights simple things that are easy to forget, reminding me of the core of my faith and my reason for hope and belief.
    • 3/5
      I definitely don't think this is Lucado's finest work. Like another reviewer said, half of the book is the actual book and the last half is a 40-day devotional. I plan to go through the devotional. However, I think this book is more suited for non-Christians who are exploring Christianity or new Christians who need to grasp the concept of what John 3:16 encompasses. A decent read with some good jewels, but not the most compelling Lucado book I've ever read.
    • 2/5
      Meh. There's nothing wrong with this book. In fact, viewed as an evangelical book for those who have little exposure to the Message, I'd bump it up to 3 1/2 or 4 stars. The main problem is that it seems like a book that has already been written thousands of times in the last 20 years, many times better. The fact that it is bumped from the 130 pages it is to over 200 pages is not a positive. This is a paper back book with a minor devotional attached. Should have looked closer at it in Barnes & Noble.
    • 4/5
      Very good source for Learning of God's never ending love for each of us!

    Book preview

    3:16 Bible Study Guide - Max Lucado

    316-StudyGuide_TXT_0001_001

    A STUDY

    FOR

    SMALL GROUPS

    MAX LUCADO

    316-StudyGuide_TXT_0001_002

    © 2007 by Max Lucado

    All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

    Published in Nashville, Tennessee by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

    Thomas Nelson, Inc. titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

    Unless otherwise noted, Scripture references are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

    Scripture references marked NKJV are taken from The New King James Version®. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    Scripture references marked MSG are taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright (c) 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

    ISBN-10: 1-4185-2923-0

    ISBN-13: 978-1-4185-2923-9

    Printed in the United States of America

    07 08 09 10 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

    CONTENTS

    Chapter 1 THE MOST FAMOUS CONVERSATION IN THE BIBLE

    Chapter 2 NO ONE LIKE HIM

    Chapter 3 HOPE FOR THE HARD HEART

    Chapter 4 WHEN YOU GET BOOTED OUT

    Chapter 5 THE ONLY ONE AND ONLY

    Chapter 6 THE HEART HE OFFERS

    Chapter 7 HEAVEN’S WHOEVER POLICY

    Chapter 8 BELIEVE AND RECEIVE

    Chapter 9 GOD’S GRACIOUS GRIP

    Chapter 10 HELL’S SUPREME SURPRISE

    Chapter 11 WHAT MAKES HEAVEN HEAVENLY

    Chapter 12 THE LAST WORD ON LIFE

    Leader’s Guide

    1

    1

    THE MOST FAMOUS

    CONVERSATION

    IN THE BIBLE

    SCRIPTURE FOCUS:

    John 3:1–12

    LESSON OBJECTIVE:

    To discover that real life can only be found in a faith relationship with Jesus Christ and to commit to living within that relationship.

    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

    (John 3:16).

    REWIND

    Nicodemus had to visit Jesus in secret. After all, he was a prominent Jewish leader, a member of the Pharisees. This was the group that had investigated John the Baptist and was now building a case against Jesus. Nicodemus, however, abandoned his role as a prosecutor in order to seek personal answers. Nicodemus knew enough to make him wonder if Jesus really was the fulfillment of the prophecy that was central to the Jewish faith. His colleagues weren’t convinced, but Nicodemus was intrigued.

    Even though he was curious, Nicodemus reserved judgment. He misunderstood Jesus’s words about the new birth. He couldn’t seem to grasp the idea that life change is a God-thing; he believed that God could be found in keeping the law and doing the right things. Heaven—for Nicodemus, the Pharisees, and traditionalists— was something to be earned. Jesus offered what Nicodemus was seeking; Nicodemus just wasn’t so sure about Jesus’s plan.

    RETHINK

    Your doubts about a faith-based relationship might not be the same as those Nicodemus had. Maybe you wonder if God really cares for you as much as the Bible says he does. Maybe you question God’s willingness and desire to intervene in the problems you are facing. For you, salvation might be nothing more than insurance against spending an eternity in hell; it has no present value. Nicodemus tried religion and found it empty. You might be in the same situation.

    What, other than faith, have you tried in order to make sense out of life? (Check all that apply.)

    ____ religion

    ____ relationships

    ____ the pursuit of prosperity

    ____ possessions

    ____ popularity

    ____ philosophy

    ____ power

    ____ other:

    Describe how you discovered your solution(s) wasn’t working.

    Complete Nicodemus’s statement from your own perspective. "Jesus, I’ve heard about your works and

    ________________________________________________ ______________________________________________."

    Nicodemus had religious credentials that he thought were enough. He worked for a religious organization, spoke the religious language, and participated in religious activities. He might not have been the best person in the world, but he certainly wasn’t the worst. He was in good standing with God . . . or was he?

    Jesus told Nicodemus that being good wasn’t good enough. Even being religious wouldn’t make it possible for Nicodemus to understand what Jesus was talking about. Even though Nicodemus thought he had the spiritual life under control, he was missing the main ingredient—he had never been born again.

    Describe the time when you were born again. Where were you? Who was there? What was the experience like?

    What does it mean if you don’t remember being born again? It means you might be suffering from Nicodemusitis—the misconception that a person can earn eternal life. You don’t earn it. You can’t purchase it. You don’t get into heaven as part of the family plan. This way of thinking might be new to you; it was new to Nicodemus.

    Nicodemus was a professional questioner. He took everything literally. When Jesus said that a person must be born again, Nicodemus was quick to jump on the literal impossibility of such an idea. The Pharisees were good at that.

    Some of us would make good Pharisees because we tend to overlook the spiritual significance of biblical instructions, choosing instead to nitpick the minutia. Like defense attorneys, we badger the prosecution’s witness, hoping to poke holes in the testimony. If we can just find one loophole, then that instruction won’t apply to us.

    What do you think pops into the minds of non-spiritual people when they hear the words born again?

    ____ physical rebirth

    ____ spiritual rebirth

    ____ religious nonsense

    ____ total confusion

    If someone asked you to explain what it means to be born again in everyday words, what would you say?

    REFLECT

    When Jesus suggested that Nicodemus needed to be born again, he implied something specific—Nicodemus needed to be born from above. Nicodemus was powerless; he had to allow God to do something in his life.

    Why is it so hard for some people to allow God to work in their lives?

    What has prevented you from allowing God to work in your life?

    This conversation with Nicodemus leads to what many believe is the most important verse in the entire Bible. People who have hardly read a word of Scripture even know the words in this verse.

    Fill in the blanks:

    For __________ so loved the _____________that he gave his one and only _________, that whoever believes in him shall not ___________ but have _______________ life.

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1