Class is in Session
Introduction
In “Class is in Session,” from Gospel of John 4:27–38, we see Jesus call His disciples and us into a deeper understanding of living on mission. Through the Samaritan woman’s transformed life, the disciples’ misplaced priorities, and the reminder that God prepares the harvest, Jesus teaches that sharing the Gospel isn’t complicated, t’s a natural overflow of a life changed by Him. As we learn from the Master, we’re challenged to renew our passion, reorder our priorities, and step into the work God is already doing around us. Are you living on mission?
Discussion Questions
Outline
I. Lesson One: Changed Lives Reach Others. John 4:27-30
· When Jesus truly changes a person, that change spills over into the lives of others.
II. Lesson Two: Mission Requires Right Priorities. John 4:31-34
· Living on mission requires a reordered life in which the purposes of God matter more than personal comfort or routine.
III. Lesson Three: God Prepares the Harvest. John 4:35-38
· The mission of God is not dependent on our effort but is initiated by God himself.
Study Questions
1. Have you ever gotten excited about something so quickly that you just had to go tell somebody? What was it, and why couldn’t you keep it to yourself?
2. In John 4:27–30, the Samaritan woman immediately goes back to her town and tells others about Jesus. Why do changed people naturally want to tell others about what has happened to them? Why is personal testimony so powerful?
3. In John 4:31–34, the disciples are focused on food while Jesus is focused on the Father’s will. Why is it so easy for everyday needs and routines to distract us from God’s mission, and where do you see that happening in your own priorities?
4. Read Matthew 6:33. How does Jesus’ command to seek first the kingdom connect to John 4:31–34? What does this look like in everyday life?
5. In John 4:35–38, Jesus tells the disciples to lift up their eyes because the harvest is already ready. Why do believers often assume opportunities for evangelism are far away or for someone else?
6. This is a version of the Engel Scale, which shows evangelism as a process of moving someone from one step to the next. How does seeing this change your thinking on evangelism? How does it change the way you might interact with others on a daily basis?
7. Read and memorize John 4:34. Talk with another believer about someone you feel burdened to share your faith with and talk through ways of doing so that emphasize moving that person one step on the Engel Scale. Then go have that conversation.