NT260 • Set 16
Discussion & Heart Check Questions
Small group discussion questions and accountability tools designed to help disciples grow in their love for God, connect with others, serve others, and share the gospel.
These questions were created to accompany the NT260 Discipleship Journal, but they can also be used by any small group, discipleship group, family, Sunday School class, one-on-one discipleship relationship, or individual studying John 8–12.
This Set’s Big Idea
Jesus is the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, and the promised King who calls people to believe in Him, follow His voice, and receive eternal life.
As you read, watch how Jesus exposes spiritual blindness, offers freedom from slavery to sin, gives sight to the blind, protects and leads His sheep, raises Lazarus from the dead, receives worship, enters Jerusalem as King, and prepares to give His life so that others may live.
How to Use These Questions
These questions are a guide, not a script. You do not need to answer every question. The goal is to help your group engage Scripture, encourage one another, and take a clear next step of obedience.
Before meeting, encourage everyone to complete this week’s readings and record at least one observation and one application using PETS or another preferred Bible study method.
Suggested Small Group Meeting Flow
Use this as a flexible guide for a 1–1.5 hour weekly gathering. Adjust as needed for your group.
Connect, catch up, and celebrate how God worked during the week.
Pray and invite the Holy Spirit to teach through His Word.
Share PETS observations and applications from the week’s readings.
Work through selected discussion questions together.
Use Heart Check questions for honest accountability and encouragement.
Share prayer requests and close by praying for one another.
Leader Tips
- You do not need to answer every question.
- Select the questions that best fit your group.
- Keep the conversation centered on Jesus and practical obedience.
- Encourage everyone to participate, but never pressure anyone to speak.
- Make room for both interpretation and personal application.
- Handle conversations about grief, suffering, doubt, shame, or past failures with grace rather than condemnation.
- These chapters repeatedly contrast spiritual sight and spiritual blindness. Resist turning the discussion into debates over secondary issues. Keep bringing the group back to John’s primary purpose: helping people recognize who Jesus is and respond by believing, following, and worshiping Him.
- Leave enough time for accountability, encouragement, and prayer.
This Set’s Readings
- John 8 — Jesus Extends Grace to the Guilty, Declares Himself the Light of the World, and Offers True Freedom
- John 9 — Jesus Gives Sight to a Man Born Blind and Exposes Spiritual Blindness
- John 10 — Jesus Reveals Himself as the Good Shepherd Who Gives His Life for His Sheep
- John 11 — Jesus Raises Lazarus and Declares Himself the Resurrection and the Life
- John 12 — Jesus Is Anointed for Burial, Enters Jerusalem as King, and Calls People to Walk in the Light
Leader Note
The central question throughout John 8–12 is not simply, “What miracle did Jesus perform?” but “Will people recognize Jesus for who He truly is?” Every chapter reveals another aspect of His identity. He is the Light of the World, the One who gives true freedom, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, and the promised King who willingly lays down His life for His people.
Notice how John continually contrasts people who see Jesus clearly with those who remain spiritually blind. A woman caught in sin receives grace. A man born blind comes to worship Jesus. The Shepherd’s sheep hear His voice. Martha confesses her faith in Christ. Mary pours out costly worship. Yet many religious leaders, despite witnessing the same miracles, continue rejecting Him because their hearts remain hardened.
Be careful not to reduce these chapters to isolated moral lessons like “don’t judge others,” “be generous like Mary,” or “listen to God’s voice.” Those applications matter, but John’s purpose is much greater. Every sign, conversation, and “I AM” statement is inviting people to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and to entrust their lives to Him. The miracles point beyond themselves to reveal the identity of Christ.
Guide your group to continually ask, “What does this passage reveal about Jesus?” before asking, “What should I do?” Genuine discipleship begins with seeing Christ rightly. As people recognize who Jesus truly is, worship deepens, obedience becomes joyful, and lives begin to change from the inside out.
Love God
- Which picture of Jesus in these chapters most strengthened your worship this week: the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, or the humble King? Why?
- Jesus said His sheep recognize His voice. What helps you hear and follow Christ more faithfully, and what distractions compete for your attention?
- Martha trusted Jesus even while grieving the loss of her brother. Is there an area of your life where God is asking you to trust Him before you understand what He is doing?
- Mary’s extravagant worship demonstrated that Jesus was worth more than anything she possessed. What does your use of time, money, or priorities reveal about what you treasure most?
- If someone watched your life this past week, would they conclude that you are simply interested in Jesus, or that you are genuinely following Him?
Connect with Others
- Jesus showed both grace and truth to the woman caught in adultery. How can we reflect that same balance in difficult conversations with family members, friends, or fellow believers?
- Martha, Mary, and Lazarus experienced grief together while trusting Jesus. How can our small group become a place where people feel safe sharing burdens instead of hiding them?
- Are there relationships where pride, judgment, or unforgiveness may be preventing you from loving others as Christ has loved you?
- Jesus welcomed people that others dismissed. Is there someone you need to intentionally notice, encourage, or include this week?
Serve Others
- Jesus consistently noticed people others overlooked. Who around you may need practical help, encouragement, or simply someone willing to care this week?
- Mary’s generosity reminds us that love often costs something. What practical act of sacrificial service could you offer someone over the next seven days?
- How can you intentionally use your gifts, influence, or resources this week to point people toward Jesus rather than drawing attention to yourself?
Share the Gospel
- The man born blind simply shared what Jesus had done for him. How does his example encourage believers who feel unprepared to share their faith?
- If someone asked why Jesus called Himself the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, or the Resurrection and the Life, which of those truths could you confidently explain?
- Jesus welcomed people from every background. Who is one person in your life who may be spiritually searching, grieving, or discouraged and needs to hear about the hope found in Christ?
- What specific step could you take this week to begin a spiritual conversation, invite someone to church or your small group, or simply share what Jesus has been teaching you?
Closing Challenge
Jesus is the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, and the promised King who calls people to believe in Him, follow His voice, and receive eternal life.
Throughout these chapters, some people reject Jesus while others believe, worship, and follow Him. The guilty receive grace. The blind receive sight. The Shepherd gathers His sheep. The grieving find hope. Mary pours out extravagant worship. The King enters Jerusalem on His way to the cross. Every scene reveals more clearly who Jesus is and invites us to respond in faith.
Where is Jesus calling you to move this week—from darkness to light, blindness to spiritual sight, fear to trust, admiration to wholehearted worship, self-reliance to following the Good Shepherd, or simply from knowing about Jesus to faithfully walking with Him each day?
Scripture to Remember
John 10:27–28
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me.” (NLT)
These verses beautifully summarize this week’s readings. Jesus isn’t merely a teacher to admire—He is the Good Shepherd who knows His people, calls them by name, leads them, gives them eternal life, and securely holds them in His care.
This week: Read these verses each morning, write them once in your journal, repeat them throughout the day, and ask God to help you recognize the Shepherd’s voice and faithfully follow wherever He leads.
This Week’s Practice
Follow the Shepherd’s Voice
Every day this week, begin by asking one simple question: “Jesus, what would You have me do today?” Spend a few quiet minutes reading Scripture before checking your phone or beginning your daily routine, then intentionally obey the first clear truth God brings to mind.
Whether that means forgiving someone, serving a neighbor, sharing your faith, or simply trusting Him in a difficult situation, practice following the Shepherd’s voice with immediate obedience rather than delayed intention.
Prayer Focus
Seeing Jesus Clearly and Following Him Faithfully
Pray together that God would open your eyes to see Jesus more clearly and give you the faith to follow Him wherever He leads.
- Thank God for sending Jesus, the Light of the World, to lead us out of darkness.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any area of spiritual blindness, unbelief, or resistance in your heart.
- Pray for the courage to recognize and obey the voice of the Good Shepherd each day.
- Ask God to strengthen those who are grieving, suffering, or waiting on Him, reminding them that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.
- Pray for opportunities to reflect Christ’s grace, truth, compassion, and hope to people who need Him.
Closing Prayer: Father, thank You for sending Jesus, the Light of the World, our Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, and our humble King. Open our eyes to see Him more clearly and soften our hearts to trust Him more completely. Help us hear His voice above every competing voice in our lives and follow Him with joyful obedience. Strengthen our faith when we experience suffering or uncertainty, fill us with worship like Mary, and use our lives to point others to the hope and eternal life found only in Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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