Group Guides | Sharing the gospel, sharing our lives (1 Thessalonians 2:8)

By way of introduction: What are your favourite “dark before the dawn” moments outside of the Bible - from books, poems, movies, stories, sport etc.?

Read John 16:16-33

1. Look closely at verses 20-22, where does the world locate its joy?

2. Reformed Christians ought to be known for our glorifying of God and enjoying God (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q1). Why is that, and why can’t our joy be taken away?

3. We’ve seen before in the Scriptures how gospel-joy is something more profound than worldly-happieness (2 Corinthians 6:10). What is the difference between gospel-joy and worldly-happieness?

4. Look closely at verses 23-28, and discuss the connection between joy and prayerfulness as a Christian.

5. How is it that Jesus has ‘covercome the world’?

6. In this life of “dark before the dawn”, what will our daily discipleship of taking heart and having peace mean for us, as we believe the promises here made by Jesus?

Pray for our church to have full-joy in Jesus.

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