Here are some questions based on last Sunday’s sermon text (John 8:37-47), in case they’re helpful to you for personal growth or group discussion…

• [38] Jesus says you act according to the identity you have received from your father, who is either God or the devil. Seeking to establish your own identity apart from God actually is receiving your identity from the devil. What are some ways in which you (or people you know) actively seek to establish your identity apart from God? Why is it Good News for Jesus to enter into conflict with you over this?

• [42-47] By nature as sinners (i.e., children of the devil), we hate God and reject his truth. How do we know that we are no longer children of the devil, but children of God? Do you see evidence of this in your own life? If so, how did that happen?

• Doubting God’s Word is at the heart of every sin, and it rips apart our relationship with God. The devil tempts us to believe his lie, that God cannot be trusted. How do you see yourself tempted to believe this lie in the practice of specific sins? How do you see yourself tempted to believe this lie during times of suffering? How does the truth of God as revealed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ make a difference in the way you can trust him?