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September 20, 2020

John the Baptist: The Messiah’s Forerunner

What should we do when fear, uncertainty, and doubt plague us? This week, Ptr. Genesis Tan shows us how – like John the Baptist – we have nothing to fear, nothing to prove, and nothing to doubt as long as we work to fulfill our God-given calling. Like the Messiah’s Forerunner, we too can be real-life overcomes.

Read Today’s Scripture Passage

Matthew 3:1-12; 11:2-6; 14:1-5 / John 1:19-37; 3:25-30

Life Group Discussion Guide

1. Start with a prayer

2. Engage one another (15-30 mins)

  • Choose 2 LG members to share a devotion they recently had.
  • Share with the group: What is one of your greatest achievements? Why do you consider it your greatest achievement?

3. Engage the mind (15-20 mins)

  • Who is John the Baptist? What kind of oath did John’s parents have? What was John’s own resolution?
  • As John decided to follow what God has called him to do, what challenges did John face? How did he overcome them?
  • Read Luke 1:17. What does it mean to be ‘in the spirit and power of Elijah’? What does this verse tell us about the 3 things John would accomplish? What do these entail?
  • Read John 3:30. “He must become greater; I must become less.” What is the background of John’s statement? What is his response to competition and comparison? Compare this with Saul’s response when David killed more than Saul. How is John’s attitude similar to Paul?
  • How did John respond when Jesus became more popular than him?

4. Engage the heart (15-20 mins)

  • Do you struggle with giving glory and honor to God instead of yourself?
  • Reflect: Who is increasing in your life? Is it God or yourself?
  • Have you experienced being jealous of another person? Please share.
  • Share a time when you felt being compared to another person or felt threatened by competition. What was it like for you?

5. Engage the hands (15-20 mins)

  • Personally, how can you let Christ increase in your life?
  • With the reflections you have from John’s story, how can these be helpful in your faith journey?

6. Engage God in prayer (20-30 mins)

  • Pray for each other’s needs and concerns. (10-15 minutes)
  • Pray for our country. (10-15 minutes)
    • Recovery for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines which were forced to temporarily close due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
    • Sustenance and protection of health workers and their families.

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