Leader Guide week of 9-21-08 / John 13:1-17

Small Group Leaders Guide
September 21, 2008

Series: One Week To Live
Message 3: Love Completely

Getting Started:
1. Ask yourself the question: “What would I do if I had only one week to live?” Tell the group one of the top 5 things you would do.

Going Deeper:
2. In John 13:1 it says that Jesus showed them the full extent of His love. How do you think the passage that follows illustrates this?

3. What is Jesus teaching the disciples about love in this passage?

4. When asking yourself the question: “What would I do if I had only one week to live?” it seems normal to think in terms of what you want to do for yourself. What if the question was: “What would I do for others if I only had one week to live?” how different would your answer be? Why?

5. If you had one week to live, which people would you want to say, “I love you” to? Of these people, who needs to hear it the most? The least? Who hasn’t heard it for the longest period of time?

6. Read John 13:15. Re-read it, but this time change the word, “as” to “what.” How does doing this change the meaning of Jesus’ statement? What is the significance of the word, “as” in this teaching?

• Jesus was not telling His disciples to wash feet.
• Alone with His disciples in a room in Jerusalem, Jesus did the unthinkable. When there was no servant to carry out the custom of foot washing, Jesus assumed the role. The Master became the servant. The greatest and most high became the least and the lowest.
• The disciples weren’t to become full-time foot-washers, but full-time servers of men and women. They were to be servant leaders.

7. “Love is a verb” is a popular saying. How is love a verb?

8. In John 13:8-10, what is going on there? Why does Peter react the way he does? What does Jesus mean in verse 10?

Putting it into practice:
9. The people you love need to know it. If there is someone who needs to see your love in action, make a commitment to make that happen and pray about that in your groups.

Quote Of The Week:
How do I want to be remembered? Not primarily as a Christian scholar but rather as a loving person. This can be the goal of every individual.
--Elton Trueblood