Loved | John 3:1-21
Blurred gray and white background.
January 8, 2023
Loved | John 3:1-21
WHEN YOUR BEST ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH

The Gospel of John was written by an author who only ever self-identified as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Such was John’s experience, he knew and felt what it is to be loved by Jesus. Many of the stories in his biography of Jesus are accounts of people who experienced the very same thing: what it means, even what it feels like, to be loved by Jesus.

We are going to enter their stories.

When we human beings are at our best, we’re curious, and asking questions. God made us this way. Nicodemus showed up on Jesus’ doorstep with lots of questions, and Jesus was able to bring out of him the best questions: ones whose answers challenged the reaches of Nicodemus’ mind and peered into the depths of his heart. What are you curious about these days?

Listen to an audio version of the message

Songs for this week: Spotify

John 3:1-21

  1. If you (and your small group friends!) had a nighttime meeting with Jesus, what questions would you ask?
  2. What do you understand Jesus to mean when he says “you must be ‘born again”? (v. 3,5&7). What’s involved in that?
  3. Christians, unlike the God they worship, are prone to condemning others and themselves. Do you agree with that observation? If so, why would it be true?
  4. “People loved the darkness”. This statement seems obvious for rapists, thieves, and murderers. How could it be true for religious people like Nicodemus (or us!)?
  5. When do you get offended? Is there a chance you’re overly sensitive to the criticisms or disrespect of others?
  6. What might our Lord Jesus be speaking to you about this?

Share with a friend

Recent Sermons

February 16, 2026
Exodus 14:5-13 -The story of God’s rescue is not without drama! God’s people left Egypt only to come against a new opponent, the Red Sea! They were trapped between an angry Pharaoh and, at least as bad, an angry Sea. They cried out, expressed their terror, and God made a way. Of course, it did involve them moving their
February 8, 2026
Exodus 12:1-14 - The story of Exodus is the story of Jesus. The God we get to know in Exodus is the God who comes to us in the person of Jesus: a God who judges, who saves, and who renews.
February 2, 2026
Exodus 3:1-14 - The rescue begins. God looks for a person to lead the way—not someone perfect, but someone willing. In Exodus, God calls Moses through a burning bush and rekindles a relationship that had been years in the making.
January 25, 2026
Exodus 1:6-14 - This Sunday, we begin Roots, a new teaching series from the book of Exodus—discovering how the story of rescue in Exodus shapes our understanding of Jesus.
January 18, 2026
Exodus 36:1-7 - God calls Israel to give their wealth to build the Tabernacle, raising a timeless question: will we live open-handed, trusting God with what we hold?
January 12, 2026
Luke 12:13-21 - Jesus warns us about the hidden danger of greed. Discover three heart attitudes toward money—I deserve it, it’s all for me, and I’m better off with more—and why they matter.
All Sermons