Sample Bible Study

The text for this Bible Study: John 6:24-35

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.  Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"

Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?  Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' "

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

"Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Sample Lesson

BRING APPETIZING SNACKS SO PEOPLE START THINKING ABOUT FOOD

Call on someone to pray.

Icebreaker, "What are all the different reasons why people eat food?"

Possible answers: pleasure, comfort, growth, energy, not dying of starvation, sharing hospitality (keep asking for more answers and feel free to supply answers of your own if they run out of ideas)

Call on someone to read John 6:24-35.

Explain that Jesus has just fed 5,000 people with miraculous bread and fish.

Content Discussion questions

Why did the people follow Jesus?  

What kind of bread were they looking for? 

What kind of bread did Jesus want to give them instead?

Thinking Questions.

How is Jesus like bread?

How is he similar to ordinary bread?

How is he different?

What does it mean to eat him?

Application Questions

What kinds of "hunger" do we have in our own lives?  (wait for multiple people to share, be prepared to give an example from your own life if the group is shy or confused about what you're asking for) 

What things do we turn to besides God to fill us up?  How would we fill ourselves with Jesus instead?

Ask someone to pray that the Father would feed us with the bread that lasts forever.

Note: if each prayer/reading/question took 4 minutes, this would be a 14 x 4 = 56 minute Bible study, about an hour.  By keeping an eye on the clock, you can skip questions if it looks like you'll go over, or slow down and keep discussions alive if it looks like you'll end early.  If any of the questions starts a conversation that gets people talking, let it go a while rather than killing it by asking a new question.  But if the conversation drifts to unrelated topics, bring it back on track or continue to the next question.

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