Five Challenges of Following Jesus

Five Challenges of Every Follower of Christ
John 16:1-33

1. The challenge of Opposition (from people and circumstances) (John 16:1-11)
2. The challenge of Commitment (taking up the cross) (John 16:12-15)
3. The challenge of The temporal (episodes of suffering) (John 16:16-22)
4. The challenge of Growth (being stretched) (John 16:23-28)
5. The challenge of Fear (that overwhelms and leads to compromise) (John 16:29-33)

Questions for Further Study:

1. When might you use a figure of speech to explain something? Why?
2. What painful experiences in your life have resulted in joy?
3. When have you enthusiastically anticipated someone’s return or arrival?
4. How did the disciples react to Jesus’ “in a little while” statement? (16:17-18)
5. What did Jesus tell His disciples would happen to them? (16:19-20)
6. To what did Jesus compare His disciples’ response to His departure and return? (16:21-22)
7. What did Jesus tell His disciples they would do when they saw Him again? (16:23)
8. What hadn’t the disciples done up until this point? (16:24)
9. What kind of language did Jesus use to speak to His disciples? (16:25)
10. Why did the Father love the disciples? (16:26-27)
11. From where did Jesus come and to where was He going? (16:28)
12. Why did the disciples say that they believed Jesus had come from God? (16:29-30)
13. What did Jesus predict the disciples would do? (16:31-32)
14. What did Jesus want for His disciples? (16:33)
15. Why did Jesus tell the disciples to take heart? (16:33)
16. How would you have responded to Jesus’ words had you been there with His disciples?
17. What grief or sorrow in your life has God turned to joy?
18. For what can we ask the Father?
19. How has God made your joy complete?
20. How does the knowledge of Jesus’ return make you joyful?
21. What figures of speech have helped you better understand spiritual truths?
22. What relationship do we have with the Father today?
23. What trouble do we have in the world as followers of Christ?
24. How does the fact that Jesus has overcome the world encourage you?
25. In the midst of trouble, on what encouraging truth from this passage will you rely?
26. Because of your restored relationship with the Father, what can you ask Him to give to you in
    Jesus’ name?
27. What grief or sorrow do you need to entrust to God?