START HERE | Move People from a Category to a Conversation

Sometimes following God feels a little complicated. There seem to be many things to remember, prayers to pray, and guidelines for how we’re supposed to live. How do we even know where to start? In this three-week series, we’ll find our starting point in the words of Jesus. We’ll point our students toward the greatest thing Jesus calls us to do: love God, love others, and love ourselves. When it comes to faith, they can START HERE!

BOTTOM LINE
Move people from a category to a conversation

SCRIPTURE
He had to go through Samaria on the way. Eventually, he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. (John 4:4-8), Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (John 4:13-14), Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” (John 4:26)

Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world” (John 4:39-42).

• Small Group Questions

  JUST FOR FUN

  Have you ever made a new friend who was totally different from you? What were they like?

  DISCUSS THIS

  1. What categories do people put each other in school?

  2. Has a conversation with somebody ever changed the way you saw them?

  3. Why do people sometimes think that keeping their distance from certain people because of their differences is actually the best thing to do?
  
  4. What stood out to you in the story about Jesus and the Samaritan woman?

  5. Jesus was often found in surprising places with surprising people. What kind of person would others be surprised to see a Christian hanging out with?

  6. Do you think people you know who don’t go to church would feel welcome in our group? What can we do to make sure new people feel welcome?

  7. Jesus didn’t just start a conversation—He showed the woman value. What’s one simple way you could show value to someone you don’t usually connect with?
  
  TRY THIS

  Leaders, encourage your students to send out a group text to share how they initiated the conversation with the person who came to mind in the last question.