John 3-4: DISCUSS… Jesus in a Way That Sounds Like Good News

In this teaching, Ben starts by asking simple “what are you excited about?” questions to show we talk about things because we either think they’re the best (head) or we love them (heart). He applies that to evangelism: if Jesus is truly good news, Christians should be able to talk about him in a way that actually sounds like good news, not like guilt or confrontation. Ben contrasts Jesus’ “head-level” dialogue with Nicodemus (John 3) and “heart-level” care for the Samaritan woman (John 4) to show different people need different kinds of engagement. He ends with four practical ways to practice—reflecting on what made Jesus good news to you, recalling how he’s met you, and using simple exercises like a “mystery box” and repeatedly asking “why?” to deepen your gospel words.

Series Overview:

Most Christians can quote Jesus’s great commission: “go, make disciples…” But fewer Christians actually adopt a disciple-making life. For some, the gap stems from a lack of knowledge: we don’t know that we’re called to make disciples, or how to do so. Others lack capacity: we don’t think we have the time, the knowledge of the gospel, or relationships with non-believing friends and neighbors to display and declare the gospel in a meaningful way with them. Finally, others simply and honestly lack the desire to make disciples: other priorities pull us into a life defined by other pursuits. 

This Winter, Salt+Light will consider various aspects of a disciple-making life. Looking at the life of Jesus, and the life he called his followers to, we’ll see six vital elements of disciple-making on Sundays in January and February. Then – in households and mDNA Groups, we’ll examine our own lives through the lens of each principle. Over the Winter, our hope is that, individually and collectively, God will grow our knowledge, capacity, and desire to live a disciple-making life.