Your Personal Grow-Pray-Study (GPS) Guide

Context:

This conversation takes place during Holy Week, in the upper room. Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure. He’s been speaking about love, obedience, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The disciples didn’t fully understand Jesus’ words at the time. But Jesus promises that after He departs, the Spirit will remind them, teach them, and fill them with peace. Luther’s Small Catechism reminds us: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel…” This Pentecost reading reminds us that the same Spirit is still at work—teaching, reminding, comforting, and giving peace that the world cannot give.

Icebreaker:

What’s something meaningful or wise someone once told you — but you didn’t understand or appreciate it until much later?

Read John 14:23-31 aloud. What stood out to you from this week’s homily? What stands out to you in this passage?

Verse 23 speaks of the Father and the Son making their home with those who love Jesus. What does it mean for you that God makes His “home” with us?

In verse 26, Jesus says the Holy Spirit will bring to remembrance all that He has said. Why is remembering such a key part of faith? Have you ever had an experience where the Holy Spirit brought Scripture to mind at the right time, or remembrance of a success or season that God had clearly orchestrated for you? What was that like?

Jesus gives peace “not as the world gives” (v. 27). What might “worldly peace” look like—and how is Jesus’ peace different? When life feels chaotic or uncertain, how does the peace of Christ meet you in that space? How can this peace be more than “theoretical” for you?

What are some ways you can cultivate a heart that is open to the Spirit’s teaching and reminders? (Examples: regular Scripture reading, prayer, worship, etc.; remember: God wants to communicate with you – how can your heart be tuned to listen?)

Close with prayer, thanking God for the abiding gift of the Holy Spirit, and asking for grace to listen.

Context:

Luke 24 is the final chapter of Luke’s Gospel, and it ends not with mourning but with joy. Jesus, having risen from the dead, meets with His disciples one last time. He explains how everything written in the Law, Prophets, and Psalms had to be fulfilled. He opens their minds to understand the Scriptures, showing them that His suffering, death, and resurrection were not accidents but divine necessities. He then commissions them to preach repentance and forgiveness to all nations, promising the power of the Holy Spirit before ascending to heaven.

Icebreaker:

If you could be a witness to any moment in history, what would it be and why?

Read Luke 24:44-53 aloud. What stood out to you from this week’s homily? (Previous homilies can be watched at christlamesa.org/media.) What stands out to you in this passage?

Why do you think Jesus emphasized that everything written in the Scriptures had to be fulfilled? What does this say about the nature of God’s plan and Jesus’ mission?

Jesus outlines the church’s mission in Luke 24:47: to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name to all nations. Why do you think this is the heart of the message? Where has the church (think broadly) done a good job with this? Where has the church missed the mark?

Jesus tells the disciples they are witnesses of these things. What does it mean to be a “witness” of Christ in your life today? Is witnessing more about what we say or how we live, or both? (Hint: both!)

Before Jesus ascends, He blesses them. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase “blessed to be a blessing.” What does that mean to you? Where have you seen someone live out this phrase in their life? How has this inspired you?

After Jesus ascends, the disciples return “with great joy” and worship continuously (v. Luke 24:52–53). How do worship and joy equip us to carry out the mission of Jesus? What practices help you maintain joy and worship in your walk with Christ?

Close by thanking God for His Word, for sending Jesus, and for making us witnesses. Ask for boldness, patience in waiting, and joy in the journey.

Context:

John's Gospel often highlights specific signs (miracles) that reveal Jesus' identity as the Son of God and the giver of eternal life. In John 5, we encounter Jesus in Jerusalem at the Pool of Bethesda, a place where many sick and disabled people gathered, hoping for healing. The belief was that an angel would occasionally stir the water, and the first person to enter the pool after the stirring would be healed. This story sets the stage for a powerful demonstration of Jesus' authority over illness and human limitations, pointing to a more profound spiritual healing. It also foreshadows Jesus's conflict with the religious authorities who prioritized their traditions over compassion.

Icebreaker:

If you could instantly heal one physical ailment (yours or someone else's), what would it be and why?

Read John 5:1-8 aloud. What stood out to you from this week’s homily? (Previous homilies can be watched at christlamesa.org/media.) What stands out to you in this passage?

Like the man at the pool, we sometimes find ourselves in situations where we feel helpless or stuck physically, emotionally, or spiritually. What are some "pools of Bethesda" in our lives today – places or situations where we wait for something or someone to fix us, but feel unable to act?

Jesus' Question:

Jesus asks the man, "Do you want to get well?"

On the surface, this seems like an obvious question. Jesus' question challenges us to consider our desires for wholeness. Are there areas in our lives where we might be comfortable with our brokenness or even resistant to the healing God offers, perhaps because it would require us to change?

The man focused on the pool and his inability to get into it. Jesus, however, offers a solution that transcends his limitations. How might we limit God's power in our lives by focusing too much on our perceived inabilities or traditional solutions?

Jesus commands the man to "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." This involves an act of faith and obedience. Moving that mat was significant because it was the equivalent of moving from what had been his home. Jesus also invites us away from our places of comfort, the places that we once "put our trust" after experiencing his grace.

Close with prayer, thanking God for the healing He offers our souls through Jesus.

Context:

John 13:31-35 occurs just after Judas leaves the Last Supper to betray Jesus. Jesus knows the cross is just hours away, yet in that dark moment, He speaks of glory-the glory of His self-giving love. Then, He gives a "new" commandment. The command isn't new in that love had never been taught before (see Leviticus 19:18), but new in motive and measure. Jesus commands love not based on law or duty, but in response to His own love- a love that stoops to wash feet and hangs on a cross. This is the cruciform love of Christ, a love that renews us and binds us into a new community. We now live in the light of Easter, with the risen Jesus sending us out to love one another.

Icebreaker:

Who is someone in your life who has shown you love in a simple but unforgettable way? How do you know what they’re showing you is love (try to define the characteristics of love)?

Read John 13:31-35 aloud. What stood out to you from this week’s homily? (Previous homilies can be watched at christlamesa.org/media) What stands out to you in this passage?

Why does Jesus say this is a "new" commandment? What's different about it? How does the timing of Jesus' words (right after Judas departs, before His crucifixion) affect how you hear this commandment?

Have you ever felt challenged to love someone who has hurt or disappointed you? How did you respond—or how do you wish you had? Are there people you find easy to love and others you tend to avoid? What might Jesus be inviting you to see or do differently?

What does it look like to love someone who is especially difficult, condescending, and makes your life difficult?

In what ways is Christian love different from the love the world often offers?

When we hear “love as I have loved you,” we immediately get anxious and wonder, “How can I ever love like Jesus!?” St. Therese of Lisieux (19th-century nun) said, "Do small things with great love." Author Ann Voskamp writes, “The way you live your ordinary days adds up to one extraordinary life.” Reflect on those two statements.

Invite someone to close in prayer, thanking Jesus for His love and asking for courage and compassion to love others as He has loved us.

Context:

Revelation 7 offers a powerful pause amid the chaos of judgment and tribulation (Revelation 6). First, we see the Church Militant, the 144,000, symbolizing the faithful, sealed people of God on earth, equipped for mission. But in verses 9-17, the curtain is drawn back to reveal the Church Triumphant: a countless host from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing victorious before God's throne. This vision is not of a distant fantasy – it is the promised outcome of God's mission through Jesus Christ. The crowd wears white robes, made pure by the blood of the Lamb. Their hymn of praise centers not on themselves but on God and the Lamb, who alone bring salvation.

Icebreaker:

If you could be part of any crowd or event in history, what would it be and why? (e.g. Woodstock, the Papal Conclave, etc.)

Read Revelation 7:9-17 aloud. What stood out to you from this week’s homily? (Previous homilies can be watched at christlamesa.org/media.) What stands out to you in this passage? How does this heavenly scene compare to how you usually picture heaven?

The multitude includes people "from every nation, tribe, people, and language." How does this reflect God's promise to Abraham? (See Genesis 12:3 and 15:5) How does this passage shape the way we think about the mission of the Church today?

In verse 10, the people cry, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" What's the difference between saying "I was saved" and "Salvation belongs to God"?

Verse 14 speaks of "those who come out of the great tribulation." Though there are many interpretations of this, broadly speaking, the world the saints are coming out of is the “tribulation.” The world is full of division, suffering, pain, tears, loss, hatred, anger, etc. How does this vision of being “clothed in white robes, having been washed in the blood of the lamb” comfort you as you navigate this world?

Verse 17 says the Lamb will be their Shepherd. Our heart always seeks a shepherd. Sometimes, we make the wrong thing our shepherd. Politicians, cultural figures, celebrity pastors, etc. If they are not serving as under-shepherds to Jesus, they are not shepherds. How has Jesus the Shepherd guided you in how you should go (even if you didn’t follow those promptings)?

How might seeing your current struggles from the perspective of Revelation 7 change your response?

Close with prayer, giving special attention to the theme of Jesus as the worthy Shepherd.

Context:

John 21 occurs after Jesus has appeared twice to His disciples after the resurrection (John 20). Despite this, the disciples seem unsure of what to do next—they return to fishing, perhaps feeling directionless. Peter, especially, must have felt a lingering shame from his threefold denial of Jesus. This final chapter in John is a beautiful scene of grace. Jesus meets Peter not with shame, but with breakfast. Then, He gently restores Peter by asking him three times, “Do you love me?”—mirroring Peter’s three denials. Jesus doesn’t just forgive Peter; He recommissions him: “Feed my sheep.” This is a story about how resurrection grace doesn’t just raise Jesus—it raises us from guilt and failure into purpose and mission.

Icebreaker:

Have you ever had a moment when someone believed in you even after you messed up? What did that mean to you?

Read John 21:1-19 aloud.

What stands out to you in this passage? What stood out to you from this week’s homily? (Previous homilies can be watched at christlamesa.org/media).

Peter had denied Jesus three times when Jesus was on trial. How do you imagine he felt in this moment by the fire? Then, Jesus asks him three times, “Do you love me?” What might have been going through Peter’s mind during this exchange? Though Jesus was trying to “reverse” the guilt of the denial story, Jesus never directly mentions Peter’s denial. What does that tell us about how He handles failure and sin? Where (and why) do you struggle to hold people’s failures and sins like Jesus?

Share a time (if you're comfortable) when you were given a second chance. What did it teach you about grace?

Sinners make the best missionaries. Jesus says, “But he who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:47). Respond to this statement from the book Scandalous Stories: “We don’t love little because we have little that requires forgiveness. We love little because we’ve confessed little and hidden much. Therefore, we experience little forgiveness.” How do you think Peter’s experience with Jesus’ forgiveness changed how he loved others going forward? How can reflecting on God's forgiveness change how you look at others?

Close with prayer, giving special attention to “forgiveness” and “restoration.”

Context:

The disciples are hiding behind closed doors, gripped by fear and uncertainty after finding the tomb of Jesus empty. Into this fear, Jesus comes—not to condemn or chastise—but to breathe peace, show his wounds, and send them out with the Spirit and a mission. Unlike Luke, who separates Easter and Pentecost, John presents them as closely intertwined: the resurrection and commissioning occur on the same night. The disciples receive not only peace and joy, but also the Holy Spirit and authority. This “sending” mirrors Jesus’ mission. And it’s through his scars that the disciples—and later Thomas—come to faith.

Icebreaker:

When have you felt locked in by fear, only to be surprised by peace (think spiritual, relational, professional, etc.)?

Read John 20:19-31 aloud.

What stands out to you in this passage? What stood out to you from this week’s homily? (Previous homilies can be watched at christlamesa.org/media.)

The disciples were hiding behind closed doors, even after hearing the good news from Mary. Why do you think they were still afraid and unsure, despite her witness? Like the disciples, we often close doors in our lives because of fear, doubt, grief, or failure. What “locked doors” do we hide behind today?

As Jesus enters the room, His first word is “Peace.” Peace is more than a feeling—it’s a gift Jesus gives even in chaos. Jesus doesn’t scold or lecture—He brings peace into their anxiety. What does this teach us about how Jesus meets us in our moments of stress or doubt? Jesus says “Peace be with you” twice in this passage. What’s the significance of that repetition for the disciples? For us?

Even in resurrection glory, Jesus still bears the scars of the cross. Why do you think he kept them? Our wounds—whether emotional, spiritual, or physical—are also part of our story. How have your scars shaped your faith or your witness to others? How have your scars brought others peace?

Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” What does it mean to be sent “as” Jesus? What do you think this looks like for you this week? This month? This year?

Close with prayer, asking God for peace where you need it most. Pray that you would have the courage and strength to be a peacemaker.

Context:

The Corinthians had trouble grasping the resurrection of the body. Some doubted how the dead  could rise, while others saw the physical body as something weak and temporary, not worth redeeming (an ancient Christian heresy). Paul makes it clear: the resurrection is real, and God will transform us into something new, glorious, and incorruptible. Our hope is not just in a spiritual afterlife but in a fully redeemed, eternal existence with Christ. Paul uses triumphant language, pointing to the moment when the last trumpet will sound, signaling the final victory over death. This is not something we earn; it is an  inheritance, a gift from God. The key takeaway: Because of Christ’s resurrection, death has lost its  sting. We live not in fear but in victory.

Icebreaker:

What is something you used to be afraid of as a child, but no longer fear?

Read 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 aloud.

What stands out to you in this passage? What stood out to you from this week’s homily? (Previous homilies can be watched at christlamesa.org/media)

What are some fears or doubts you have about death or the life that is to come?

Why do you think Paul calls this a “mystery” (v. 51)? What makes resurrection hard to understand or believe? Paul says we will be changed “in the twinkling of an eye” (v. 52). What does that tell us about  God’s power over death?

What does it mean that “death has been swallowed up in victory” (v. 54)? How does that change how we view death? How can you use this to give comfort to those who are dying and know Jesus, and how might you use this to help people see their need for Jesus?

Many people live in fear of death or the unknown. How can the truth of this passage help us face our mortality with faith instead of fear? What does it mean to live victoriously now, knowing that Christ has defeated death? What does that look like in our daily lives?

Paul concludes by saying that because of the resurrection, we should be "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (v. 58). What does that look like practically in your daily life?

Close with prayer, thanking God for the victory He has given us through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Friendly Reminder: Easter 2025 Schedule!

Context:

In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul offers a powerful hymn that illustrates Christ’s descent from the highest position of divinity to the lowest place of humanity, all for the sake of our salvation. The story of Jesus’ humility, from His incarnation to His crucifixion, is not just an example for us to follow but a model of how God works in and through His people. Jesus’ story—emptying Himself and then being exalted—is the story that shapes our own lives as believers, urging us to live with humility, sacrificial love, and an outlook of service.

Icebreaker:

Think of a time when you had to put aside your own preferences or pride for the good of others. How did it feel, and what was the outcome?

Read Philippians 2:5-11 out loud.

What stands out to you in this passage? What stood out to you from this week’s homily? (Previous homilies can be watched at christlamesa.org/media.) In verse 6, Paul writes that Jesus was "in very nature God" and yet He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. What does this reveal about Jesus' character and His mission? Verse 7 says Jesus "emptied Himself." What does it mean to "empty yourself"? How does that look today (serving, loving, giving, etc.)?

Jesus' humility led to His death on a cross, the ultimate act of self-sacrifice. Paul calls us to adopt the "mindset of Christ" (verse 5). What does having the same mindset as Jesus mean, especially in relationships with others? How do we find it challenging to live out humility in our own lives? What are some barriers we face?

End by thanking God for Christ's humility and the way He emptied Himself for us. Pray for strength to follow His example, asking the Holy Spirit to transform your hearts so that you may serve others with the same selfless love. Ask for the grace to live in a way that reflects Jesus's humility and exaltation in every area of life.

Context:

Isaiah 43:16–21 was written to the Israelites in exile, a people who had seen their homeland destroyed and their future seemingly erased. God, through the prophet Isaiah, reminded them of the past—the Exodus, where He made a way through the sea—but then issued a startling command: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” This was not a call to ignore God’s past faithfulness, but rather an invitation to trust Him in the present and anticipate His new work in their lives. The passage makes us ask: “Are we clinging too tightly to the past—whether it be failures, disappointments, or even past victories—that we fail to see what God is doing right now?”

Icebreaker:

Think about a time when you were completely surprised by something good—a blessing you didn’t expect. How did that experience shape your faith or perspective? Have you ever been so focused on past successes or failures that you struggled to see what God was doing in your life now? What happened?

Read Isaiah 43:16-21 out loud. What stands out to you in this passage? What stood out to you from this week’s homily? Previous homilies can be watched at christlamesa.org/media.

Why do you think God reminded Israel of the Exodus but told them not to dwell on the past? How can remembering past experiences with God strengthen our faith? How can it sometimes hold us back? Is there something in your past—good or bad—that might be preventing you from seeing what God is doing now? Anything that may be holding you back?

God says, “I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” The world and our lives can often feel like wildernesses, but God is still working and providing. Where have you seen God’s provision in the wilderness or wasteland of your life or this world?

The passage ends with God’s people declaring His praise. How does recognizing God’s past and present work lead us into worship? What is one way to intentionally praise God this week for what He is doing, even if you don’t fully understand it yet?

Close with prayer, asking God to show you where He works in your life right now.

Next step: Check out the Examen Prayer resource at christlamesa.org/resources. This is a helpful tool for being more aware of God’s presence in everyday life.