“Abundant Living” – a study in John 10:10
(week 1)
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
1. How would you explain what this verse (said by Jesus) means to someone else?
a)What doesn’t this verse mean?
2. What is your understanding of who “the thief” is?
a) What other verses describe “the thief” (or by different terms) in the Bible?
3. What is the thief’s main aim and how does this affect you?
a) What does “to steal, kill and destroy” mean?
b) What are some of the ways the thief steals, kills and destroys? Can you think of some biblical stories to illustrate? Do you have any illustrative stories from your own life?
c) In what ways have you been a victim to the thief’s tactics?
4. The Bible (Greek) has three distinct words for “life”, bios, psuche, and zoe.
a) What are the different meanings of these words?
b) Which word is used in John 10:10?
c) How does this shape our understanding of what Jesus was saying to us in this verse? (don’t forget to look at the context of the whole passage (John 10:1-21))
5. Read Philippians 4:13.
a) How does zoe life help to explain Paul’s amazing statement in this verse?
b) What do we need to do to access zoe life?
“Abundant Living” – a study of John 10:10
(week 2)
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
1. Read John 10:11-21 and Ezekiel 34:1-31.
a) What are the characteristics of the shepherds of Israel and how do they differ from the description of the Good Shepherd?
b) What was Jesus saying when he called himself the “Good Shepherd”?
c) What difference does it make to us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd?
2. Slowly read Psalm 23 through a number of times (maybe use different translations).
a) “I shall lack nothing…” (vs. 1)
i) How can the Lord make such a statement?
ii) How is this true?
iii) Read Phil. 4:19. What does this add to your understanding?
b) “He makes me…” (vs.2)
i) Can you think of other times in the Bible when the Lord “makes you” do something?
ii) Why does the Lord deem lying down in green pastures as so essential?
iii) What does this mean and how is it relevant for your life?
iv) When are the times when you “lie down in green pastures”? What difference does it make?
c) How does God lead you?
i) What are the quiet waters referring to?
ii) Being led requires trust – how much do you trust God to lead you?
d) What does it mean that God “restores your soul?” (vs. 3)
i) What is your soul? And why does it need restoring?
ii) What is the difference between your soul and your spirit?
e) What’s the difference between being led and being guided? (vs. 3)
i) Ponder the fact that sometimes God guides you! What does that say about God’s trust in you?
f) Have you known times of walking through the valley of the shadow of death? (vs. 4) How was God guiding you (staff) and protecting you (rod) during those dark days?
g) How has God blessed you? (vs. 5)
h) What are you anointed by God to accomplish? (vs. 5)
3. What an amazing psalm! Spend time praising God for His goodness and love. (vs. 6)
“Abundant Living - joy” – a study of John 10:10
(week 3)
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
1. How would you explain the difference between joy and happiness?
a) Think of a time when you were both joyful and happy…
b) But also think of a time when you were still joyful, but not happy… what made the difference?
2. Is it possible to have joy (in a Biblical sense) without having a relationship with Jesus?
See Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Thessalonians 1:6, Psalm 16:7-11.
a) Why / Why not?
3. Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-7.
a) Consider verse 2 – How can one “out of the most sever trial” have “over-whelming joy”, and “extreme poverty” display “rich generosity”?
4. Why do you think some believers don’t experience (or exhibit) joy in their lives?
5. Look at 2 Cor. 8:4-5.
a) Where are the two places the believers give themselves? (contrast this with Luke 18:18-23).
b) What do we need to do to experience the joy God wants to give?
6. Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. What does this teach us about the amount of joy we can experience and
how we can experience joy in greater measure?
7. How can you increase the joy in your life and in those around you?
“Abundant Living – joy (part 2)” – a study of John 10:10
(week 4)
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Read 1 Peter 1:1-9
1. What do you think it means when Peter said we’re “strangers in the world”? (vs.1)
a) In what ways (as a believer) do you feel like a stranger in the world?
b) How much time do you spend in life seeking to be a friend of this world rather than a stranger? What does this say about where your heart lies? (see Hebrews 11:15-16)
2. In what ways have you been “chosen” (vs. 2)?
a) What are you “chosen” for?
b) Read carefully how you are chosen? What do these different aspects really mean? What is…
i) the “foreknowledge of God the Father”?
ii) the sanctifying work of the Spirit?
iii) Obedience to Jesus Christ?
c) What difference does this “choosing” make to your life?
3. What is the “living hope” to which you have been called? (vs. 3-5)
a) What difference should his make in your life?
4. Does God send us trials? (See vs. 6-7)
a) Why?
b) What benefit are they?
c) What is God’s ultimate aim for you?
5. What is “the salvation of your soul” (vs. 9)? How would you explain this to others?
6. Are you filled with “inexpressible and glorious joy” (see vs. 8)?
a) How does this show itself through you?
“Abundant Living – peace” – a study of John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
1. Can you remember this time in your life when you felt most tired and fatigued? What caused that season / time in your life?
a) There are different kinds of tiredness… physical, mental, will (decisions), spiritual… which one(s) do you find most prevalent in your life?
2. Spiritual tiredness can come from external (temptations, constant harassment by the enemy, lack of encouragement and support from the people of God, or constant criticism) or internal (working to please others, comparing ourselves with others, trying to “self improve” to become more spiritual, pretending to live Christian values) sources. Which do you struggle with the most and why?
3. Often we cry out “I need peace!” What times of oasis in your life have you found? Remember how beautiful they were… what made them so refreshing?
Read John 14:22-27
4. Note the context of this reading. How would you describe the “peace” Jesus is offering (in contrast to that of the world)?
5. How can you receive that kind of divine peace? (see also John 10:3-5)
6. How is the Holy Spirit described and what do these different attributes mean to you?
a) What role does the Holy Spirit play in your life of spiritual growth?
b) How can the Holy Spirit have a greater impact in your life?
7. Read John 20:19-22. Ask God to give you a fresh “breath of the Holy Spirit.”
“Abundant Living – power (part 1)” – a study of John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
1. In what ways do you experience power?
a) How many different kinds of power can you give an example of?
b) Are all beneficial to your life?
2. Read Acts 3:1-10. The first recorded miracle after Pentecost.
a) Why does Luke mention that the beggar is at the “temple gate called Beautiful” twice? (vs. 2, 10)
3. The encounter between Peter and John and the beggar uses 4 different Greek words to describe their visual connection… Why?
a) Consider: “saw” idon (vs. 3); “looked at” atenisas (vs. 4); “Look at us” Blepson (vs. 4b); “gave his attention” epeichen (vs. 5).
b) What is the flow of connection Luke is trying to convey?
c) Why is this connection vital to what happens next?
4. “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” (vs. 6) means what?
a) Why is it important to pray for healing in this way?
5. Peter takes him by the “right hand” (vs. 7) – what does this signify?
a) Again, why is this vital in the healing process?
6. What is the response of the following to the healing of the beggar:
a) Peter & John
b) The beggar
c) The crowd
d) What place does worship have in the healing process?
7. How does this account give us a healthy process to follow when allowing the power of God to flow through us in different situations?
“Abundant Living – power (part 2)” – a study of John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
1. Power comes in many forms and through many people. Can you think of people who’ve had a powerful influence in the world and/or in your life?
a) What kind of power did they have?
b) In what ways did they use it for good or for ill?
c) What power do you have over others?
d) How do you use your power (or influence) to help others?
2. Read Ephesians 1:15-23
Before we can understand the nature and power of God, we need the Spirit of wisdom and understanding and the eyes of our hearts enlightened (vs. 17 & 18).
a) What do you think this means?
b) Pray and ask God to enlighten you to new truths about yourself and God’s power available to you.
3. There are four different kinds of power listed in these verses:
a) Dunamis power – the power to perform miracles (vs. 19)
b) Energia power – the power to bear fruit (cf. John 15:5)
c) Kratos power – the power to rule (cf. John 15:7-8)
d) Exousia power – authoritative power (cf. Matt. 28:18-20)
i) Think about these different kinds of power… how do you see them manifested throughout the pages of Scripture?
ii) How do you see them manifested today?
4. Read John 11:1-44.
a) Where do you see these different types of power in this account?
b) How do they combine through Jesus to produce the most amazing miracle of new life for Lazarus?
5. Read Acts 1:8; Eph. 1:19; 6:10.
a) What difference do these different kinds of power make in your life?
i) To how you pray?
ii) To how you minister to others?
iii) To how others minister to you?
iv) To your expectation about how God works in our world?
6. We pray “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done…” in the Lord’s Prayer. How does God want to flow His power through you to make that prayer a reality?
7. How can you work to increase the power of God flowing through you day by day?