Read John 3:1-21
To live with Jesus, you must die to self.
A little girl leaned into the chain link fence, watching the children play on the other side. They looked so happy laughing and chasing one another. “Would you like to come in and play with the children?” she heard a man say. “Yes I would,” she replied, “but I don’t know how to get in.” “There is only one way in,” the main said, “you will have to enter by that gate, if you want to play with the children.”
Jesus said the kingdom of God is like that. There is only one way in. Nicodemus questioned Jesus about this. The Jews had waited so long for the kingdom to be rebuilt like it was in the glory days of King David and King Solomon. Nicodemus was expecting a kingdom made out of stones and ruled by a great warrior king, Messiah. But Jesus explained that his kingdom is not like the world’s kingdoms. His kingdom was from heaven (see John 18:36) and to enter it you must be born again.
- Read John 3:1-21
- Unless one is ‘born again’ he cannot __________ (v3) the kingdom of God and he cannot __________ (v5) the kingdom of God.
- How can someone be ‘born again’? In your own words, write what you think verses 14-18 mean.
- Have you been born again? (circle on) yes / no
- Sometime today talk to a friend about being born again.
Day 1 of 7 from the 2011 Mission Discovery Devotional
