You Must Be Born Again

Opening Question: If you could be born all over again, what kind of person would you like to be?

Read John 3:1-8 out loud as a group, and then again silently by yourselves:

1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Word List:
Pharisees – member of the main religious party of Israel 2000 years ago
Rabbi – a spiritual leader and teacher
signs – miracles
kingdom – a group of people who are ruled by a king
womb – where unborn babies develop for 9 months before they are born
flesh – physical life
marvel – to wonder what something might mean

Discussion Questions:
1. Choose 3 people from your group to be the narrator, Nicodemus and Jesus. Now act it out!
2. What do the words “born of water” mean to you? And “born of the Spirit”?
3. When you see the word “king,” what do you think of?
4. Describe your idea of a perfect kingdom.
5. What would be the benefits of letting God become your King?
6. Why does Jesus compare “the wind” with being born again?
7. So, how can people become born again?