Overwhelming Grace: The Face of Grace - John 8: 1-11

Written By Rachel Fish

Sermon Summary

This message kicks off a series, Overwhelming Grace, and begins with the teaching from John 8:1-11, and also draws from Hebrews 4:16, John 1:14 and 16, and Luke 15:11-32. It describes grace as the overwhelming love, pleasure and favor of God toward undeserving people. Jimmy Seibert explains that this grace is activated through compassion and is ultimately found in the face of Jesus, walking through the story of the woman caught in adultery and the parable of the prodigal son to show that no sin, past or present, is beyond the reach of the grace offered at the throne of grace. It calls us to stop hiding from our need and instead run toward Jesus, where compassion, mercy and power to change are freely and continually available.

Key Scriptures

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

John 1:14, 16 (NIV)
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ... Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given."

John 8:7, 11 (NIV)
"Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. ... 'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'"

Luke 15:20 (NIV)
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

Isaiah 30:18 (NIV)
"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!"

Instructions for Groups

Choose a few of these questions from the various categories to go deeper in the sermon and put the truths of Scripture into practice. You don't need to answer every question. Select the ones that will best help your group engage with God's Word and apply it to your lives.

Discussion Questions

Scripture Study & Deeper Understanding

  1. In Hebrews 4:16, what does it mean to approach the throne of grace with confidence? What does this passage teach us about who makes that access possible?

  2. In John 8:1-11, what is the crowd trying to accomplish by bringing the woman to Jesus, and what does Jesus' response to the accusers reveal about His character?

  3. In the parable of the prodigal son, what do the father's actions in Luke 15:20, before the son even reaches home, reveal about the nature of God's compassion?

Encouragement, Challenge & Personal Testimony

  1. The sermon defines grace as "the overwhelming love, pleasure and favor of God toward undeserving people." Which part of that definition is hardest for you to believe applies to you personally, and why?

  2. Jimmy Seibert describes grace as being activated through compassion rather than earned through performance. Where in your life have you tried to earn what God has already freely offered?

  3. The prodigal son had to come to the end of himself before he turned toward home. Share about a time you experienced God's compassion in the middle of a hard or humbling season.

Putting It Into Practice

  1. Take a moment to prayerfully listen to the Holy Spirit. What is one area where He is inviting you to receive His grace rather than continue striving on your own?

  2. Is there someone in your life who needs to see the face of grace through you this week, the way grace was extended to the woman in John 8? What is one specific way you can extend that grace to them?

Prayer

  1. Listening to the Holy Spirit: We're going to take focused time to listen to the Holy Spirit and what He wants to speak to us personally based on our time in Scripture and discussion. Let's sit in silence for 60 seconds and ask the Spirit to speak to each one of us.

    After the minute of silence, what do you sense the Holy Spirit highlighting or speaking to you as we prayed?

  2. Prayer Requests: What prayer requests come up for you based on our Scripture study and discussion? How can we pray for you as you seek to apply what God has shown you?

Rachel Fish