CreatingCommunity is an email devotion to guide your preparation for worship next weekend. Imagine how much clearer and relevant God's Word will be if you have had an opportunity read, reflect, and dwell in the Word prior to worship. You may do this devotion alone, with others, as a family, or over Zoom as a small group.

This devotion is to be done in preparation for this coming weekend's worship.

Please follow these three steps:

1. Read through the text
2. Respond to the questions (select one of the sets of questions)
3. Offer a Prayer
John 12:20-33

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
No Experience Necessary Questions:
  1. What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text?
  2. What delights me in this text?
  3. What stories or memories does this text stir in me?
  4. What is God up to in this text?
Family Questions (for the entire family):
  1. Have you ever been to a festival or fair or carnival or amusement park? Why did you go? What did you do? How did you feel?
  2. Have you ever planted a seed? Tell of a time. What kind? What happened? Would you say the seed died? What was born from the dead seed?
  3. How was Jesus be lifted up? What happens when Jesus is lifted up? Think of Good Friday.
Advance Questions:
  1. If someones said to you they want to see Jesus, what would you say? Where would you take them? Explain.
  2. What fruit did Jesus' death produce? What does that fruit have to do with you, our congregation, the church, the world?
  3. How does Jesus draw all people to himself? What would that look like? Has that happened yet? Explain
Click here to listen in preparation for Sunday
with this week's CreatingCommunity song
"As the Grains of Wheat" by Marty Haugen
Say a Prayer of your own or offer this one.

Lord, we confess that we love our lives as they are. We struggle with even the idea of change. We wrestle with the thought of doing things differently. But we know that the life we cling to is only a half-life. Only you, O Lord, can give us true life in full. Forgive us for holding onto the wrong things. Amen.
Pastor Lutz would love to hear your responses, questions, thoughts about your experience with CreatingCommunity. You can reach him at poppastorpaul@sbcglobal.net