Think of a time when you received news much later than you wished you had — and it made all the difference. What was that like?

What's a sign or symbol you encounter regularly that points you toward something bigger than itself — a flag, a landmark, a family ritual? What does it remind you of?

John structures his Gospel around seven signs. Why do you think John chooses to end that list with the raising of Lazarus? What does it say about what John most wants us to understand about Jesus?Reflect

Tina draws a sharp contrast between Martha saying 'I know he will rise again at the last day' and Jesus saying 'I am the resurrection.' Why is that difference so significant — and why does it matter for how we relate to Jesus today?Reflect

When Jesus sees Mary and the crowd weeping, he is described as 'deeply moved' — a word that carries indignation, even anger — and then he weeps. What does this tell us about how God relates to human suffering and death?Reflect

Tina quotes A. B. Simpson: 'It is not the blessing, it is not the healing... it is Himself.' How does the entire Lazarus story — Jesus' delay, his weeping, his question to Martha — help us understand what Jesus is actually offering people?Reflect

Martha says, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.' Have you ever prayed something like that — a grief or disappointment you've brought (or maybe haven't brought) directly to Jesus? What happened?Reflect

Tina says we can become so focused on what we hope to receive from Jesus that we miss what he's actually offering us — himself. Where in your own life might that be true right now?Reflect

Jesus asks Martha 'Do you believe this?' while Lazarus is still in the tomb — before anything has changed. What are the circumstances in your life right now where Jesus seems to be asking you that same question?Reflect

The sermon describes Jesus entering grief rather than rushing past it — weeping even though he knows what's coming. How does it change you to know that Jesus is not indifferent to the things that are breaking your heart?Reflect

N. T. Wright describes the church as 'a small working model of the kingdom of God.' What is one specific way your group — or you personally — could embody resurrection hope for someone in your life this week?Apply

Tina invites us to 'life it' — to get what's in the Bible into how we actually live. What would it look like, practically and concretely, to live this week as someone who genuinely believes that death does not have the final word?Apply

Is there a relationship, a fear, or a situation where you've been interpreting who Jesus is through your circumstances rather than interpreting your circumstances through who Jesus is? What might it look like to flip that around this week?Apply

How might your group create space for both honest grief and resurrection hope at the same time — not rushing past the pain to get to the 'miracle,' but holding both together the way Jesus did at the tomb?Apply