Series Resources

sermon-based study guide

This guide is designed to guide a group discussion around the weekend sermon. You can also use this as an individual, but we highly recommend finding a friend and inviting them to discuss with you. Menlo Church has Life Groups meeting in-person and online using these guides. We’d love to help you find a group.

What you will find in this guide: A discussion guide for groups and individuals. If you are using this as an individual be sure to engage with each question in a journal or simply in your mind as you prayerfully consider what you heard in the sermon and seek to discover what God is inviting you to know and do.

Sermon Study Guide | The Cost of Connections | The Cost of Experiencing Glory

Sermon Study Guide | Series: The Cost of Connection
Title: The Cost of Experiencing Glory (John 11:1-44)
Date: April 6th, 2025

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CONNECT - “A Personal Reflection”

This section is designed to help you relate personally to the theme of the sermon. It encourages you to reflect on your own life experiences and how they connect to the message.

Have you ever felt like God didn’t show up when you needed Him most? Like Mary and Martha grieving the death of their brother, it’s easy to feel like Jesus is too late. But what if those moments are actually invitations—to experience His glory in a deeper, more personal way? As you begin this week’s conversation, reflect on a time when God felt late… and how you saw Him show up in a different, even more powerful, way than you expected

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ENGAGE - “Exploring the Scripture”

This section invites you to dive into the biblical passage, discuss its meaning, and apply it to your life through thoughtful questions.

Read John 11:1-44 together as a group:

What stands out to you in the way Jesus responds to Mary and Martha’s grief?

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In verses 25–26, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life…” : What does it mean to you that resurrection is not just an event but a person?

When you hear that: “God’s delays are not denials—they’re doorways to experience His glory.” What does that statement stir up in you?

Jesus delayed coming to Bethany. Have you ever experienced God’s “delay” in your own life? What happened? Looking back, how might it have been part of His purpose?

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Lazarus comes back to life but is still wrapped in grave clothes. What “grave clothes” might you still be wearing—old habits, sin, shame, or fear—that are keeping you from living fully free?

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APPLY - “Putting the Scriptures into Action”

This section challenges us to take what we’ve learned and implement it in practical ways in our daily lives.

Step into resurrection life: Choose one tangible way to walk in freedom—whether it’s confessing a burden to a trusted friend, starting a daily gratitude practice, or taking a bold step of faith you’ve been delaying. Trust that Jesus didn’t just raise you—He wants you to live unbound.

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Recognize the “grave clothes”: Ask God to reveal anything you’re still carrying from your old life—shame, fear, unforgiveness, or unhealthy patterns—that are keeping you from walking in the freedom He’s given you. What do you need to “take off” to fully live?

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Invite others into your story: Share what God is showing you with someone you trust—a friend, mentor, or your Life Group. Invite them to walk with you, pray for you, and remind you that God’s timing is perfect, and His glory is for your good.

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Acknowledge where you feel “too far gone”: This week, take time to identify areas of your life that feel lifeless—where you’ve believed it’s too late for God to show up. Write them down and ask Jesus to speak life and hope into those places.

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PRAY - “Seeking God’s Guidance”

This section offers a short prayer to help us center our hearts and invite God to work in our lives through his scripture.

“Jesus, you are the resurrection and the life. Thank you for being a Savior who weeps with us in our grief, but doesn’t leave us there. Help us to trust you, even when it feels like you're late. Thank you that your timing is always perfect, and that even in our darkest places, Your glory can shine through. Give us courage to remove the things that bind us, to walk in new life, and to bring hope to everyone. In your name we pray, Amen” ”

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GOING DEEPER - “Further Study & Reflection”

[STEP ONE: Trust God’s Timing – Read John 11:1–6]

When Jesus hears that Lazarus is sick, He waits two more days before responding. His delay wasn’t apathy—it was intentional, for the sake of revealing God’s glory. As you read these verses, reflect on how you respond when God seems “late.” What might it look like to trust that His delays are doorways, not denials? Write a prayer of surrender, offering God the situations where you’re tempted to doubt His timing.

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[STEP TWO: Believe in the Resurrection and the Life – Reflect on John 11:25–27]

Jesus declares to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Take time to meditate on what this means—not just as a theological truth, but as a present reality. Do you know Jesus as life today, or just as a future hope? How might believing this shape your response to grief, fear, or hopelessness right now? Ask God to help you live from that belief.

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[STEP THREE: Remove the Grave Clothes – Release What No Longer Belongs]

Lazarus was raised but still wrapped in what belonged to death. What “grave clothes” are you still wearing—old lies, habits, wounds, or identities that Jesus has already set you free from? Name one of them, and ask God to help you let it go. Journal about the process and invite a trusted friend or mentor to support you as you walk in new freedom. Remember: Jesus doesn’t just bring you back—He sets you free.

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