1. It’s clear the sins Jesus died to forgive for the Samaritan woman and the adulteress. What did he die to forgive Nicodemus for?

2. Think about people who know you at work, at school, in a sports club, or anywhere other than at church. Do you think they see your identity as “in Christ” or as something else? And why?

3. What groups are there in our society where you would find it hard to see the individual rather than the group’s identity or label? How could you deal with that if you were talking with someone from that group?

4. Nicodemus thought his identity as a leading Pharisee made him a member of God’s kingdom. Is there something in your identity that you’re at least partly relying on to make you fit for God’s kingdom? Is it a problem, and why or why not?

5. Jesus was harshly critical of the Pharisees but saw that Nicodemus was open to the gospel. What do you find most difficult in trying to discern if someone is defined by a sinful group’s identity or whether they are open to the gospel?

6. Can you think of a friend (or colleague or acquaintance) who you’re treating with a group label more than as an individual? Do you think the label is valid for that person? Why or why not?

7. If you think someone you know in the church may be defiantly holding on to a sin, how would you ask them about that? What would you say?