Category: Teaching

The Meaning of Discipleship

Discuss It – Matthew 10:24-39

1. What activity or responsibility absolutely terrifies you?
2. What comes to your mind when you hear the word, discipleship?
3. Why did Jesus predict trouble for the disciples? (10:24–25)
4. What is the point of Jesus giving them this preparation speech? What problems would they (and future disciples) face?
5. What kinds of things did Jesus say to bolster His disciples’ courage? (10:26–31)
6. Jesus tells them to not fear those who oppose Christ, but who ARE they to fear? (10:28)
7. How comforting is it to know that God knows all the intimate details about your life? (10:30)
8. Why did Christ tell His disciples that it was important for them to take a stand for Him? (10:32–33)
9. What surprising comments did Jesus make about the goal of His ministry? (10:34–36) How does this compare to Isaiah 9:6, John 14:27, John 16:33, Romans 5:1, Galatians 5:22, Philippians 4:7?
10. What did Jesus mean by coming to turn family members against one another? (10:35-36)
11. What radical requirements did Jesus make of those who would follow Him? (10:37–38)
12. What does it mean to take up your cross and follow? (10:38)
13. What did Jesus promise those who obeyed Him fully? (10:39)

Apply It

1. Where specifically do you think Jesus wants you to minister in his name?
2. What things act as security blankets in your life and keep you from stepping out in faith?
3. Under what conditions do you find it most difficult to talk about your faith?
4. How do you react when someone makes jokes about your faith or when people treat you harshly?
5. How has Jesus created division in your family?
6. How has Jesus brought healing to your family?
7. In what ways have you been putting human relationships before your relationship with Jesus?
8. What do you think it means to lose your life for Jesus’ sake?
9. What warning or encouragement do you need to hear from Jesus today?
10. What in the paradox of Matthew 10:39 is most meaningful to you?
11. How can you lose yourself for Jesus this week?
12. In what way do you lose your life when you begin to follow Jesus?

The Workers are Few and Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Discuss It – Matthew 9:35-38, 10:1-8

1. In what situations do you tend to feel compassion?
2. What missionaries do you know personally?
3. What do you pray about on a regular basis?
4. What was the main message that Jesus was preaching? (9:35)
5. What did Jesus end up doing in this place? (9:36) What took him away from preaching?
6. Does it seem like the harvest is plentiful these days? (9:37)
7. What activity or responsibility absolutely terrifies you?
8. Why do you think certain people are antagonistic to the gospel?
9. How do we explain Jesus telling them not to go to the Gentiles, but to the lost sheep of Israel?

Apply It

1. For what non-Christians do you feel compassion?
2. How would you describe the spiritual and moral state of the majority of the people in our society?
3. Who are the non-Christians in your circles of influence?
4. What can you do to help people see their need for Christ?
5. What skills, gifts, abilities, or talents can you use to help others come to Christ?
6. What barriers stand in the way of people you know listening to the gospel?
7. What can you do to overcome your friends’ and neighbors’ objections or reservations about following Jesus?
8. Where specifically do you think Jesus wants you to minister?
9. What things act as security blankets in your life and keep you from stepping out in faith?
10. How do you react when someone makes jokes about your faith or when people treat you harshly?
11. What warnings or encouragements do you need to hear from Jesus in order to go out and represent him?
12. What might Jesus be asking you to give up (or not take with you) to show compassion to others, or be evangelistic?

The Calling of Matthew, a Dead Girl, and a Sick Woman

Discuss It – Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

1. What past misdeeds would disqualify someone from your job? Elected office? The Supreme Court? The ministry?
2. What is surprising about Jesus’ choice of Matthew?
3. What did Jesus tell Matthew to do? How did Matthew respond to Jesus’ statement? (9:9)
4. Where did Jesus and Matthew go? Why? (9:10)
5. Who reported the Pharisees’ comments to Jesus and what was his response to the Pharisees? (9:12)
6. What did Jesus tell His listeners they needed to learn? (9:13)
7. Which is harder: to show mercy or to sacrifice something?
8. What did Jesus say He had come to earth to do? (9:13)
9. What feelings prompted the ruler to approach Jesus? (9:18) How about the sick woman?
10. What did the ruler and the sick woman have in common?
11. How is Matthew’s story connected to these two people? (9:12, 18, 20, 22)

Apply It

1. What, in your opinion, are some respectable jobs, and what are some questionable careers for believers to pursue?
2. How do you think you might react if several gang members or street people attended our church this Sunday?
3. What do you think people would say if you associated with a “wild crowd” in order to be a witness for Christ?
4. Why should we not follow this example of Christ if we are weak in our faith?
5. What dangers do we face when we befriend non-Christians?
6. What will happen if we never reach out to those outside the church?
7. What do you think about people who claim to have died and then come back to life?
8. In what area of your life is it most difficult to have faith?
9. What personal encouragement and comfort do you find in Christ’s ability to heal the sick and raise the dead?
10. How is your faith challenged by the people in this story?
11. What are some ways we “laugh at Jesus” in our beliefs and behavior?
12. How do you think a twelve-year illness would affect your faith in God?
13. What does this passage teach you about Jesus’ sensitivity to the needs of a lonely, hurting person?
14. What impossible situation are you facing? What gives you hope?

The Great Commission

Discuss It – Matthew 28:16-20

1. Do you sense this gathering on the mountaintop is only with the eleven disciples or a larger crowd that included the eleven? (28:16)
2. Upon seeing the resurrected Jesus, how did they respond? (28:17)
3. If it was only a gathering of the eleven disciples, who were these doubters? (28:17) Compare this passage to John 20:27 where Jesus removes all doubt from Thomas and the others present.
4. How important is the phrase, “all authority… has been given to me,” to be included in the Great Commission? (28:18)
5. “All authority” over what? Over whom? How do you understand God’s sovereignty vs. human free-will?
6. What is the main command in the first line of the Great Commission? (28:19-20) Hint: it’s not going, baptizing, or teaching. Those are participles supporting the main command).
7. What does it mean to “make disciples”? (28:19)
8. How important is the promise of Jesus’ presence until the end? (28:20)

Apply It

1. What attitude do the people around you (family, coworkers, neighbors) have toward the resurrection of Jesus? (Belief? Unbelief? Mockery? Doubt? Curiosity?)
2. What is your attitude toward the resurrection?
3. What difference does the resurrection make in your everyday life? Does Paul help us in our understanding? (1 Corinthians 15:13-14)
4. Is the Great Commission for all disciples (even us today) or for just the eleven, or maybe a special few called to missionary work?
5. How can the “all authority” phrase help us carry out the Great Commission?
6. How can you carry out the Great Commission in your life?
7. How are you involved in Making disciples? (Teaching? Mentoring?)
8. How comforting is it to know that you are never alone; that Jesus is always with us?
9. What teaching of Jesus do you need to obey more completely?

Rivers of Living Water

Discuss It – John 7:37-39

1. Every day at the feast, water would be poured out as a symbol of thanks for God’s provision. In this context, what does this statement by Jesus mean? (7:37-38)
2. In what way is the Spirit’s work like water (compare to John 14:13-14)
3. What invitation did Jesus offer on the last day of the Feast? (7:37)
4. What result did Jesus promise for those who believed in Him? (7:38)
5. Why hadn’t the Spirit been given yet? (7:39)
6. How is the Holy Spirit received?
7. What is the relationship between your believing the promises of Jesus and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit?
8. Another passage for today is 1 Corinthians 12:3-13, so how does exercising your spiritual gift act like refreshing water to those around you?
9. From your understanding of spiritual gifts, what is your top gift/gifts? (Make sure to include the gifts mentioned in Romans 12:3-10, too).
10. How do you use your spiritual gift to bring glory to Jesus?

Apply It

1. What evidence can you provide that the Holy Spirit is present in your life?
2. How is his presence like flowing water?
3. When do you feel most refreshed in your relationship with Christ?
4. How has Jesus satisfied your thirsts and longings in life?
5. In what way do we attempt to satisfy our thirsts and longings in life outside of Christ?
6. Why is this a constant battle?

Jesus Praying for His Disciples – John 17:1-11

Discuss It

1. What going-away gift have you received or given that still warms your heart or brings a smile?
2. When are people most likely to turn to God in prayer?
3. How would you describe “eternal life” to someone? (17:3) How can we experience this eternal life of which Jesus speaks?
4. At this point, what work did Jesus finish? (17:4)
5. What is your understanding of the preexistence of Jesus (prior to the incarnation or even creation) (17:5) How does this affect the way you live?
6. In what way have the disciples kept God’s word? (17:6)
7. What is it that these disciples know? (17:7-8)
8. What words did the Father give the Son that he passed on to the disciples? (17:8)
9. How convinced or confident are you in the spiritual or biblical truth you have come to know? (17:8)
10. As Jesus is praying for his disciples, how confident are you that he is also praying for us today? (17:9) See also John 17:11, 20-21.
11. How is Jesus glorified in the disciples? (17:10)
12. Why is Jesus praying that they “be one”? (17:11) What does that really mean?
13. How are these disciples going to be protected? (17:11)

Apply It

1. What does it mean to know God? (Beware of demonic faith, James 2:19).
2. What is the best reason you have heard for NOT believing in Jesus as Savior?
3. This week, whom have you glorified by the way you live? How so?
4. How do you intentionally bring glory to God?
5. When was a time, and from what, where you were protected by God?
6. How important is unity in the church or with other believers? How difficult is this when there is so much doctrinal error our there?
7. How are your prayers for others like or unlike this prayer of Jesus?
8. What is your take-away from this passage?

Love, Obedience, and the Spirit – John 14:15-21

Discuss It

1. Who was the best counselor you’ve ever had? What made that person so special?
2. What people, things, or experiences in life bring you comfort and peace of mind?
3. How do the people you love (whether close friends, spouse, or family members) know that you love them?
4. In what way is “love” more a verb than it is a noun?
5. How are the disciples to show love to one another? (John 13:34) To Jesus (14:15)
6. Why is this idea repeated four times in this chapter? (14:15, 21, 23-24)
7. What did Jesus say He would ask God to give His disciples? (14:16)
8. What do we learn about the Holy Spirit? (14:15-16)
9. How does the Spirit help a follower of Jesus? (14:16) Who has a story to tell?
10. Why could the world not accept the Spirit of Truth? (14:17)
11. What did Jesus promise the disciples? (14:18) Why is this important?
12. Why did Jesus tell His disciples that they would live? (14:19)
13. How has Jesus shown himself to you in the past? (14:21)

Apply It

1. How “at home” are you with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit in your life? Are they more like owners or temporary guests?
2. How can we show Jesus that we love Him?
3. What are the commands of Jesus that we should obey? (Those imperative statements found in the gospels).
4. What prevents you from being “all-in” once he reveals something to you?
5. How has the Holy Spirit been revealed in your life?
6. How are we taught by the Holy Spirit?
7. How does the Bible and prayer fit into our spiritual development?
8. When was a time you were comforted by the Holy Spirit?
9. What is the peace that Jesus has given us? Why is peace important in our lives?
10. On a scale from 1 (smooth sailing) to 10 (furious storm), what is your peace quotient?
11. Where do you need the peace of Jesus right now?
12. How can we experience the peace Jesus has promised us? Are you more hopeful or skeptical about the peace of Jesus?
13. When we talk about God’s unconditional love, why does a passage like this seem so conditional? (Obedience = Love).