• Why is the first petition first?
• What does it mean for God’s name to be hallowed?
• How do we and others glorify God?
• What are some other ways that God is glorified in the world?
• When will God be glorified most fully?
• What are some specific things that you can pray for under the first petition?

1. What is surprising about the behavior of the sower in this parable? What was the meaning of this for the Apostles of Jesus and the church today? 
2. Why does the seed of God’s word have the power to save and change lives? 
3. Will God’s word always have a powerful effect on the hearer? What must be done for the word to have a powerful effect?
4. How is it that any receive the word in a good and honest heart as described in verses 8 and 15?   
5. What is the doctrine of election and effectual calling? (see our confession of faith, chapters 3 and 10)
6. How do the doctrines of election (or predestination) and effectual calling stand behind the words of Jesus in this passage, especially verses 8 and 10)?

The sermon manuscript is available at emmausrbc.org/category/sermons

• In this parable, what does the sower represent? What does the seed represent? What do soils represent in general?
• Now discuss the four types of soil. What kind of hearer does each one represent: the wayside, rocky, thorny, and good soil?
• How does someone come to have a good heart that receives the word in the good way symbolized by the good soil? There are two answers. What responsibility do we have in the matter? In other words, what practical things can we do to better the condition of our hearts so that we hear and receive the word in a good way?
• What are the results of a good reception of the word of God? 

• Why is God called our Father? Is there a sense in which all men and women have God as Father? Is there another sense in which sinful men and women do not have God as Father? How do we come to have God as Father in this second sense?
• What truths should this name (title) of God remind us of?
• What should the preface, “Our Father in heaven”, prompt us to do in prayer?

• What is the good news of the kingdom of God?
• Why is the preaching of this good news to be kept primary by the church?
• Why is the good news of the kingdom powerful?
• Discuss how other endeavors (as good as they may be) can distract the church from the primary importance of preaching and teaching the gospel.
• Does preaching the gospel of the kingdom mean that the only thing we ever are to preach is the cross of Christ, strictly speaking? In other words, how can a preacher preach about other subjects and yet still preach Christ?
• How can you support the preaching ministry of the church?

• What is a kingdom?
• How do we know what the content of Christ’s preaching about the good news of the kingdom was?
• How is the whole Bible about God’s kingdom? Tell the story from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22.
• Who is King of God’s kingdom? What do Adam, David, and Christ have to do with this? In what sense are/were they kings? (see 1 Corinthians 15:24)
• Where is Christ’s kingdom now? 
• How should those in Christ’s kingdom live? 

• What are the four ordinary means of grace?
• How does God make these means of grace effective?
• What is prayer? Discuss each little statement in our catechism (between the commas).
• Does prayer change things?

• The sinful woman of Luke 7:37 shows up out of the blue. What do you think prompted her to find Jesus and to fall before his feet in this way?
• How do we know what the Pharisee was thinking? (vs. 39) 
• What would the Pharisee have to believe about God, man, sin, and salvation to think the way that he did about the woman?
• Discuss the parable of Luke 7:41-42. What is the meaning of each detail of that parable? Why did Jesus tell this parable to the Pharisee? 
• What is the meaning of the saying, “he who forgives little, loves little” (vs. 47)
• Why were those at the table astonished that Jesus would claim to have the ability to forgive sins? Were they right to be startled by this? Why should they have believed that he had this power to forgive sins?
• How does this text apply to you?