1. What are the four ordinary means of grace?
2. How does God use his word to bring us to faith and to grow us in the faith?
3. Why is it necessary for the Spirit to work within us to make these means of grace effective?
4. Will the reading and preaching of the word benefit us at all if there is no faith? Discuss.
5. Discuss some ways that a person can prepare their minds and heart to receive the word of God as it is read and preached.
6. Should Christians read the Bible for themselves? Discuss how to do that well. 

Questions For Discussion At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• What does the title “Messiah” mean?
• Why did Jesus simply read from Isaiah 61 and sit down without comment? What was his message?
• What was it that so infuriated the Jews from Jesus’ hometown?
• Why should the Jews not have been surprised the Gentiles would be blessed through Israel’s Messiah?
• Where in the Old Testament is it communicated that God’s plan was to bring salvation through the Messiah, not to the Jews only, but also to the Gentiles?
• How might we apply this text to our lives today?

Questions For Discussion At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• Why is it important to view the story of Jesus’ temptation, not primarily as an example for us to follow, but as a record of what Christ accomplished? Try to use the terms “law” and “gospel” to describe the two views. 
• Who from the Old Testament should we compare and contrast Jesus with as we consider the story of his temptation? Hint: There are two answers. Discuss the similarities and differences between Jesus and these. What is the meaning of the comparison?
• Discuss the three temptations one at a time. Did Satan know who Jesus was and what he came to do? What was the devil tempting Jesus to do? How did Jesus respond? 
• What did Jesus accomplish in the wilderness?
• Does Jesus also provide us with an example for how to resist temptation?

Discussion Questions For At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• What is sin? (You may go to Baptist Catechism 17 for help in answering this)
• Does every sin, no matter how big or small, make us guilty before God and deserving of his judgment?
• Are some sins worse than others, though? Discuss.
• What is meant in the phrase, “by reason of several aggravations” in Baptist Catechism 88? What factors make a sin more aggravating to God in one situation than another?
• If all are sinners, then why do we sometimes say he’s a good guy, or, she’s a good lady, when speaking of others? Are we wrong to talk in this way?
• What should this teaching about sin cause us to do?

Questions For Discussion At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• Why did Luke position the genealogy of Jesus after the story of his baptism and before the account of his temptation in the wilderness by Satan? What effect does this have on the narrative of the Gospel of Luke?
• Why did Luke order his genealogy so that it concludes with mention of “Adam, the Son of God”?
• How might we explain the differences between Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus and Luke’s, especially in the section from King David to Jesus? How can we explain the apparent discrepancies, and why do Matthew and Luke take these different approaches?
• Why does Luke take us all the way back to Adam (instead of to Abraham, as in Matthew’s gospel)?
• Why should Luke’s genealogy encourage you? How should it help you to better understand who Jesus is and what he came to accomplish?

Discussion Questions For At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• What is the tenth commandment?
• Covetousness is a heart sin, but it produces many sinful words and deeds. In fact, it leads people to violate commandments 1-9. Discuss. 
• What is the remedy to covetousness?
• Have you kept this law perfectly? What does that make you?
• What doth God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin? (Baptist Catechism 90)

Questions For Discussion At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• What was the good news that John the Baptist preached? 
• Why did Luke quote Isaiah 40:3-5? Why is that text important? What connection does Luke want us to make?
• Luke did not only preach the gospel, he preached the law. Where do you see that in this text? Why is this important? How does God use the law and gospel to bring about true faith in his elect? 
• What is baptism? Who would John baptize? Who would he not baptize? What is the relationship between the baptism that John applied before the resurrection of Christ, and the baptism that Christ’s Apostles applied after Christ rose from the grave?
• How might this passage be applied by us today?

Questions For Discussion At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• What is the ninth commandment?
• It is obvious what the ninth commandment forbids. What does it require?
• Why is speaking the truth so important? What damage does speaking falsehood do to individual relationships, families, and society?
• Why is it especially important to speak the truth in witness bearing?
• Why is a good name (reputation) so valuable?
• Have you kept this law perfectly? What then should you do?