Matthew 21:1-11 - The Triumphal Entry

Matthew 21:1-11 - The Triumphal Entry

1. Why do many Christians cheer like crazy at sporting events on Saturday and sheepishly sing praise songs to the Lord the next morning?

2. Through what village were Jesus and His disciples passing? (21:1)

3. Jesus sent two of His disciples to find and return with what? Why? (21:2-3)

4. Why was this incident significant? (21:4-5)

5. What did the gathered crowd place on the road? Why? (21:8)

6. How did this "parade" affect those living in Jerusalem? (21:10)

7. What did the crowd accompanying Jesus say about Him to those in the city? (21:11)

8. If you had lived in Jerusalem during that time, do you think you would have been a follower of Christ or one of the people who looked skeptically at all His activities?

9. In what ways do we simplistically "cheer" Jesus?

10. How would you answer if a friend asked, "Who is Jesus?"

11. How should worship play a role in your daily life?

12. What special gift (time, money, possessions, effort, etc.) of worship can you present to Jesus today?

13. What does the Lord "need" from you (see Matthew 21:3) today to accomplish His plan in your life?

Matthew 10:1-42 - Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Matthew 10:1-42 - Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

1. How might a parent feel sending his or her child off to school for the first time?

2. Why do you think certain people are antagonistic to the gospel?

3. What kind of authority did Jesus give His twelve disciples? (10:1)

4. What sort of accommodations were the disciples to seek in their travels? (10:11-13)

5. How were the disciples supposed to respond to those who rejected them? (10:14-15)

6. What warnings of danger or hardship did Christ give His disciples? (10:17-23)

7. What kinds of things did Jesus say to bolster His disciples' courage? (10:26-31)

8. Where specifically do you think Jesus wants you to minister?

9. How do you react when someone makes jokes about your faith or when people treat you harshly?

10. What do you think it means to lose your life for Christ's sake?

11. What promises from this chapter can you meditate on this week to make you a more effective minister for Christ?

12. In what specific situations do you need to rely more on the Holy Spirit to give you the right words to say?

Matthew 9:35-38 - The Compassion of Jesus

Matthew 9:35-38 - The Compassion of Jesus

1. In what situations do you tend to feel compassion?

2. What do you pray about on a regular basis?

3. What kinds of disease and sickness did Jesus heal? (9:35)

4. What emotion did Jesus feel when He saw the crowds of people around Him? (9:36)

5. What helpless animals were the people compared to? (9:36)

6. For whom did Jesus tell His disciples to pray? (9:37)

7. Who are the non-Christians in your life?

8. What skills, gifts, abilities, or talents can you use to help others come to Christ?

9. What can you do to overcome your friends' and neighbors' objections or reservations about following Jesus?

10. What missionaries can you pray for this week?

11. How can you make a difference today in the life of someone who is "harassed and helpless"?

Matthew 9:18-26 - Faith in Jesus

Matthew 9:18-26 - Faith in Jesus
1. What epitaph would you like on your tombstone?

2. Who approached Jesus? What did the man do? (9:18)

3. What startling situation and request did the man present to Jesus? (9:18)

4. While Jesus and the others made their way to the man's house, who touched Jesus' cloak? (9:20)

5. What was the woman's reasoning for touching Jesus' cloak? (9:21)

6. Why was the woman healed? (9:22)

7. Upon arriving at the ruler's house, what did Jesus say to the crowd? (9:24)

8. What did Christ do after He put the crowd outside? (9:25)

9. What happened after Christ left? (9:26)

10. What personal encouragement and comfort do you find in Christ's ability to heal the sick and raise the dead?

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 impossible situation are you facing?

14. What act of kindness can you show this week to someone who is ill or grieving?

Matthew 9:9-17 - The Challenge of Jesus

Matthew 9:9-17 - The Challenge of Jesus

1. If you were starting your own business, what qualities would you look for in prospective employees?

2. What did Jesus tell Matthew to do? (9:9)

3. Where did Jesus and Matthew go? Why? (9:10)

4. What did the Pharisees think of Jesus' attendance at Matthew's social function? (9:11)

5. What was Jesus' response to the Pharisees? (9:12)

6. What did Jesus tell His listeners they needed to learn? (9:13)

7. What did John's disciples want to know? (9:14)


8. Using an illustration from the world of wine making, Jesus talked about the need to do what? (9:17)

9. In what ways are you guilty of being legalistic?

10. What do you think people would say if you associated with a "wild crowd" in order to be a witness for Christ?

11. What will happen if we never reach out to those outside the church?


12. Why is it wrong for us to measure our performance as Christians by a list of dos and don'ts?

13. How can you cultivate a relationship with a non-Christian friend this week?

Matthew 9:1-8 - The Blasphemy of Jesus

Matthew 9:1-8 - The Blasphemy of Jesus

1. What qualities do you look for in a friend?

2. What people did God use to bring you to Jesus?

3. Upon His arrival, whom did Jesus encounter? (9:2)

4. What attribute did the men exhibit in coming to Christ? (9:2)

5. What did the teachers of the law think about Jesus' declaration? (9:3)

6. What did Jesus say about the teachers' opinions? (9:4-6)

7. What was Jesus' argument for His authority to forgive sins? (9:5-6)

8. What happened to the paralytic? (9:7)

9. What was the crowd's reaction to this event? (9:8)

10. How can we see a person's faith?

11. What do you think it would be like to be a paraplegic or quadriplegic?

12. What experiences led up to you meeting Christ and having your sins forgiven?

13. How do you typically react when someone else becomes a Christian?

14. What can you do for a hurting friend this week?

Matthew 8:23-27 - The Power of Jesus

Matthew 8:23-27 - The Power of Jesus

1. What is your scariest "bad weather story"?

2. Who accompanied Jesus in the boat? (8:23)

3. What surprise did the boaters encounter in this scene? (8:24)

4. What did the disciples do? What did the disciples say?(8:25)

5. How did Jesus reply to the disciples' expression of fear? (8:26)

6. How did the disciples react to this astonishing sequence of events? (8:27)

7. Why do you think most people--even nonreligious folks--turn to God when things really fall apart?

8. Why do we panic about the storms swirling around us when the God of the universe lives inside us?

9. How does it make you feel to remember that you have a Savior who is greater than anything this world can throw at you?

10. What amazing acts has God done for you?

11. This week, what specific ways can you demonstrate your belief that Jesus will see you through the storms in your life?

Matthew 8:18-22 - The Cost of Following Jesus

Matthew 8:18-22 - The Cost of Following Jesus

1. What excuses do people give for neglecting common responsibilities?

2. What observation prompted Jesus to cross to the other side of the lake? (8:18)

3. Who approached Jesus? (8:19-20)

4. What command did Jesus give to the disciple that offered to follow Him under certain conditions? (8:22)

5. Why do we value popularity?

6. Why do we value home ownership?


7. What are the pros and cons of putting down roots and getting settled into a community?

8. In what ways might a family (parents, siblings, or children) get in the way of following Jesus?

9. In what ways can our love for Christ cost us?

10. What can you do this week to encourage a Christian who has made sacrifices to follow Christ?

Matthew 8:5-13 - The Faith of the Centurion

Matthew 8:5-13 - The Faith of the Centurion

1. What did your mother do for you when you got sick as a child?

2. Who approached Jesus and asked for help? (8:5)

3. What did Jesus promise the soldier? (8:7)

4. What humble, surprising suggestion did the man make? (8:8)

5. What rationale did the centurion have for making his request? (8:9)

6. What insight did Jesus give about the guest list of the kingdom of heaven? (8:11)

7. What instructions did Jesus give the centurion? (8:13)

8. How should you respond when friends or relatives have needs?

9. How does Jesus' ready willingness to help the centurion's servant encourage you?

10. Why are we so often filled with doubt?

11. What assurance do you have that you will be at the great heavenly feast Jesus mentioned in this passage?

12. For what person who is sick or in trouble can you intercede today?

13. For what promise of Jesus will you trust God and expect Him to work this week?

Matthew 5:13-16 - God's Gift of Purpose

Matthew 5:13-16 - God's Gift of Purpose

1. What are the top five moral problems our country is facing?

2. How did Jesus imply that a Christian's positive influence can wane or disappear? (5:13)

3. How are we like light? (5:14)

4. According to Jesus, how exactly are Christians to be like lamps? (5:16)

5. If believers live as they are supposed to live, how will others respond toward God? (5:16)

6. What did Jesus mean when He called His followers salt?

7. How can a Christian lose his or her saltiness?

8. How might a believer hide his or her light?

9. What does light reveal?

10. In light of your gifts, abilities, and interests, what specific problem in our world can you counteract as a representative of Christ?