Discussion Questions

• How does being "in Christ" (also called Union with Christ) differ from believing things about Jesus, admiring him, or trying to imitate him?
• How does baptism serve as a reminder of our Union with Christ?
• What is the difference between God’s pleasure in us because we belong to Christ and God’s pleasure in how we live?
• If you truly believe that you are secure in Christ, what might change about the way you face failure, make decisions, relate to others, or pursue holiness this week?

Discussion Questions

• What do you think Jesus’ parents thought when they heard Simeon’s and Anna’s words?
• Simeon and Anna were waiting for God’s promised redemption. Which unfulfilled promises of God are you trusting in?
• Why is it important that Jesus be both fully human and fully divine?

Discussion Questions

• Where do you most long to see God make things right—in your own life, in your relationships, and in the world around you?
• Where might you be more focused on what you want God to fix around you than what he wants to change within you?
• How can God’s loving discipline be an expression of his grace in Zechariah’s life? Where have you experienced God’s loving correction and instruction?
• Zechariah moves from unbelief and silence to faith and praise. What do you think changed in him, and what helps move us toward that same kind of humble, joyful worship?

Discussion Questions

• What area of your life feels unresolved right now, even though you are trying to trust God in it?
• When you are confused or discouraged, is your instinct to isolate or to seek God in community? Who has God placed in your life to help you process, discern, and keep going?
• What problem, fear, or uncertainty are you currently “magnifying”? What would it look like this week to magnify God instead?

Discussion Questions

• Imagine that you were part of Mary’s family. How would you react to the news of her pregnancy?
• Discuss the contrast between Zechariah’s and Mary’s responses to Gabriel’s announcements.
• Why was Jesus born of a virgin? What reasons would God have had for such a miracle?

Discussion Questions

• Where in your life right now do you find yourself saying with Zechariah, “How can I know?”
• What circumstances are making it difficult for you to trust God?
• What is one area where you may only be seeing your “little piece of the story”?
• How might remembering that God sees the whole story change the way you pray or respond?
• What would it practically look like this week to trust God’s character when you cannot understand His timing?

Discussion Questions

• How have your prayers changed as a result of our study of the Lord’s Prayer?
• What are the situations, habits or circumstances where you are particularly vulnerable to temptation? What would it look like for God to lead you away from that temptation and what role does he invite you to take?
• How do we experience Jesus’ “mercy and grace to help in time of need” in our lives?
• How does God’s promise of ultimate deliverance from evil give you hope and enable perseverance in your battle against sin?