These questions are intended for your personal devotions and/or your small group or Sunday School class. I pray you find them beneficial! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please email me directly at mbarnes@discoverthejoy.com. Thanks!
~Pastor Matt
- What advantages and disadvantages came with Jesus traveling from one place to another in his ministry? Why do you think he might have made this choice? As followers of Jesus today, should we be influenced by Jesus’ choice to move about?
- Jesus proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God. What is the “good news”? Now think about people who you know where you work, live, and play. In their line of thinking, what’s good news to them? Can we address both as followers of Jesus? How?
- Jesus’ ministry included proclaiming the good news (v. 1) but also setting people held captive by demons free and healing the sick (v.2). In other words, Jesus cared about people’s spiritual wellbeing and their physical wellbeing also. Why do you think it is so tempting for us to only focus on one of these or the other? What’s so hard about doing them at the same time?
- Who was Herod? What do you imagine Chouza’s job as manager of his household included? Would Joanna have had any status within society as the wife of this important man? Why do you think Luke would include all of these details here?
- Mary, Joanna, Susanna, and many other women helped support (literally, “serve”) Jesus’ ministry out of their own means. What can we learn from them? How can we serve Jesus’ continued ministry today?
Takeaway: How are we sacrificially serving the ministry of Jesus today? What is one way we all can do so more this week?
FBC Alhambra 