INTRODUCTION

John the baptist wasn’t content for the Jews to just believe something. He wanted them to do something BECAUSE of what they believed. Jesus has the same goal for us. Are we living differently because of what we believe?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. If your life were a commercial, what would people say you were advertising?

2. Regarding your faith, have you become more of a consumer than an advertiser? If not, how have you kept that from happening? If so, what needs to change?

3. How has your faith journey been positively and negatively impacted by your encounters with other Christians? In what ways, and how so?

4. Read Luke 3:10–14, where people asked John the Baptist what kind of actions best laid the groundwork for the Messiah’s coming.

• What stands out to you?

• What is similar about each of John the Baptist’s statements?

5. How is your faith currently on display?

6. What’s a specific way you could go above and beyond “legal” or “permissible”? In what situation could you be more proactive—by protecting, serving, or honoring someone?

MOVING FORWARD

John the Baptist was adamant that there should be signs in our lives of the work that we claim God is doing in us. If we really believe what we say we believe, it should be obvious in how we live our lives. Is it obvious in yours?

CHANGING YOUR MIND

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

Luke 3:8