NT260 • Set 13

Small Group Discussion Questions

Icebreaker

1. Who is someone whose quiet faithfulness, gratitude, generosity, or persistence has made a lasting impression on you?

Digging Into the Text

2. In Luke 17, Jesus warns against causing others to stumble and commands His followers to forgive those who repent. What do these teachings reveal about our responsibility toward one another?
3. Why do you think the disciples responded to Jesus’ command about repeated forgiveness by asking Him to increase their faith?
4. Jesus compares faith to a mustard seed. What encouragement does this offer when our faith feels weak or incomplete?
5. In the parable of the servant, why does Jesus warn His followers against believing that obedience places God in their debt?
6. Ten men with leprosy were healed, but only one returned to thank Jesus. What differences do you notice between receiving a gift from Jesus and returning to worship Him as the Giver?
7. Why might Luke emphasize that the grateful man was a Samaritan? How does this continue Luke’s theme of outsiders responding to Jesus?
8. Jesus teaches that the kingdom is already present among them, yet He also speaks about a future day when the Son of Man will be revealed. How should the kingdom’s present and future realities shape Christian living?
9. In Luke 18, Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow so His disciples will continue praying and not lose heart. Why are prayer and perseverance closely connected?
10. How does Jesus contrast the prayers, attitudes, and spiritual confidence of the Pharisee and the tax collector?
11. What makes the tax collector’s prayer an expression of genuine repentance rather than empty regret?
12. Why does Jesus say the kingdom must be received like a child? What does childlike dependence contribute to our understanding of faith?
13. The rich ruler appeared moral, sincere, and spiritually interested. What did Jesus expose as the controlling loyalty of his heart?
14. How does Luke contrast the rich ruler, who walked away sorrowful, with the blind beggar, who persistently cried out for mercy?
15. Why might Luke place the account of the blind man immediately before the story of Zacchaeus? What different kinds of blindness, sight, wealth, and faith do you notice?
16. In Luke 19, what changes do you see in Zacchaeus after Jesus welcomes him, and how do those changes demonstrate genuine repentance?
17. Jesus says that He came to seek and save the lost. How does this statement explain both His welcome of Zacchaeus and the larger mission of Luke’s Gospel?
18. In the parable of the ten servants, what does the king expect his servants to do while awaiting his return?
19. How can fear, passivity, or a distorted view of God cause someone to bury what He has entrusted to them?
20. Why does Jesus weep over Jerusalem during a moment when the crowds are celebrating His arrival?
21. What does Jesus’ cleansing of the temple reveal about His authority and His concern for true worship?
22. In Luke 20, why were the religious leaders unwilling to answer Jesus honestly about John the Baptist’s authority?
23. How does the parable of the wicked tenants summarize humanity’s desire to enjoy God’s gifts while rejecting His authority?
24. Jesus says to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to give God what belongs to God. Since human beings bear God’s image, what does this imply about the claim God has over our lives?
25. In Luke 21, why does Jesus commend the widow’s offering even though its financial value was smaller than the gifts of others?
26. Jesus warns His followers about deception, persecution, suffering, and future judgment. Where do you see His emphasis falling: prediction, fear, escape, endurance, witness, or watchfulness?
27. Why might Luke place the widow’s sacrificial faithfulness beside Jesus’ warning that the impressive temple would soon be destroyed?
28. Across Luke 17–21, what repeated contrasts do you see between gratitude and entitlement, humility and pride, dependence and self-reliance, faithful stewardship and wasted opportunity, or watchfulness and spiritual distraction?
29. Which response to Jesus in these chapters most closely resembles your heart right now: the grateful Samaritan, the persistent widow, the humble tax collector, the dependent child, the sorrowful ruler, the determined blind man, the repentant Zacchaeus, the faithful servant, the resistant leaders, or the sacrificial widow?

Leader Note

The unifying theme of these chapters is faithful discipleship while waiting for the King. Jesus is preparing His followers not merely to understand that His kingdom is coming, but to become the kind of people who remain faithful until it fully arrives.

Luke repeatedly contrasts humble, grateful, dependent, prayerful, generous, and watchful people with those who are proud, self-reliant, spiritually blind, resistant, or distracted. The central issue is not outward position. A Samaritan may return in worship while others forget. A tax collector may be justified while a Pharisee remains proud. A blind man may see Jesus clearly while religious leaders refuse His authority.

Avoid reducing these readings to isolated moral lessons such as “be thankful,” “pray more,” or “use your gifts.” Each response flows from recognizing who Jesus is: the merciful Savior who seeks the lost, the rightful King who entrusts His servants, the rejected Son who becomes the cornerstone, and the returning Lord before whom every life will stand.

Help your group focus less on speculation about dates and signs and more on Jesus’ clear call to forgive, pray, repent, trust, serve, witness, endure, and remain spiritually awake.

Love God

30. What truth about Jesus’ mercy, authority, patience, kingship, or promised return encouraged you most this week?
31. Have you responded more like the grateful Samaritan who returned to Jesus or like the nine who received His gift and continued on their way?
32. Which is more difficult for you right now: persistent prayer, humble repentance, childlike dependence, wholehearted surrender, or watchful obedience?
33. Is there a possession, ambition, fear, habit, or relationship that competes with your willingness to follow Jesus fully?
34. What would it look like for you to live this week with greater awareness that Jesus is King and will return?

Connect with Others

35. Is there someone you need to forgive, confront graciously, or pursue reconciliation with?
36. Have pride, comparison, resentment, or desire for recognition affected any of your relationships?
37. Who around you may feel overlooked, silenced, spiritually discouraged, or pushed aside like the blind man beside the road?
38. How can this group help one another continue praying, resist discouragement, and remain faithful while waiting on God?

Serve Others

39. What ability, opportunity, responsibility, relationship, or resource has the King entrusted to you?
40. Where are fear, passivity, or concern about failure tempting you to bury rather than use what God has given you?
41. Who could you serve quietly and sacrificially this week without seeking recognition?

Share the Gospel

42. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. How should His mission shape the way you view people others may dismiss, avoid, or judge?
43. What part of your story could help someone understand Jesus’ mercy, forgiveness, or power to transform a life?
44. How can suffering, opposition, or uncertainty become an opportunity to bear witness rather than a reason to remain silent?
45. Who is one person you can intentionally pray for, move toward with compassion, and point to Jesus this week?

Closing Challenge

Jesus calls His followers to live with humble faith, persistent prayer, generous repentance, and watchful devotion as they await the full arrival of His kingdom.

One healed man returned with gratitude. A widow continued praying. A tax collector humbled himself. A child received without achievement. A blind man refused to be silenced. Zacchaeus responded to grace with repentance. Faithful servants used what their king entrusted to them. A poor widow quietly gave everything.

Others received mercy without gratitude, trusted their religious accomplishments, clung to their possessions, resisted Jesus’ authority, or became distracted by ordinary life.

Where is Jesus calling you to move from entitlement to gratitude, pride to humility, discouragement to persistent prayer, regret to genuine repentance, fear to faithful stewardship, resistance to submission, or distraction to watchful devotion?

Closing Prayer: Father, thank You for Your mercy, patience, and faithfulness. Forgive us for pride, ingratitude, self-reliance, and distraction. Teach us to pray without losing heart, repent honestly, forgive generously, and trust You like dependent children. Help us use everything You have entrusted to us for Your kingdom. Give us courage to seek the lost, endure hardship, and remain spiritually awake. Keep our hearts faithful as we wait for Jesus, our Savior and King. Amen.

Small Group Accountability

Weekly Heart Check

How to Use These Questions

These questions are designed to move the conversation beyond information and into transformation. Answer honestly, listen carefully, protect confidentiality, and pray for one another. The goal is not perfection or shame, but growing together as disciples who live with humble faith, persistent prayer, generous repentance, faithful stewardship, and watchful devotion.

Love God

1. How has your time in God’s Word and prayer been this week?
2. What did Luke 17–21 reveal to you about Jesus’ mercy, authority, mission, or return?
3. Have you returned to thank God for His grace, or have you received His gifts without slowing down to worship?
4. Where have you been tempted to rely on your goodness, resources, ability, or understanding instead of depending on God?
5. What is one area where Jesus is calling you to surrender, obey, or remain spiritually alert?

Connect with Others

6. Have your relationships reflected forgiveness, humility, patience, and grace this week?
7. Is there someone you need to forgive, confront gently, encourage, or pursue reconciliation with?
8. Have pride, comparison, entitlement, or desire for recognition affected the way you treated anyone?
9. Have you noticed and encouraged someone who may feel overlooked or silenced?
10. Have you honestly shared your discouragement, temptation, or need for prayer with another believer?

Serve Others

11. How have you used your time, gifts, influence, opportunities, or resources to serve someone this week?
12. Have fear, passivity, distraction, or concern about failure caused you to bury something God entrusted to you?
13. Did you serve anyone quietly or sacrificially without seeking recognition?
14. What is one responsibility or opportunity where greater faithfulness is needed?

Share the Gospel

15. Did you intentionally pray for someone who may be far from God this week?
16. Did you move toward anyone with the seeking and welcoming compassion of Jesus?
17. Did you have an opportunity to speak about Jesus, forgiveness, repentance, or eternal hope?
18. If so, what happened?
19. If not, who is one person you can intentionally pray for and move toward this week?

Prayer and Watchfulness

20. Where have you been tempted to lose heart or stop praying?
21. Have ordinary worries, comfort, entertainment, or busyness weakened your spiritual alertness?
22. Have you approached Christ’s return with faithful readiness, fearful speculation, or practical indifference?
23. What would remaining spiritually awake look like in your schedule, priorities, habits, and relationships?
24. Where do you need God’s strength to endure faithfully?

Honest Accountability

25. What pride, ingratitude, discouragement, greed, fear, spiritual blindness, or hidden sin has been most difficult this week?
26. Is there anything you have received from God without returning to Him in gratitude and worship?
27. Are you outwardly appearing faithful while inwardly resisting Jesus’ authority?
28. Is there a person you need to forgive or a sin you need to repent of rather than merely regret?
29. Where is Jesus calling you to pray, surrender, reconcile, serve, speak, endure, or stay watchful?
30. How can this group specifically pray for you today?

Leader Reminder: Keep pointing the group back to Jesus and the gospel. He is the merciful Savior who welcomes humble sinners, the seeking Shepherd who pursues the lost, the rightful King who entrusts His servants, and the returning Lord who calls His people to remain faithful. Accountability should not produce fear or shame, but repentance, restoration, endurance, and renewed obedience as the group learns to follow Jesus with humble faith and watchful devotion.