ICEBREAKER: What is the best pair of shoes you have owned?

1.What news prompted Mary to make the 3-day journey to the hill country town in Judah [Luke 1:39]? How did the report of Elizbeth’s pregnancy [Luke 1:36-37] encourage Mary’s faith [cf. Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17; and Matthew 19:26]?

2.What did the baby’s leap in Elizabeth’s womb signify [Luke 1:41]? How did this foreshadow the child’s future [cf. Matthew 11:7-14; Luke 1:13-17; and John 1:6-8]?

3.What does it mean when someone is “filled with the Spirit” [Luke 1:41]? Is it a legitimate experience? Is it limited to certain special believers, or all believers [cf. Acts 6:5; Acts 11:23-24; and Ephesians 5:18-21]?

4.What does Elizabeth’s question in Luke 1:43 indicate about her character, as well as her understanding of the true identity of Mary’s Child [John 20:28; Romans 12:3; and Philippians 2:3]?

5.Why do you think joy was linked to the arrival of Christ [Luke 1:44]? Why is joy lacking in our world, and how does Jesus inspire it [cf. Isaiah 61:1-4; Luke 2:10-14; and Luke 24:38-41]?

6.What is the connection between believing the Word of God and being blessed by God [Luke 1:45]? Consider Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-2; and James 1:22-25 for more insights.

7.What did you find helpful or challenging about this Sunday’s message?

“The world looks for happiness through self-assertion. The Christian knows that joy is found in self-abandonment. ‘If a man will let himself be lost for My sake,’ Jesus said, ‘he will find his true self.’” [Elisabeth Elliot]