Verse 1-8: Did your family ever have any rules that didn’t make sense as a kid but make more sense now that you’re grown up? Did you place any restrictions on your kids that other kids don’t have? Why did you do that?

God gave the Jews many laws they had to follow. Why did God give the Jews the Law?

Why does Jesus mean when he said: “something greater than the temple is here”? What does he mean when he says “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”? What is Jesus’ perspective on the Law?

Verse 9-14: Have you ever dealt with a child/sibling/friend who keeps changing the rules so they could win? Have you ever used rules against someone else to ensure you got your way?

Why would the Pharisees ask if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath? Did they care about honoring God or something else? Jesus said, “it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath”. What is the definition of good?

When considering our own laws, does intent matter, or does the letter of the law matter? How do we know whether or not how strict we are to follow laws?

Verse 15-21: Have you ever been in a situation or environment where you wish someone would just come in, take charge, and just fix everything? What was it? Do you think that would be a good or bad thing?

Why do you think Jesus ordered the people to not make him known? What is God’s approach to changing the world?

Do you think there’s an unforgivable sin? How should we interpret verse 31-32?

Verse 33-37: Do you know anyone who calls himself a Christian but their behavior doesn’t match the title? How are we to deal with that?

What kind of fruit do you want your church to bear? What kind of fruit is your church bearing today?

Verse 38-42: What are some signs that God is real? How can we know that Christianity is the one true faith?
Do you think God still provided signs or does He just ask for faith? Can a non-Christian see a sign from God as coming from God?

Verse 43-45: How do you deal with the hurt, regret, and anger in your life? Do you have mechanisms in place to cleanse your spirit or do you find that your troubles worsen over time? How can we best deal with our demons? Do you have hurt in your life that you have never fully dealt with? How has that affected your life?

Verse 46-50: Do you have a tight-knit family or a more distant relationship to family?

What are some things that make familial relationships different than other relationships? Do you have those similar relationships with your church family? Why or why not?