Here are some questions based on last Sunday’s sermon text (Acts 2:36-39), in case they’re helpful to you for personal growth or group discussion…

• [36-37] Those present at Peter’s Pentecost sermon demonstrated conviction of sin (the work of the Holy Spirit; John 16:8) when Peter charged them with the murder of Jesus—even though they likely were not immediately involved in the crucifixion. Do you believe that you were complicit in the crucifixion of Jesus, even though you weren’t born yet? What does that mean to you? Does that charge bring you to contrition, or…?

• [38-39] What do you instinctively feel about the idea of being called to repentance by God? How do you think about it? Why do you think about it that way? What does the Bible say about repentance? How might that differ from your own instinctive conception?

• “Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein Christ hath ordained the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to be a sign and seal of ingrafting into himself, of remission of sins by his blood, and regeneration by his Spirit; of adoption, and resurrection unto everlasting life; and whereby the parties baptized are solemnly admitted into the visible church, and enter into an open and professed engagement to be wholly and only the Lord’s.” (Westminster Larger Catechism 165). That definition doesn’t entirely arise from Acts 2, clearly! What other New Testament Scriptures help us to fill out our understanding of Baptism?

• Have you been baptized? If not, why not? If so, what have you understood your baptism to mean? Where did you learn that? In general, would you describe your own baptism as something you’re worried about, or something you’re reassured by? Do you consider your baptism on a regular basis? How important is it to you? Do you ever refer others to their own baptisms in order to help them?