1. Salvation is a new birth. Jesus said that we must be born again of water and of the Spirit.

• Nicodemus was a Pharisee—a religious man who knew the Scriptures. Yet Jesus still told him he must be born again. Why wasn’t his religious faithfulness enough?
• Jesus did not say you “should” be born again. He said you “must.” Is there any other way to true regeneration of the soul than Jesus’ way?
• Birth is multi-stage. There is conception, development, and delivery. How does the spiritual new birth relate to the natural process of birth?

2. Repentance and the remission of sins are preached in Jesus’ name, the name of which Scripture says “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

• Peter quoted the prophet Joel: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Then he preached that this Lord is Jesus. What is the name of the Lord? And what does calling on the name of the Lord mean? How do we do it?
• Jesus’ name is transliterated in many languages. If you went to another nation with a different language, your name may be pronounced differently, but it would still be your name. Does the transliteration of Jesus’ name matter? Or is it ok to call on His name in any language on the face of the earth?
• If there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved, how does that impact how much His name matters in the gospel?

3. Baptism is the proper response to true belief in Jesus and His gospel.

• Mark 16:16 says, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Jesus left baptism out of the second half. Why?
• Jesus pointed to true belief, shown by the immediate response of baptism. Why do some people require that someone wait to be baptized? Should they?
• Matthew 28:19 was not a formula to repeat; it was a command to obey. When the disciples obeyed that command in Acts 2:38, what name did they baptize in?

4. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father for all who believe, and the normative biblical evidence of that baptism is that we would speak in an unlearned tongue as the Spirit enables us.

• Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink,” and out of his heart would flow rivers of living water. What thirst is Jesus talking about?
• On the Day of Pentecost, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Is there significance in God choosing the tongue as a sign of new birth?
• Peter said the promise is “to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off.” Have you ever doubted if this promise was for you?

5. Pentecost is not merely a historical event; it is the full expression of Jesus’ presence in our midst. Without Pentecost, we have a Jesus we can read about. With Pentecost, we have a Jesus that indwells our hearts.

• Imagine walking with Jesus for three years, and then hearing Him say He is leaving. Having given up everything to follow Him, what would hearing that have felt like?
• Pentecost came to longing hearts gathered in an upper room, waiting, tarrying, and hungering for Jesus. How does hunger for closeness with Jesus correlate to receiving His Spirit?
• An experience with God that misses Pentecost is a limited and partial expression of Jesus in your life. Have you experienced Pentecost?

6. When the crowd was cut to the heart and asked, “What shall we do?” Peter, with the full backing of the eleven, confirming what Jesus had said, instructed the crowd how to properly respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ: repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

• They were cut to the heart. Have you ever felt that kind of conviction? What did it feel like? What was going on? What did you do with it?
• If Peter had begun speaking incorrectly, one of the other eleven disciples present would have spoken up. These were all men who would later go on to die for this message. But none of them disagreed with Peter’s message. What does their silence tell you about the significance of Peter’s instructions in Acts 2:38?
• Acts 2 captures the first preaching of the gospel message, as well as the first declaration of instruction for how to respond to it. How do Peter’s instructions in Acts 2 differ from many people’s instructions in our current day and age? Does it matter that they are often different? If so, why?

7. The same experience the disciples had on the Day of Pentecost is a promise for you.

• Adam and Eve once lived face-to-face with God in Eden. Through Pentecost, that delightful place in His presence is no longer found in a physical place, but in a Person—Jesus—who lives within us. What does salvation truly and fully restore?
• Have you repented and turned to follow Jesus? Have you been baptized in the name of Jesus? Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit? Where are you on that journey right now?
• The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift. It cannot be earned, but only freely received by faith. Does that impact how you seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Or if you have already received it, does that alter how you view your experience?