Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur

Week 14: Review & Reflection

Review your notes and journal entries from the entire book. Key passage: Hebrews 12:1–2.

We have spent weeks walking through the lives of twelve ordinary people who changed the world — this final session is an invitation to look back, take stock, and look forward with fresh purpose.

Discussion Questions

8 questions

1.Looking back over all twelve apostles, whose portrait most surprised you? Was there someone you had written off as unimportant or uninteresting who became unexpectedly meaningful? What did you discover?

2.MacArthur's central thesis is that God consistently uses ordinary, flawed people for extraordinary purposes, so that His power rather than human ability gets the glory. Has this study deepened, challenged, or changed your understanding of how God works? In what specific ways?

3.Which apostle did you find yourself identifying with most personally — and which one made you most uncomfortable? What do those two responses tell you about yourself?

4.The study has repeatedly returned to the theme of transformation: people who were called before they were changed, and who were changed through sustained closeness to Jesus. Looking at your own life, where is the most obvious evidence of that kind of transformation? Where is it most needed?

5.MacArthur placed the story of Judas Iscariot in the center of the book as a sobering warning about religious familiarity without genuine faith. Has this study prompted any honest self-examination in that area? What did you find?

+ 5 more questions in this week

Get all 112 questions across 15 weeks

Get Full Guide — $24.99

Closing Prayer

Full guide

Father, we close this study with gratitude — for twelve extraordinary ordinary men, and for the Jesus who called them, kept them, transformed them, and sent them. Thank You for this time in Your Word and in community. We have seen ourselves in these men — in Peter's impulsiveness, Thomas's doubt, Andrew's quiet faithfulness, Matthew's need for grace. And we have seen You in the Jesus who never gave up on any of them. We ask that what we have learned would not stay in our notes but would sink into our lives. Make us more willing to be used, more honest about our weakness, more devoted to closeness with You, and more bold in our mission. We are ordinary people. You are an extraordinary God. Have Your way with us. Amen.

Week 13 View Full Guide

Get the Complete 15-Week Study Guide

All 112 discussion questions, weekly reading schedule, closing prayers, and a downloadable PDF for your group.

Get Your Guide — $24.99

All Weeks in This Guide

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 14

More by John MacArthur Leadership & Ministry Bible Study & Scripture