TODAY:

Acts 16:11-40 | A rich businesswoman, an ex-demon-possessed slave girl & a Roman jailer

walk into a church...

BIG IDEA:

People from all walks of life are brought together through the Gospel of Jesus

SCRIPTURES:

Acts 16:11-40, Philippians 1:1-6

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Q: How would you handle being beaten & locked into prison for sharing the Gospel of Jesus?

Q: How do the Scriptures/concepts from this week help you grow as a disciple who loves God, loves people & serves the world (lives on incarnational mission) in everyday life?

Q: Based on these Scriptures, how can you move from unbelief to belief, from just knowing to actually doing in your life?

Connect with God (UP)...

Q: This might sound like a weird question, but why would Jesus want everyone (top, bottom, middle) to know & follow Him?

Q: Why is Jesus’ way so contrary & subversive to so many of the world’s systems? How do we handle this?

Connect with Others(IN)...

Q: How does unified diversity within the church make the Gospel even more clear & compelling? Why can this be hard?

Q: In this week’s passage, Paul & Silas first share the Good News, then gather those who respond to Jesus, then encourage them when things got the most difficult. What can we learn from this as believers & as a church?

Connect with the World (OUT)...

Q: What are ways that we can share what Paul told the jailer (believe in Jesus!) with the world around us?

Q: How can we live out a Gospel that is disruptive to the systems of the culture of the world in a way that invites people to know & surrender to Jesus?

ACTION STEPS:

1) If you’re not yet a follower of Jesus, ask Him to show you which of these 3 stories most speaks to your life. Read Acts 16:31 (“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved”) & consider what it means for your life.

2) If you are a follower of Jesus, read Acts 16:25 (praying & singing in prison while others listened) & commit yourself to seeking, worshipping & trusting God even in the hardest of circumstances.