Sermon Discussion Guide (Sunday, May 3rd)

Book of Acts – Week 20 – Acts 8:1-8

Discussion Guide

Before working on this discussion guide, please do the following:

1. Watch the message from this past Sunday if you were unable to attend the online service. You can find the message on our Facebook Page and on our website (renovationchurchsd.com).

 

2. Spend 5 minutes or so in prayer. You can either pray through the “Lord’s Prayer” or simply share what is on your heart. It is also good to spend at least 1 full minute in silence so that God can quiet your heart and mind as you prepare to study the Scriptures.

 

Discussion Questions

1. Read slowly and prayerfully through Acts 8:1-8. What stands out to you? What questions do you still have after reading through the text?

 

 

 

2. One of the people we are introduced to more fully in this passage is Saul (who later becomes Paul). How do you think God used Saul/Paul’s religious training and education to make him an even more effective missionary once he became a Christian? How has God used some of your “secular” experience to better prepare you to share your faith?

 

 

 

3. When Luke refers to the Christians as “scattering” it reminds us of the scattering of seed (which is intentional on Luke’s part). Read Jesus parable on the “soils” in Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23. What stands out to you from Jesus’ teaching?

 

 

 

4. Although much of the church is scattered due to the persecution, he makes it clear that the Apostles remained in Jerusalem. Why did the Apostles remain in Jerusalem during the persecution? It was clearly okay to leave Jerusalem as God used the persecution to spread the Gospel – so why did the Apostles remain? (I did not have time to explain this in my message so… what are your thoughts?)

 

 

 

5. Those who were scattered went on their way sharing the Gospel with those why came into contact with. It’s impossible to share a message we don’t know. If someone asked you, “What is the at the core of the Christian faith – what is the ‘Gospel’” – How would you respond? What is the message of the Gospel?

 

 

 

6. I (Tyler) made a claim in the message that COVID-19 is good for the church. Not that COVID-19 itself is good but it has caused the church to re-evaluate our mission and return to making disciples. Do you agree or disagree? If you agree, what are some ways COVID-19 has caused all of us as a whole to re-examine our assumptions and lives?

 

 

 

7. Finally, what is at least one way you are seeking to apply this passage to your life this week?