Life Groups // Winter 2021 // Week 10
Posted March 19, 2021 — Lincoln Berean
You Can’t Stop This // Acts 5:12-42
Introduction
This week in Acts, God continues to add more people to the early church, the followers of Jesus continue to speak to others about Jesus and more opposition arises. It is clear to us that God is at work in the lives of the followers of Jesus, but some people find themselves opposing God. We need to remember that every circumstance can be a platform to speak about Jesus.
We hope your experience in Life Group provides a foundation of scripture and connection that gives you the courage to face challenges to your faith these days. If you have time, try to work through these questions on your own before meeting with your group.
Getting to Know Each Other (Suggested time: 30 min)
Here are some suggestions to get your conversation started:
- If you had to change your first name, what name would you choose and why?
- Has there ever been a time in your life when you were very sure of something, but were later proved wrong? Explain what happened and how you responded.
Getting Started
Begin to transition into group discussion.
1) Open group discussion with prayer. Here are a few potential prayer items:
- For the Spirit of God to lead you in truth
- For openness to what you’re learning together
- For friendships to deepen and grow
2) Invite someone to read this week’s passage to the group.
Study Questions (Suggested time: 40 min)
Please complete these questions prior to your group’s meeting time.
1) This passage is a great example of the truth that the Holy Spirit is always at work—sometimes behind the scenes, other times in more overt ways. In this passage we see 4 different responses to the work of the Holy Spirit.
-
- Jealousy/opposition (the high priest and his associates)
- Obedience/embracing (the apostles and young church)
- Confusion (the temple guards were perplexed)
- Wait and See (Gamaliel)
It is interesting that the apostles never oppose anything that happens to them in this passage. In all that happens they continue to embrace their circumstances as from God. Why might we tend to think hard things that happen in our lives are not of God?
- Is it possible that you are opposing something in your life that is actually from God?
- How might you look to God in your situation instead of opposing Him or looking for another way out?
2) For many of us reciting verses and preparing to speak publicly about our faith can be overwhelming, but we all have times when we can share a story about how knowing Jesus has made a difference in our lives. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being very bold), how bold are you about your relationship with Jesus? Why did you give yourself the number you chose?
3) Have you had an experience where you had the opportunity to share about your relationship with Jesus but were too timid? Would you be willing to share how you felt during and after this experience?
- What are the reasons you do not speak about Jesus at times in your life?
- When the reasons above cause us to feel timid what truths do we need to remember that will encourage us to speak about Jesus?
4) Have you had a moment of boldness in your life when you spoke about your relationship with Jesus? Would you be willing to share about this experience with your group?
5) How does it affect your determination and courage when you know, no matter what, Jesus wins and His church will prevail?
If you would like to learn more about opportunities to witness or participate in God’s kingdom in Lincoln and around the world, contact outreach@lincolnberean.org or checkout this Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/lincolnbereanlocal
Group Prayer (Suggested time: 10 min)
Think of someone in your life who does not know Jesus. Would you be willing to share a bit about their life and your relationship with them?
Take a few moments to pray together. Ask for boldness to speak about Jesus. Pray for God to give you favor with the people you mentioned and ask Him to open their hearts to the gospel.
If you would rather not pray aloud when it is your turn, feel free to pray silently and then say “Amen” aloud, signaling the next person in the group to pray. Whether or not you choose to verbalize your prayer, everyone is a participant in sharing this time before God together.