STUDYGUIDE

Report 1 Downloads 93 Views
STUDYGUIDE

MARCH 5 & 6, 2016

HEALTHY FAITH BIG IDEA | God blesses people who are not afraid to trust Him completely. COME TOGETHER | a place to get the conversation going with your small group Who was your childhood hero? What made that person stand out to you? As you’ve grown older, who would you consider to be your hero today? How does this person inspire you? Share about someone who has prayed for you in a way that has impacted your life. Did you ask this person to pray for you? Did you know he or she was praying for you at the time, or did you find out after the fact? STUDY TOGETHER | Start digging. Luke, the author of Acts, summarizes Paul’s first missionary journey, which included a trip to Iconium, a city in southwest Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). When Paul went on his various missionary journeys, he would often start by preaching the Gospel in a Jewish synagogue. Typically there was a mix of Jews and Gentiles at these gatherings. Because of this, Paul often would get a mixed response to the Gospel, which was the case in Acts 14. Read Acts 14:1-7 Approximately 12 years after his first missionary journey, Paul wrote his letter to the church at Ephesus while he was imprisoned. The letter was written to strengthen and encourage the churches in the area that Paul had previously stayed for three years. Read Ephesians 3:20-21 DISCUSS TOGETHER | Have a conversation about the Bible and principles from Scripture. From Acts 14:1-7 •Why was it significant that both Jews and Greeks became followers of Jesus? •Why were some of the Jews against the Gospel message Paul and Barnabas were preaching? •How did they take a huge step of faith in verse 3? •How did God bless the faith of Paul and Barnabas? •What happened as a result of the risk they took? •Despite almost being stoned to death in Iconium, what did Paul and Barnabas do next? Why?

ALL BIBLE REFERENCES FROM NLT UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. © CONNECTION POINTE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 2016

1

SERMONS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT CONNECTIONPOINTE.ORG/SERMONS

HEALTHY FAITH

STUDYGUIDE

Read Ephesians 3:20-21 •What enabled Paul to write such an encouraging letter to the church at Ephesus despite being imprisoned for sharing the Gospel? •How did God accomplish things through Paul that were probably beyond his wildest dreams? GROW TOGETHER | Consider how to apply biblical principles to your life today. From Acts 14:1-7 •The Gospel unifies unique and diverse groups. In Acts 14, Jews and Gentiles are united under the Gospel. How has the Gospel removed potential divisions between you and others? •When have you taken a leap of faith? How did that strengthen your faith in Jesus? •Can you think of any examples in your life, when opposition spurred you on to a greater effort? •Paul and Barnabas experience success and opposition when sharing the Gospel in Iconium. Should we expect opposition when we share the Gospel? How have you handled opposition to the Gospel in the past? When we face opposition to the Gospel, how can we respond with God’s grace? From Ephesians 3:20-21 •When God is big, problems are small. When we focus on our problems, we can make God seem small. How has this principle been true in your life? How does a person try to view God rightly, as someone who is bigger than our problems? What problems seem big in your life right now? •When have you experienced a desperate situation only God could fix? How did that circumstance build your faith? •Describe a time when you thought God wasn’t working, only to find out later He was orchestrating things in His timing. How do you remind yourself that God is doing far more than it appears? •How are you doing giving God glory when you succeed in life? How are you doing giving God glory when you face adversity? •How do these verses connect with the dreams you have for your life? •How do you know if your dreams line up with what God wants for you? Who is someone that you truly believe is pursuing God’s dream for their life? Why did you pick that person? •What, if anything, is holding you back from pursuing your God-given dreams? What step of faith do you need to take to pursue them? Who will you talk to and invite to join you in prayer about your God-given dreams? PRAY TOGETHER | a prayer guide to add to whatever prayer items are appropriate for you and your group Take a few minutes to pray and reflect on your own. Is there a step of faith God is prompting you to take? Is there a dream God is calling you to pursue? Write it down.

ALL BIBLE REFERENCES FROM NLT UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. © CONNECTION POINTE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 2016

2

SERMONS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT CONNECTIONPOINTE.ORG/SERMONS

HEALTHY FAITH

STUDYGUIDE

Share with each other what God put on your heart during small group and the prayer time. Pray together about these steps of faith and dreams God has put on your heart. WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL If you and your small group members want to engage with 40 Days to a Healthy Life on a deeper level, there is a weekly devotional available online at connectionpointe.org/sermons

ALL BIBLE REFERENCES FROM NLT UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. © CONNECTION POINTE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 2016

3

SERMONS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT CONNECTIONPOINTE.ORG/SERMONS

Recommend Documents