TODAY:

Acts 4:32-5:11 | 2 Snapshots of the Church

BIG IDEA:

God’s holiness brings unity & purity, while the lies of sin bring destruction

SCRIPTURES:

Acts 4:32-5:11, John 13:35, Proverbs 6:16-19, John 12:5-6

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Q: How have you compromised (in a bad way) or been hypocritical? Why did

you make those choices?

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: How much do you think about both the extreme holiness AND radical

generosity/grace of God? How much of a difference do either of these make

in your daily life?

Q: How is the concept of grace directly tied to generosity?

Connect with Others(IN)...

Q: What can today’s passage teach us about true unity? How can we grow in

our unity as a church?

Connect with the World (OUT)...

Q: The Christian faith/life is both private/personal AND public. How can we

live out our faith together as a church in a way that is compelling to everyone

around us, so everyone sees the power of Jesus & His Gospel?

ACTION STEPS:

1) Identify areas of compromise or hypocrisy & take to Jesus.

2) Consider God’s radical generosity with you. Share it with others.

3) Examine what unifies us: diminishing the Truth, elevating side-issues, or

centering on the Gospel Truth.

QUOTES:

“When we understand the character of God, when we grasp something of His

holiness, then we begin to understand the radical character of our sin and

hopelessness. Helpless sinners can survive only by grace. Our strength is futile in

itself; we are spiritually impotent without the assistance of a merciful God. We may

dislike giving our attention to God’s wrath and justice, but until we incline ourselves

to these aspects of God’s nature, we will never appreciate what has been wrought for

us by grace.” (RC Sproul, Holiness of God, 183)

“Sin is an assault on God’s character.”

“The Christian life is a public life. It’s not cloaked in secrecy or hidden deep within

some secret club, rituals or building.” (Acts For You)

“Unity does not mean uniformity. Some were strong & some were weak. Some gave &

some received. But they were all in it together.”