TODAY:

Acts 5:12-42 | In the Face of Adversity

BIG IDEA:

Following Jesus requires us to trust the sovereignty of God

SCRIPTURES:

Acts 5:12-42, Matthew 27:24-25, Galatians 1:10

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Q: How do some people try to intimidate, threaten or oppose followers of

Jesus today locally, across the nation & around the world?

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 is it both freeing & liberating to know that we are called to simply be

faithful in our lives, leaving the results to God?

Q: Read Acts 5:29. What does it mean to live this out in a way that both honors

God & draws people to God?

Q: Why is a solid theology of God’s sovereignty so important to developing a

solid theology of suffering? Why are both of these so important to living as a

follower of Jesus? What are some consequences of having a weak theology

in either of these areas?

Q: Why is joy such a central aspect of following Jesus? How is our joy directly

tied to God’s sovereignty? What can you do if you struggle to have joy?

Connect with Others(IN)...

Q: Read Acts 5:12-42. How can we learn & grow from the Truths/examples in

this passage about what it means to be a healthy, thriving church?

Connect with the World (OUT)...

Q: The Church’s disobedience to the “powers-that-be” of their day caused both

suffering & growth (maturity for them & bringing more people to Jesus). How

can we learn from how God worked in & through them?

ACTION STEPS:

1) Invite Jesus to be the sovereign Author over a specific challenge you’re facing.

2) Examine your “theology of suffering” & if it makes you resilient or fragile? How can it grow in light of God’s sovereignty?

3) What does it mean for you to “obey God & not human beings”?

QUOTES:

“Faith in God does not make troubles disappear; it makes troubles appear less frightening because it puts them in the right perspective.” (Life Application Study Bible)

“The apostles didn’t value their own personal security above the Great Commission. Neither should we. When we trust in God’s sovereignty and genuinely desire to see the Kingdom of God advance, we will not resent God’s trials in our life, but we will even learn to rejoice in them.” (Acts For You)