DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Have you started out on fire for Jesus, changed by grace – then over the years of life getting to you – you lose sight of how you started?
2. How can the Christian life become more mundane than exciting? How can church become more of a chore than a place of worship?
3. Discuss all the positives Jesus had to say about the church. In what ways could Jesus say the same thing about your Christian life?
4. Discuss the ways the church at Ephesus has fallen short. Read Acts 19:17-20. What did the church do at the beginning that Jesus was turning them back to?
5. How do you keep the passion and enthusiasm alive in your life for following Jesus?
6. In what ways can the monotony of life drain your passion for Jesus?
7. If Jesus were to write you a letter telling you to turn back to the way you started, what would be in that letter?
Holy Spirit – Person, Purpose and Presence – “Remaining and Responding in the Spirit”
Acts 2:1-13, 1 Corinthians 12 – 14
We are concluding our short teaching series on the Holy Spirit this week.
During these past three weeks I have been reminded of two clear commands in the Bible: pursue love and to earnestly desire spiritual gifts. Because spiritual gifts are given to help us love one another.
The Spirit doesn’t give us gifts for our oohs and aahs. He gives us gifts so for the glory of Christ we are able to pursue love through serving one another. This way no one can think that he or she is not needed or that he or she doesn’t need anyone else (1 Corinthians 12:15, 21).
Love is the aim of spiritual gifts. So if we neglect any particular spiritual gift, if we don’t earnestly desire and pursue them, we will neglect some aspect of love and so fail to glorify Christ. We need the Spirit’s empowerment to strengthen those of us who follow Jesus and help others who do not yet see, meet, experience and accept Jesus’ love.
So what do you do when you really want something? You don’t wait around for someone to deliver it nicely packaged, fully assembled, and ready-to-use. You go looking for it. You start asking questions of knowledgeable people. You read and watch and listen to a lot of information. Then you step out and do something about it.
Here are a few places to start in your earnestly desiring spiritual gifts:
The Bible. Soak in 1 Corinthians 12–14, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4. Read the book of Acts over and over until it fuels your desire to experience the reality of the kingdom you read here.
Pray. As you desire the fullness of the Spirit and seeing the kingdom of God advance, your discontent and desperation will drive you to pray the kind of prayers the Lord loves to answer.
Consume Sound Teaching. Fuel your desire by increasing your knowledge. Type “Spiritual Gifts” into your Google search box and add names like Sam Storms, Wayne Grudem, and D.A. Carson. They skilfully handle the Word and are personally experienced in the spiritual gifts.
Meet a Need. Taking steps for the sake of Christ to love others whose needs extend beyond our capacities puts us (and them) squarely in the path of God’s grace.
New Series: Person, Purpose and Presence – “What’s the deal with the Holy Spirit?”
Acts 2:1-13
I grew up in a church where we didn’t really talk about the Holy Spirit. It was a loving, caring, generous, community-serving, Jesus-introducing church. The Holy Spirit just didn’t get a lot of air time. Except, I do remember that there was some talk about certain home groups that Holy Spirit “stuff” happened. But that was always a mystery.
Then years down the track I found myself working at a church where Jesus was rarely mentioned, but the Holy Spirit was talked about, called upon and acted in all the time. Guest speakers would come and even more Holy Spirit “stuff” happened. That too was always a mystery.
So I decided to go back to basics. Is the Holy Spirit God? Absolutely! God has three parts: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And because I know God as a gracious, good father – I knew I had nothing to fear, and God had nothing to hide. And I have discovered that the Holy Spirit isn’t weird, isn’t rude; and isn’t some hard-to-understand mystery.
Perhaps you’re like me and you grew up in a church that treated the Holy Spirit like the crazy uncle you have to endure at Christmas. Or maybe you witnessed some abuse of the Holy Spirit and those gifts. Or maybe you’re new to following Jesus and don’t know much about the Holy Spirit at all.
Over the next three weeks we are going to look at the first three chapters in Acts to better understand the person, purpose and presence of the Holy Spirit. It’s my hope that this will help you know how great it is to remain in Jesus, respond to God’s kingdom invitation and follow the Spirit in a victorious Christian life. In return you will see an increase of the Spirit’s presence and power in your life. He wants to do amazing things in and through your life. All you have to do is let him.
Week Nine Opening Questions: 1. Tell about a time you tried to, or wanted to share Jesus with someone who didn’t know him. 2. If you could fix any one problem in the world through prayer, what would it be (other than salvation of the whole world)?
Important to Know: It is very easy to skip the introduction and conclusion of the New Testament epistles because at first glance they do not look very important. But there are many wonderful nuggets of truth in both the introductions and conclusions. Paul concludes his letter to the Colossian with 12 individual names three groups of people and six essential types of friendships listed in his closing: a. The helping friend who is always there in times of need. b. The weak friend whose burden you help carry. c. The compassionate friend who is beside you though everything. d. The restored friend whom God has redeemed e. The praying friend who remembers your need f. The inspiring friend who helps you succeed
Questions from the Text: Look at the six different kinds of friendships from this week’s passage. 1. Which ones of these friendships do you have right now? How could you honour, encourage and thank them? 2. What character traits do you value in a friend? 3. Which types of these friendships do you need, but lack right now? How can you be more open to God ushering them into your life? 4. Looking at the essential friendship again. Which type of friend are you? 5. What friendship characteristics do you think you need to seek to develop? 6. Read Exodus 18:14-18. In this story, Moses is super-busy helping people. What does his father-in-law Jethro point out to him? What advice does he give? Do you need to hear this same type of advice? 7. Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. What truths about friendship do you see?
Application Questions: Think of a friendship that needs to be restored and one that needs to be nurtured. What can you do this week to progress this? Ask God for wisdom and strength to do that.
Week Eight
Opening Questions:
1. Tell about a time you tried to, or wanted to share Jesus with someone who didn’t know him.
2. If you could fix any one problem in the world through prayer, what would it be (other than salvation of the whole world)?
Important to Know:
As Paul wraps up his letter, he includes some final instructions for the church, and then specific messages and greetings. In his instructions, he reminds them to be devoted in prayer, and specifically to pray for him to
have open doors and clear word as he proclaims the gospel. Clearly, Paul believes that prayers have consequence- namely, that things happen because we pray.
Next, he tells them to make the most of every opportunity with those who don’t yet know Christ. Essentially, Paul is closing with two thoughts: pray for others in their proclamation of the Gospel, and then proclaim the Gospel yourself as well. This is where the rubber hits the road. How will your relationships with Christ and with each other change how you interact with the world?
Questions from the Text:
1. According to verse 2, what are two essential parts of being devoted to prayer? Why is it important to be both of these things?
2. We know from other areas of the Bible that prayer can be a way to connect relationally with the Father. How do verses 2-4 show that prayer is also causative (it has an expected outcome)? What is the category of the things Paul requests prayer for?
3. How does verse 5 instruct us to act towards outsiders?
4. What do you think verse 5 means by “be wise” in the way you act towards those who aren’t Christians, and to “make the most of every opportunity”? What might examples be?
5. In verse 6, what do you think seasoned with salt means? Why do you think Paul instructs us in this way?
Application Questions:
1. What are some strategies to help you have a better prayer life: both relationally with the Lord, and consequent-causing in the world?
2. Who is someone you will proclaim Jesus to? How might you do that?
Week Seven
Opening Questions:
What do you think are some of the reasons for the breakdown of marriage and family in our society?
Is there something you find yourself wishing that Paul would have said in these instructions?
Important to Know:
– There is a continuation of the instruction to live our whole lives in the name of Jesus and for the Glory of God, and we must consider how that relates to our most intimate and ongoing relationships.
– The household codes were guidelines and expectations for how a 1st century Roman home should operate. Paul both
reveres aspects of the known household codes and suggest significant differences, namely relating all of them to Christ.
– Seeds are being sown of subversive love that will grow to change the world, and how we relate to one another with
Christ as our Lord.
– Everyone who us united to Christ is called to submission as Christ demonstrated for us no matter what their station in life.
– We are invited to be devoted to pray both the engine of a life of love and surrender and as an example of how the
Kingdom of God is built in the world.
Questions from the Text:
1. What are wives and husbands called to do in marriage?
2. What does “submission” and “love” in marriage look like?
(Consider the wider context of the new life we are to live in Christ in Col 3:12-14)
3. Read Ephesians 5:21-33. How does this passage enhance your answer to Q. 2?
4. In v. 21 the command to parents is stated in the negative. What is the implicit positive command in this verse and why is it so important?
5. Apart from the obvious, why is it important that a child learn obedience? (Think – What relationship does the parent-child relationship mirror?)
6. What are some different attitudes that our society has towards work? Read Colossians 3:22-4:1 8. Who does the Christian serve, even in apparently “secular” work?
7. How should our new life in Christ impact our attitude towards our work?
8. Discuss different ways in which the gospel might shape the way you work in your specific work place? (For those who don’t have a 9-5 type job, e.g. Mums, volunteer work; think broader about what constitutes your work place).
Application Questions:
Read Colossians 3:17 and discuss how this verse is a guiding principle for 3:18-4:1.
Opening Questions:
When you’re finished with your old clothes, what do you often do with them?
How do you know you are finished with them?
Important to Know:
This is the part of Paul’s letter that transitions from the “observation” to the “application” section. Paul has explained who Christ is, and what He has freed us from. Chapter 3 says that since these things are true, we should behave in certain ways. This involves inner change (recalibrating our hearts and minds) as well as outer change (how we interact with one another). In the centre of Paul’s list of traits for holy living, and his rules for holy households, Paul takes the chance to remind us not just why but HOW we do this: by letting the peace of God rule our hearts, letting the Word of Christ dwell in us, doing everything in the name of the Lord, and giving thanks to the Father. How incredible! Every inner and outer change overflows from our meditation on Jesus, and what He offers us! Not on our own power (2:23).
Questions from the Text:
1. What do you think it means to set your heart on things above? Your mind?
2. How is our life hidden with Christ in God (vs. 3)? Why should this give us a sense of security?
3. What does the phrase “put to death” (vs. 5) mean to you?
4. In verses 5-9, what things are we supposed to “put to death” and not do anymore. What sort of categories do these things fall into?
5. In verse 10, what is our new self-starting to look like?
6. What is the only label/status that can be attached to someone being transformed into the image of God?
7. With what are we to clothe ourselves (vs. 12-14)?
8. What characteristic binds all the others in perfect unity? a. Why do you think love has the power to do this?
Application Questions:
Which of the “clothes” in verses 12-14 do you think you have a hard time “wearing”? What “spiritual clothes” do you see each other wearing?
(affirm each other here)
How can you practically bind yourself in love this week?
Colossians 2:9-15 What if our approach to connecting with God has been all wrong?
Week 4 Study Questions
Opening Question:
Share with each other how long you have been following Christ, and the ways you have seen your faith deepen and your discipleship grow over those months/years.
