In the Street--Lesson 11--Finding What We Seek--Various Passages

Discussion Questions:

1.  Is it possible there are things you have missed out on in the Kingdom of God because you didn’t think to open the door available to it?  If your life feels like less than what you thought the Kingdom of God was supposed to be, could you be settling for less than what is available to you?  What can you change in your seeking to experience more of what God offers you?

2.  How easy is it to be like the Inn Keeper and not recognize the activity of God going on around you?  How have daily responsibilities and accomplishing the tasks of the temporary gotten in the way of recognizing and being part of the eternal?  What can you do to be more aware and involved in God’s redeeming work?

3.  Are we seeking a relationship with Jesus or salvation?  What’s the difference?  Why is it important to see beyond the star to the fulfilling of prophecy, or seeing beyond the angels to the actual Messiah?  In what ways have you as an individual, or the church settled for religion instead of relationship?

4.  How have you seen the Kingdom of God working in your presence?  How has the Kingdom of God offered your life back, like the leper and servant of the Centurion had their life given back to them?  What role did seeking Jesus play in them receiving the healing that they did?  What are you seeking?

5.  Why is it important to see Christianity as a verb instead of a noun?  What struggles have you seen with trying to control things and turning them into nouns instead of keeping them as action verbs? How tempting is it to make the things of God’s Kingdom work for you instead of you working for them?

6.  How would you compare/contrast the stories of the Rich Young Ruler (Matt. 19) and Zacchaeus (Luke 19)?  Which of these two men are you more like in your seeking? Why?

In the Street--Lesson 10--What Peace & Security Offer--Acts 16

Discussion Questions:

1.  Tell of a time or way Jesus has held you up while you regained your footing so you could continue climbing with Him?

2.  On a scale of 1-10, how much security do you feel in your daily life?  What kinds of things give or take away your security?

3.  What kinds of experiences have you had with God blocking your way?  How did things work out when you waited for and followed His direction?

4.  How did Jesus use personal contact to remove barriers and challenge prejudices?  How has personal contact from others helped you face prejudices and take away barriers that brought division?  What are some ways you can grow in offering personal contact to the people around you?

5.  Who do you know that acts totally free even with trials and challenges in their life?  Why is sharing your personal testimony an important part of making personal contact?  What would you share in a personal testimony?

6.  How does God orchestrating Paul & Silas being in Philippi and going through what the jailer experienced offer you security for your own life?  How do stories like Hagar being seen by God and the Israelites being remembered by God add to the testimony of how secure God wants you to feel?

7.  Paul had his own history to look back upon to see the care of God (Lowered in a basket—vouched for by Barnabas).  What can you look back upon to see how much God cares about you and offer you reasons to feel secure?

8.  How does being in covenant with God change the way you face anxiety or various challenges and trials that come with living in a fallen world?  What does it look like to stand upon the promises of God?

9.  Describe what salvation is and how it makes a difference in your daily living.  What kind of weight has been lifted off you because of walking with God?  How do you avoid taking back up and carrying a burden you have been set free from?

In the Street--Lesson 9--The Power of Encouragement--Acts 9 & 15

Discussion Questions:

1.  Who in your life could use some encouragement this week?  What specific things will you commit yourself to do to help them feel valued and cared for, and that they have purpose?

2.  What struggles do you have with paying attention to the things going on around you and not merely going through the motions?  What kinds of things help you to be present in each moment you encounter?

3.  What kinds of things did Barnabas do for Paul and then John Mark that you could do for people in your life?  Are there things you do for the Kingdom of God that you could take someone under your wing and mentor them?

4.  What role has encouragement played in times when you have failed or quit or been broken?  Who is someone you can thank and appreciate for their role of encouraging you?

5.  How much greater would the Kingdom of God be if more people saw their main role as being an encourager of others?  How good are you are accepting the encouragement of others?  How does your inability to accept encouragement hurt what God wants to accomplish?

6.  How are you at believing in others?  What role does competition play in your relationships?  How does competition hurt encouragement?  How does the grace of God go against competition?

7.  When has someone had to use the “get off the couch” type of encouragement to help you grow?  What does a person need to have in order to talk to you this way?

8.  Why is it difficult, if not impossible, to be an encourager without community?  How have you seen encouragement build better community?

9.  Why did people feel so comfortable around Jesus?  How can we grow in this area as a welcoming and encouraging place for people to find encouragement of all types?

10.  What kind of legacy are you hoping to leave behind after you are gone?  How have you seen encouragement play a role in building a legacy?