In the Street - Lesson 2 - Challenge Accepted - Acts 1

Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean to be a witness for God and His Kingdom? How have you seen God open opportunities around you for you to show His glory and witness to His goodness?
   

2. Who would you say is the greatest witness for God in the bible (excluding Jesus)? What qualities do they demonstrate that make you feel this way?
   

3. How is being a witness more about lifestyle and choices than the words we use? In what ways is being a witness for the LORD a mindset of being willing to be used by the LORD?
   

4. Why did God point Job out to Satan? What do you see in Job’s early life prior to Satan’s attack against him that challenges you to be a better witness for the LORD?
   

5. Seeing the description of Job’s earlier life in Job 29, does it encourage you? frustrate you? intimidate you? scare you? Excite you? Based upon the example Job provides, in what ways should we expand our concept of witnessing and outreach?
   

6. Why does Luke emphasize that his first account was what Jesus began to do and teach in Acts 1:1? What is the significance of this?
   

7. How is the call of Jesus to the apostles to be His witnesses similar to the model of witnessing Job provided? In what ways is witnessing merely showing that God/Jesus is alive and active in our lives? How is it more than this?
   

8. What tactics did Satan use to discourage Job so he would stop being a witness for the LORD? How have you seen these tactics used against you?
   

9. Why do you suppose Job’s wife told him to curse God and die? In a world that often suggests for us to “curse God and die” what are some specific ways we can bless the LORD instead?
   

10. Do you have one person God has placed upon your heart to be a witness for Him? What can you do to be ready to witness when the door of opportunity is opened?

In the Street--Lesson 1--God Cannot Be Stopped--Acts + Various Passages

Discussion Questions:

1.     What role do news and headlines play in your life?  How/why do they add to anxiety and discouragement?  How does the word of God offer something different?

2.     How has God revealed to you recently that He is in total control?  What kinds of things move you to question His control of things?  Is it possible to be afraid and still believe God is in control? (Please elaborate on your answer.)

3.     What kinds of things feel too big or powerful in this world?  When/where is the last time you were overwhelmed by the awesomeness of God and His presence in this world or your life circumstances?  What kinds of things “open your eyes” to God’s surrounding presence (like Elisha’s servant had his eyes opened)?

4.     Is it fair to say it is just human nature to swing back and forth in our faith and trust in God?  Is it encouraging or discouraging to see pillars of the faith like Abraham and Asa swing back and forth in their trust?  Why do our memories get short when our problems get large?

5.     In what ways is your faith/trust in God fragile like a snowflake?  How does the imagery of a snowbank or snowman provide insight for what God wants when He designed us for community?  How have you helped or hindered the ability of people to come together like a snowbank?

6.     The disciples (apprentices) were gathered together with one mind in prayer after Jesus ascended to be with the Father.  Does the Garden Ridge family do enough of this for people to maintain a healthy focus of God and community?  What changes should be made?

7.     What is the craziest or boldest thing you have seen done by someone who bought into the truth that God cannot be stopped?  How do the stories of Gideon, Joshua & Caleb, Jehoshaphat and Moses influence or inspire you?  How would things be different in our community and throughout the world if more people lived sold out to the idea that God cannot be stopped?

8.     How does one balance the fact that God cannot be stopped, but there were still beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, trials, and people martyred for their faith in God in the Book of Acts?  What does this show you about your own walk of faith with the LORD?

9.     Why is it important to see your circumstances through God instead of God through your circumstances?  Who helps you keep things in the right perspective?  Have you thanked them for the role they play in your life lately?

In the Workshop--Lesson 26--The Priority of Love II--Various Passages

Discussion Questions:

1.     Why is washing feet such an important act for Jesus to do just prior to leaving the apostles and calling them to launch out into the streets?  In what ways should we be washing the feet of others? 

2.     How was washing feet an act of reconciliation?  What kinds of things have you done in the past year as a minister of reconciliation? 

3.     How do you see love portrayed in the things Jesus said, in His knowledge, and in the things He did?  What was the struggle the Corinthians had with what they said, knew and did?  Are you more like Jesus or the Corinthians?  Why?

4.     What should we learn from the way Jesus entered our world in surprising ways?  What can we do to be more intentional about meeting people where they are instead of expecting them to come to where we are?  What are some ways we can become better at going beyond our comfort zone for the sake of a ministry of reconciliation?

5.     Why is it important that Jesus saw people instead of crowds?  How have you seen His personal intimate knowledge and touch in your life?  How does busyness get in the way?  How can we become more intentional about seeing people the way Jesus did?

6.     Jesus comes among the fearful and the discouraged in Luke 24 and reveals to each of them how the Scriptures are fulfilled in Him.  How does seeing how the story throughout the Scriptures points to Him help you in times of fear or discouragement?  How can we do a better job of showing this to those around us who are fearful and/or discouraged?

7.     How do the accounts of washing feet and opening minds to help people see how the Scriptures reveal Jesus tie together?  What does this show about God’s desire to be present in our lives?

8.     Moses asked to see more of God.  Why is it important that God did all the work to make this happen (other than Moses seeking it)?  What dangers are there in seeing more of God based upon our work or efforts?  What struggles do you have with following God’s lead instead of trying to set your own path?

9.     How is our way of seeing God the same as Moses’?  Moses literally shone because of His encounter with God.  How have you seen this glow in yourself or others?  Wy are people afraid of this instead of hungry to experience it for themselves?  In what ways have you put a veil over yourself to diminish the glow?