Acts 19

Once again, we have a story about the Holy Spirit coming upon those who have turned their lives to God. What role or purpose does the Holy Spirit play in this story?

Why would someone try to use the name of Jesus to satisfy their own desires or dreams? In what ways might we do the same thing today?

How do people turning to faith impact the nonbelievers they are around? Would you say this is similar or different to what happened here in Ephesus? What reasons do you have for your answer?

Acts 20

Some have said in a tongue-in-cheek way that the story of Eutychus teaches us not to fall asleep in church. Why do you think the story IS included in Acts?

How do you think people would respond to the power of being able to raise people from the dead? Do you think this would help of hinder people coming to faith? In what ways?

How difficult would it have been for Paul to continue his journey knowing that imprisonment or affliction awaited him? Are there ways we face these challenges today and how do we handle them?

Acts 21

Why do you think Paul continues his journey even though other disciples—through the Spirit—were telling Paul not to go? Why would the Spirit tell one person one thing, but someone else something different?

What would it take for you to say you are willing to die for the name of Jesus … and mean it?

In your own words, describe the reception Paul received when he arrived in Jerusalem.

Acts 22

Paul tells his conversion story to the people in Jerusalem. What similarities and/or differences do you find between this telling and what we read in Acts 9?

How do you think you would have responded if God told you to do something completely outside of Christian faith or tradition, such as Paul was told to go to the Gentiles?

What advantages did being a Roman citizen bring Paul?

Acts 23

In what ways did Paul play his accusers against each other when he faced them in the Council?

To us, Paul’s overall message probably seems legitimate and worthwhile. Why would religious people vow not to eat until Paul had been murdered?

What does Claudius Lysias’ letter to Felix tell us about the way Roman authorities viewed Paul? Do you think their view was appropriate? Accurate? Why or why not?

Acts 14

We see here a pattern that is repeated throughout the entire book of Acts: Jewish opposition against the message of Christ and those who preach it. How do you think you would have reacted to this opposition if you had been Paul?

In what ways do you see the church today facing opposition to the message of Jesus and what should or what can we do about it?

Should the miracles the disciples were able to perform have been able to convince the Jews that the disciples and their message were legitimate? Why do you think they did not do so?

Acts 15

In what ways does our past and our desire to continue in the ways things have always been shape the way we move forward toward new faith? In what ways should it affect the future?

How do you think you would have responded to the requirements given by the Jerusalem Council? Is there anything you would have had a problem with? Why or why not?

What lessons can we learn about dealing with conflict from this episode with Paul, Barnabas, John Mark, and Silas?

Acts 16

Who are the people you are encouraging to continue to grow in their faith, including people who may be younger than you? Who can you develop a relationship with in order to work on seeing this happen?

Does it seem odd that the Holy Spirit would tell the disciples NOT to go to Bithynia? Why or why not? In what ways has the Holy Spirit told you “No” to some of the ways you thought you might use to help share the message of Christ?

What are some ways you have seen God act miraculously in the lives of his faithful followers? What was the result of these actions?

Acts 17

What does it say about Paul that he regularly went to the synagogues to preach Jesus, especially given all that had happened to him at the hands of the Jews?

How can we receive the word of God “with eagerness?” What are some specific practices that might demonstrate this earnestness?

In what ways can we use the attitudes or values we see in the people around us as conversation starters when it comes to sharing our faith with them?

Acts 18

In what ways are you ministering to others through the vocation you hold?

How important are people who can travel from place-to-place encouraging followers of Jesus to grow in their faith? How can we support people who do this more?

Apollos represents a “2^nd generation” disciple of Paul’s, that is, someone who was taught by someone who was taught by Paul. How are you developing relationships with people with the idea that your strengthening them will help them strengthen or disciple others?

Acts 9

Having someone breath “murderous threats” against us as Christians is not something we are typically accustomed to or something that happens to us often. How do you think you or other followers of Jesus would react to these circumstances?

The shift from preaching to Jews to preaching to Gentiles was a huge change, unheard of up to this point in the history of God’s people. What other shifts of similar magnitude are you aware of in Christianity? Do you know of anything similar that has happened in your own day and age?

What would it be like to have the kind of power Peter did? What would you do if you had that sort of power? How would you use it?

Acts 10

What does the fact that Cornelius—a Roman soldier—believed in God prior to hearing from Peter tell us about the spread of the gospel?

What laws, rules, or traditions might we hold that God wants us to change in order for people to come to know him better?

What purpose did the Holy Spirit serve in coming down on those who were hearing Peter’s message? What might this tell us about the ways God brings people to him?

Acts 11

Why might the Jewish Christians have had a legitimate concern about the Gentiles hearing—and following—the good news of Jesus?

Is the scattering of the church, as described in this chapter, a good thing, or a bad thing? Why do you say this is the case?

What does it mean to be called a Christian?

Acts 12

How do you think the church today would have responded to church leaders being imprisoned or even killed because of their faith?

How does the church collectively respond to hardships faced by members of our own body? Is earnest prayer one of those responses and in what ways?

Why do you think we are told about the death of Herod, especially the details, here in the book of Acts?

Acts 13

What does this chapter tell us about the importance of prayer and fasting as we seek to be God’s church today? How can we incorporate prayer and fasting more in our regular practices?

In what ways does the Spirit enable you and me to identify and call out evil when we see it?

Summarize Paul’s sermon found in this chapter in a sentence or two.

Acts 4

Why was it Peter and John’s preaching that Jesus was raised from the dead that was so problematic for the priests and other Jewish leaders? How effective was their stand against the preaching of these two?

How is it that ordinary people can speak powerful messages about Jesus? What does this tell you about that message?

Who do you choose to listen to: God or man? How is this choice demonstrated in your daily life?

What is your response when people oppose or challenge your message about Jesus? In what ways is prayer a part of your response?

Acts 5

What do you think was going through Ananias’ (and Sapphira’s) mind as they said they had done one thing when in reality, they had done another? What are some examples of ways we are tempted to do similar things today?

Can you imagine the surprise of the Sadducee’s when they found out that the men they had arrested and put into prison for preaching were miraculously freed and instead of hiding, they were back in the temple continuing to preach?

Why do you think it was so hard for the Jewish leaders to stop trying to squelch the preaching of the apostles, as outmaneuvered as they often seemed to be?

What would it take for you to celebrate suffering dishonor and to consider that suffering as something worthwhile?

Acts 6

What does the way the apostles solved the problem of food distribution tell us about the importance of preaching the word of God? Do we have similar responses today? Why or why not?

Who are individuals you know of whom it can be said often: they are full of the Holy Spirit? What is it in their lives that demonstrate the Spirit in them? Or stated another way: How can you tell they have the Spirit?

How would wisdom and the Spirit help you talk about Jesus more effectively? What sort of things are you doing to get both more wisdom and to be more Spirit filled?

Acts 7

Do you think the high priest regretted giving Stephen the floor to speak? What are some reasons he might have?

What ideas or thoughts in Stephen’s sermon strike you as important for you to remember as you share about Jesus today?

How do you think you would have reacted to being called “stiff-necked” and “uncircumcised?” Given this, why might the Jewish reaction against Stephen not have been so strange after all?

Acts 8

Was the persecution against the church a good thing or a bad thing? Why do you think this to be the case? In what ways might it be good for the church today to face a little persecution?

How does Saul’s back story give credibility to the person he became later in life? Do you think we would accept someone like Saul (pre “Paul”) gladly or with some hesitancy? Why do you say this?

In what ways might God through his Spirit place us in the presence of those who need to hear God’s message or perhaps place them in our presence? In what ways would you say you have seen this in your life? Any examples you can give?