Acts 25 & 26

Tonight we bit off two chapters instead of one, mostly because chapter 25 doesn't make much ssense to stand alone without 26. So we took a look at both chapters. The short version...Paul has to give account for his actions to Festus and hisbuddies. Paul used it as a great opportunity to share the message of Jesus. Listen to the podcast if you like. Here are the discussion topics that we started with. Please join in and share in the discussion...

Have we dealt with our past? Have we learned from Paul that God can forgive and redeem our past choices and use them for his purposes?

Paul has kept his eye on the mission and shared the message of Jesus with his ever-changing audience. Do we look at our circumstances as an opportunity to share Jesus with others?

Paul saw with a different set of lenses than we typically do. He saw his true identity in spite of his circumstances. What do we learn from this and how do we move forward with new eyes?

What other questions does this raise?

Acts 24

We continued with the walk through the book of Acts. tonight. Paul seems to always find trouble or trouble always seems to find him. This chapter is no different. Give it a read. Here were our starting points for discussion:

As in chapter 23, we see God using the Romans to provide protection from the Jews and move Paul closer to Rome. Is God using unlikely people and circumstances around you to further His plan. Is God using you in the lives of others and are you willing?

In the midst of all of this conflict, Paul continues to share the message of Jesus with others. Are you continuing to share that message in your times of conflict and in your routine living?

Felix puts off the hearing of Paul’s message. “Don’t call me, I’ll call you.” He puts off God. Are you doing this?

What other questions does this raise?

Good discussion. Let's continue it here...

Acts 23

Acts 23 was the text this week. Paul is carrying out his mission with the help of some unlikely sources. Read the chapter, check out these thoughts, and continue the conversation here:

Paul is the picture of courage in the face of adversity. How do we deal with adversity and what can we learn from Paul and his experiences?

Do we sometimes get caught up in quarrels over lesser topics to the detriment of the more important? Why is that and how do we overcome this?

God continues to use unlikely people and circumstances to further his plans. Are we open to these unlikely people and circumstances as God works around us?

What other questions does this raise?

Acts 21:37-22:30

Acts 21:37-22:30. We're straddling two chapters here. We continued the story of Paul's arrest in Jerusalem which we saw in the first part of chapter 21. Here Paul addresses the crowd and incites another riot. In the midst of this we see the Jews get ticked off. It all stems from verse 21. Listen to the podcast for more background on the story. Here's what we talked about:

How have we neglected our mission as followers of Jesus? Does this cause us to resent those who fulfill the mission?

What “word” might set us off like the Jews? Where do we ungraciously draw the line?

What other questions or insights does this raise?

Great discussion tonight. Let's continue our thoughts here...