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Southside Church of Christ, Lexington, KY
Episodes
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Acts 21:37-22:11
37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" "Do you speak Greek?" he replied. 38 "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?" 39 Paul answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people." 40 Having received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: 1 Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense." 2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: 3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of your are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. 6 "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' 8 " 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. " 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 10 " 'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. " 'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. (NIV 84)
37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" "Do you speak Greek?" he replied. 38 "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?" 39 Paul answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people." 40 Having received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: 1 Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense." 2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: 3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of your are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. 6 "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' 8 " 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. " 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 10 " 'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. " 'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. (NIV 84)
FROM THE LESSON
Dagger men - the word translated "terrorists" or "assassins" in Acts 21:38 is literally the word for "dagger." This was a group of violent Jewish revolutionaries who received their name from their practice of carrying daggers under their cloaks. They were trained to stab someone to death and then slip away unnoticed.
Not the right time - stop letting circumstances determine the right time and instead start trusting the Lord to make the time right.
The content of Paul's witness - there are two parts in this text.
1 Verses 1-11 - Paul is a witness to His experience of Jesus Christ
2 Verses 12-21 - Paul is a witness to His obedience to Jesus Christ
2 Corinthians 4:4-6 - “The god of this age – that is Satan – has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as the risen Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For it is God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness” and God made his light shine into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Dagger men - the word translated "terrorists" or "assassins" in Acts 21:38 is literally the word for "dagger." This was a group of violent Jewish revolutionaries who received their name from their practice of carrying daggers under their cloaks. They were trained to stab someone to death and then slip away unnoticed.
Not the right time - stop letting circumstances determine the right time and instead start trusting the Lord to make the time right.
The content of Paul's witness - there are two parts in this text.
1 Verses 1-11 - Paul is a witness to His experience of Jesus Christ
2 Verses 12-21 - Paul is a witness to His obedience to Jesus Christ
2 Corinthians 4:4-6 - “The god of this age – that is Satan – has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as the risen Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For it is God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness” and God made his light shine into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Icebreaker - have you ever been told that you have a doppelgänger? Have you ever been mistaken for someone else? Share an example or a story with your group.
2 If you had to rate on a scale of 1-10, your willingness to be a witness, how would you rate yourself? Discuss your answer with the group. Stop and pray for the Lord to give us the willingness to witness.
3 Before you share your experience, you must first connect with your audience. Read Acts 22:1-5 and make note of all the ways Paul connects with his audience. Where do you already have a connection with your audience? List out people in your life who do not know Jesus who you already have a connection.
4 How would you describe your conversion experience? Try to put it into your own words. How would you answer these questions: How have you encountered the glory of Jesus Christ? How have you experienced the grace of the risen Lord Jesus?
1 Icebreaker - have you ever been told that you have a doppelgänger? Have you ever been mistaken for someone else? Share an example or a story with your group.
2 If you had to rate on a scale of 1-10, your willingness to be a witness, how would you rate yourself? Discuss your answer with the group. Stop and pray for the Lord to give us the willingness to witness.
3 Before you share your experience, you must first connect with your audience. Read Acts 22:1-5 and make note of all the ways Paul connects with his audience. Where do you already have a connection with your audience? List out people in your life who do not know Jesus who you already have a connection.
4 How would you describe your conversion experience? Try to put it into your own words. How would you answer these questions: How have you encountered the glory of Jesus Christ? How have you experienced the grace of the risen Lord Jesus?
Sunday Jul 28, 2024
Sunday Jul 28, 2024
Acts 21:27-36
27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, 28 shouting, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place." 29 (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple area.) 30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. 35 When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, "Away with him!" (NIV 84)
27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, 28 shouting, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place." 29 (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple area.) 30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. 35 When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, "Away with him!" (NIV 84)
FROM THE LESSON
"The best laid schemes of mice and men, go oft awry." A quote from Robert Burns'I poem titled "To A Mouse." According to legend, he penned these words after accidentally destroying a mouse's nest while ploughing the fields at his farm.
Keep Out - Archaeologists have discovered some of the actual signs that hung on the wall the separated the inner court from the outer court of the temple area. These words were inscribed on them: "“No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary. Anyone who is caught so doing will have himself to blame for their ensuing death.”
In Chains - For the last quarter of the book of Acts, from Acts 21:33 to the end of the book (seven chapters), Paul will be in chains.
Witness - the word translated as witness in the New Testament is the Greek word, martus. Because of the way the disciples would bear witness to Jesus in their suffering and even in their death, the word that simply means to witness in the Greek language would become the source of the English word, martyr. This word describes a person who suffers death for being a witness to their faith.
"The best laid schemes of mice and men, go oft awry." A quote from Robert Burns'I poem titled "To A Mouse." According to legend, he penned these words after accidentally destroying a mouse's nest while ploughing the fields at his farm.
Keep Out - Archaeologists have discovered some of the actual signs that hung on the wall the separated the inner court from the outer court of the temple area. These words were inscribed on them: "“No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary. Anyone who is caught so doing will have himself to blame for their ensuing death.”
In Chains - For the last quarter of the book of Acts, from Acts 21:33 to the end of the book (seven chapters), Paul will be in chains.
Witness - the word translated as witness in the New Testament is the Greek word, martus. Because of the way the disciples would bear witness to Jesus in their suffering and even in their death, the word that simply means to witness in the Greek language would become the source of the English word, martyr. This word describes a person who suffers death for being a witness to their faith.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Icebreaker - when you hear the saying, "best laid plans," does an illustration or an example from your own life come to your mind? Share with the group.
2 The "event" of Paul's witness is suffering. "It's in our darkest moments, hottest fires, and deepest pain that we have the greatest opportunity to share the gospel." Discuss how our suffering provides us with a unique platform to be a witness.
3 The gospel provides us with a lens to view our suffering through. The world does not have this lens and so when they see suffering they ask the question, where is God in our suffering? But we have the lens of the gospel and so when we see suffering, we don't ask where is God, but proclaim there is God in our suffering. Jesus meets us in our suffering. Discuss this gospel reality with your group.
4 "All of us can be a witness to Christ through our mundane and daily trials." Have you ever thought about your mundane and daily trials as an opportunity to be a witness to Jesus Christ? What might it look like in your life to bear witness to Christ in your mundane and daily trials?
1 Icebreaker - when you hear the saying, "best laid plans," does an illustration or an example from your own life come to your mind? Share with the group.
2 The "event" of Paul's witness is suffering. "It's in our darkest moments, hottest fires, and deepest pain that we have the greatest opportunity to share the gospel." Discuss how our suffering provides us with a unique platform to be a witness.
3 The gospel provides us with a lens to view our suffering through. The world does not have this lens and so when they see suffering they ask the question, where is God in our suffering? But we have the lens of the gospel and so when we see suffering, we don't ask where is God, but proclaim there is God in our suffering. Jesus meets us in our suffering. Discuss this gospel reality with your group.
4 "All of us can be a witness to Christ through our mundane and daily trials." Have you ever thought about your mundane and daily trials as an opportunity to be a witness to Jesus Christ? What might it look like in your life to bear witness to Christ in your mundane and daily trials?
Sunday Jul 21, 2024
Sunday Jul 14, 2024
Sunday Jul 14, 2024
Acts 21:17-26
17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. 26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them. (NIV 84)
17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. 26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them. (NIV 84)
FROM THE LESSON
1 Corinthians 9:19-23: "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.
To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.
To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.
I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."
Witness: "A witness is someone who sees or experiences something important for others to know about. Used as a verb, as in to witness or to bear witness, it just means to tell others about what you saw or experienced (John Mark Comer)."
Extent of Witness: The extent of Paul's witness was to "all" people. Can the church be made up of all people - all ethnicities, all races, all socio-economic levels, all ages, all backgrounds - can we set aside our differences and unite together in Jesus Christ?
Intent of Witness: The intent of Paul's witness was to bring people to Jesus in order to gain a brother or sister in Christ. The word translated "to win" is actually an economic word which means to gain or to profit from an investment.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23: "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.
To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.
To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.
I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."
Witness: "A witness is someone who sees or experiences something important for others to know about. Used as a verb, as in to witness or to bear witness, it just means to tell others about what you saw or experienced (John Mark Comer)."
Extent of Witness: The extent of Paul's witness was to "all" people. Can the church be made up of all people - all ethnicities, all races, all socio-economic levels, all ages, all backgrounds - can we set aside our differences and unite together in Jesus Christ?
Intent of Witness: The intent of Paul's witness was to bring people to Jesus in order to gain a brother or sister in Christ. The word translated "to win" is actually an economic word which means to gain or to profit from an investment.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Icebreaker - practice being a "witness" with your group. Spend a few moments sharing with your group about something significant that you have seen or experienced in the last month.
2 What do you think about when you hear the term "witness?" What are your initial thoughts? How might you be His witness this week? What would that look like?
3 In 1 Corinthians 9:22, Paul writes, "I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some." This is the extent of his witness. Discuss this statement with your group.
4 In 1 Corinthians 9:19, Paul writes, "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible." This is the intent of his witness. Discuss this statement with your group.
5 A core value of Southside is "to be relevant in an ever-changing culture with the never-changing message of Jesus." The goal is to have cultural sensitivity and yet to maintain gospel integrity. Discuss how Paul and James attempt this delicate balance in the predominantly Jewish Christian church in Jerusalem.
1 Icebreaker - practice being a "witness" with your group. Spend a few moments sharing with your group about something significant that you have seen or experienced in the last month.
2 What do you think about when you hear the term "witness?" What are your initial thoughts? How might you be His witness this week? What would that look like?
3 In 1 Corinthians 9:22, Paul writes, "I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some." This is the extent of his witness. Discuss this statement with your group.
4 In 1 Corinthians 9:19, Paul writes, "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible." This is the intent of his witness. Discuss this statement with your group.
5 A core value of Southside is "to be relevant in an ever-changing culture with the never-changing message of Jesus." The goal is to have cultural sensitivity and yet to maintain gospel integrity. Discuss how Paul and James attempt this delicate balance in the predominantly Jewish Christian church in Jerusalem.
Sunday Jul 07, 2024
Sunday Jun 30, 2024
Sunday Jun 30, 2024
Acts 21:1-14
1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing through to the south of it, we sailed to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem. 5 But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. 7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. 8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. 10 After we had been there for a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” (NIV 84)
1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing through to the south of it, we sailed to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem. 5 But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. 7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. 8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. 10 After we had been there for a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” (NIV 84)
FROM THE LESSON
William Willimon: “This notion that only good things happen to faithful people was put to rest on a Friday afternoon at Calvary.”
William Willimon: “This notion that only good things happen to faithful people was put to rest on a Friday afternoon at Calvary.”
Paul’s perspective on suffering: He did not view adversity as an oddity, instead he viewed adversity as an opportunity.
Paul’s four responses to suffering:
1 Adversity is an opportunity for conformity.
2 Adversity is an opportunity for community.
3 Adversity is an opportunity for Christianity.
4 Adversity is an opportunity for clarity.
2 Adversity is an opportunity for community.
3 Adversity is an opportunity for Christianity.
4 Adversity is an opportunity for clarity.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Icebreaker - can you think of any other examples from the Old Testament when a prophet acted out the word of God for the people of God? Share with the group your favorite example.
1 Icebreaker - can you think of any other examples from the Old Testament when a prophet acted out the word of God for the people of God? Share with the group your favorite example.
2 Have you ever asked the Father to give you a spirit of resolve like Jesus or like Paul on their way to Jerusalem? What kind of character traits can only be learned and developed through adversity?
3 We must never go down a difficult road alone. Share an example when you experienced the importance of community during adversity.
4 Following the example of Paul in verse 13, how might you fill in this blank this morning, “I am ready to __________ for the name of the Lord Jesus.”?
5 When you pray for “the Lord’s will to be done” what does that mean to you?
Sunday Jun 23, 2024
Sunday Jun 23, 2024
Acts 20:32-38
32 Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' 36 When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. (NIV 84)
32 Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' 36 When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. (NIV 84)
FROM THE LESSON
The supreme beatitude - Pastor and author, Dr. Earl Pierce, called these words of Jesus the "supreme beatitude" because unlike the other beatitudes found in the New Testament, this one tells us that we are more blessed.
It is blessed to receive - "Faith is empty hands held open for God to fill."
It is not blessed to want what others have received - When we are content with what we do have, then we will not covet what we don't have.
It is more blessed to live to give - "A disciple is someone who has moved from being the recipient of the church's mission to being responsible for the church's mission."
The supreme beatitude - Pastor and author, Dr. Earl Pierce, called these words of Jesus the "supreme beatitude" because unlike the other beatitudes found in the New Testament, this one tells us that we are more blessed.
It is blessed to receive - "Faith is empty hands held open for God to fill."
It is not blessed to want what others have received - When we are content with what we do have, then we will not covet what we don't have.
It is more blessed to live to give - "A disciple is someone who has moved from being the recipient of the church's mission to being responsible for the church's mission."
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Icebreaker - can you remember a recent question that you have asked Google? Share with the group.
2 Are you a good receiver? Read verse 32. It is absolutely necessary for salvation that you are a good receiver. Discuss this statement with your group. Ask the Lord to help you become a good receiver.
3 Read verse 33 and then ask this question to yourself: Can I honestly and genuinely say as Paul does here that I do not want what someone else has? Instead of Paul's three examples, come up with your own examples that might actually tempt you.
4 Read verse 34-35. Based on Jesus' teaching in verse 35, Paul believed it was more blessed to live to give. What can you learn from his example in these verses?
1 Icebreaker - can you remember a recent question that you have asked Google? Share with the group.
2 Are you a good receiver? Read verse 32. It is absolutely necessary for salvation that you are a good receiver. Discuss this statement with your group. Ask the Lord to help you become a good receiver.
3 Read verse 33 and then ask this question to yourself: Can I honestly and genuinely say as Paul does here that I do not want what someone else has? Instead of Paul's three examples, come up with your own examples that might actually tempt you.
4 Read verse 34-35. Based on Jesus' teaching in verse 35, Paul believed it was more blessed to live to give. What can you learn from his example in these verses?
Monday Jun 17, 2024
Monday Jun 17, 2024
Acts 20:28-31
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. (NIV 84)
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. (NIV 84)
FROM THE LESSON
The farewell speech - this speech given by Paul to the elders at Ephesus it is a kind of speech that is very familiar in Scripture. We have farewell speeches given by Moses, Joshua, and Jesus. The purpose of a speech like this one is for the leader who is giving the speech to review his life as an example for the others to follow.
Put your oxygen mask on first - this phrase is always shared by a flight attendant during pre-flight instructions. In case of a change in cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop down from above your seat, and if you are traveling with children, then you are instructed to put your oxygen mask on first before helping your child.
Choose to cheat - this phrase is from pastor/author Andy Stanley. It means that you should choose who you are going to cheat because you are going to cheat someone. Someone is going to be cheated of your time and effort. It is not about better time management. Because there are only so many hours in a day, someone is going to be cheated. Who is it going to be?
The farewell speech - this speech given by Paul to the elders at Ephesus it is a kind of speech that is very familiar in Scripture. We have farewell speeches given by Moses, Joshua, and Jesus. The purpose of a speech like this one is for the leader who is giving the speech to review his life as an example for the others to follow.
Put your oxygen mask on first - this phrase is always shared by a flight attendant during pre-flight instructions. In case of a change in cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop down from above your seat, and if you are traveling with children, then you are instructed to put your oxygen mask on first before helping your child.
Choose to cheat - this phrase is from pastor/author Andy Stanley. It means that you should choose who you are going to cheat because you are going to cheat someone. Someone is going to be cheated of your time and effort. It is not about better time management. Because there are only so many hours in a day, someone is going to be cheated. Who is it going to be?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Icebreaker - do you have a crazy story about something that happened to you at the airport? Share with the group.
2 In verse 28, Paul reminds them to "keep watch over yourselves." In between the Holy Spirit's compelling them to serve and the words of Jesus convicting them to sacrifice, Paul reminds them to "keep watch over yourselves." Discuss your thoughts about this reminder with your group.
3 The instruction to "put your oxygen mask on first" is not just good instruction on an airplane but serves as a good metaphor of taking care of yourself so that you will be in a better position to help others. Talk about how you have seen this to be true in your life.
4 The phrase used by Andy Stanley is "choose to cheat." It is a call to intentionally order your life in such a way that your job is last in priority. It isn't a call to not work hard at your job, but it is a call to not prioritize your work over the important relationships in your life. Discuss this principle with your group.
1 Icebreaker - do you have a crazy story about something that happened to you at the airport? Share with the group.
2 In verse 28, Paul reminds them to "keep watch over yourselves." In between the Holy Spirit's compelling them to serve and the words of Jesus convicting them to sacrifice, Paul reminds them to "keep watch over yourselves." Discuss your thoughts about this reminder with your group.
3 The instruction to "put your oxygen mask on first" is not just good instruction on an airplane but serves as a good metaphor of taking care of yourself so that you will be in a better position to help others. Talk about how you have seen this to be true in your life.
4 The phrase used by Andy Stanley is "choose to cheat." It is a call to intentionally order your life in such a way that your job is last in priority. It isn't a call to not work hard at your job, but it is a call to not prioritize your work over the important relationships in your life. Discuss this principle with your group.
Sunday Jun 09, 2024
Sunday Jun 09, 2024
Acts 20:17-27
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. 25 Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. (NIV 84)
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. 25 Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. (NIV 84)
FROM THE LESSON
The farewell speech - this speech given by Paul to the elders at Ephesus it is a kind of speech that is very familiar in Scripture. We have farewell speeches given by Moses, Joshua, and Jesus. The purpose of a speech like this one is for the leader who is giving the speech to review his life as an example for the others to follow.
Servant - literally it is the Greek word "doulos" that can be translated as "slave." For Paul, embracing the life of a servant is what Christianity is all about.
Compelled by the Spirit - literally this phrase means "bound by the Spirit" (NLT) or "constrained by the Spirit" (ESV)
Three characteristics of a Servant:
1 The servant is compelled to speak without hesitation (verse 20, 27)
2 The servant is compelled to go without consideration (verse 24)
3 The servant is compelled to live without resignation (verse 24)
The farewell speech - this speech given by Paul to the elders at Ephesus it is a kind of speech that is very familiar in Scripture. We have farewell speeches given by Moses, Joshua, and Jesus. The purpose of a speech like this one is for the leader who is giving the speech to review his life as an example for the others to follow.
Servant - literally it is the Greek word "doulos" that can be translated as "slave." For Paul, embracing the life of a servant is what Christianity is all about.
Compelled by the Spirit - literally this phrase means "bound by the Spirit" (NLT) or "constrained by the Spirit" (ESV)
Three characteristics of a Servant:
1 The servant is compelled to speak without hesitation (verse 20, 27)
2 The servant is compelled to go without consideration (verse 24)
3 The servant is compelled to live without resignation (verse 24)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Icebreaker - can you recall a time that you participated in a gathering like the one between Paul and the Ephesians elders? A time when you got together with a group one last time prior to someone being gone for a significant amount of time? What was the occasion? Share the details with your group.
2 If you were asked to summarize your Christian life into one sentence so that someone else could follow your example, what would that one sentence be? Spend some time with this individually and try to summarize it in a sentence. Then share these sentences with your group.
3 Paul summarized his life in this way in verse 19: I served the Lord with great humility. For Paul, embracing the life of a servant is what His life was all about. Discuss this summary with your group. How does this summary of Paul's life influence your life? How is it an example for you to follow?
4 In verse 22, Paul writes that he was "compelled" by the Spirit. Have you ever felt compelled by the Spirit to serve the Lord in some way? The word literally means "bound" and "constrained." Talk about this understanding of the word with your group.
5 Three characteristics of a servant that the Holy Spirit compels us to embrace are listed above. Which one of these characteristics encouraged you this morning?
1 Icebreaker - can you recall a time that you participated in a gathering like the one between Paul and the Ephesians elders? A time when you got together with a group one last time prior to someone being gone for a significant amount of time? What was the occasion? Share the details with your group.
2 If you were asked to summarize your Christian life into one sentence so that someone else could follow your example, what would that one sentence be? Spend some time with this individually and try to summarize it in a sentence. Then share these sentences with your group.
3 Paul summarized his life in this way in verse 19: I served the Lord with great humility. For Paul, embracing the life of a servant is what His life was all about. Discuss this summary with your group. How does this summary of Paul's life influence your life? How is it an example for you to follow?
4 In verse 22, Paul writes that he was "compelled" by the Spirit. Have you ever felt compelled by the Spirit to serve the Lord in some way? The word literally means "bound" and "constrained." Talk about this understanding of the word with your group.
5 Three characteristics of a servant that the Holy Spirit compels us to embrace are listed above. Which one of these characteristics encouraged you this morning?
Monday Jun 03, 2024
Monday Jun 03, 2024
Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (NIV 84)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (NIV 84)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 What do you think about being "predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son"?
1 What do you think about being "predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son"?
2 In John 5:36-40 how do these words strike you: "...yet you refuse to come to me to have life?" What have you seen and heard which compels you to follow Jesus?
3 "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven." What do yo think about that line? What might have initially prompted someone to say that?
4 Take a look at these three statement (from Dallas Willard). How is this challenging to you?
Jesus never taught that we can decide to just enjoy forgiveness at his expense and have nothing more to do with him.
If we don't become disciples, we remain locked in defeat as far as moral intentions are concerned.
Only avid discipleship to Jesus through the Holy Spirit brings inward transformation to our thoughts, feelings, character.
5 What do you think about this line: "Satan is drastically shortening the distance between temptation and participation by doing everything he can to keep our senses in a state of awakeness." (from Beth Moore)
6 When has following Jesus been difficult for you recently?