Group Guide
This Week's City 7:
6. Is the Bible God’s Word? Jesus proved He is God by rising from the dead and said the Old Testament was God’s Word and gave authority to the Apostles to write the words of the New Testament, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that all the words of the Bible are God’s Word.
(Matthew 5:18; Luke 24:27, 44; John 14:25-26, 15:27, 16:12-13, 17:20; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21)
(Matthew 5:18; Luke 24:27, 44; John 14:25-26, 15:27, 16:12-13, 17:20; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21)
Ice-Breaker:
Ever been deep sea fishing? On a cruise? Are you unnerved by the open water or no?
Scripture:
For time's sake we'll skip the scripture reading that covered all of Acts 27.
Discussion Questions:
- In Acts 27, Paul sets sail for Rome after appealing his case to Caesar. He, along with a couple of friends, other prisoners, Roman soldiers and sailers end up on board a cargo ship. They eventually find themselves being battered by a massive storm. We all go through our own storms in life, but they can serve a purpose if we let them. The first thing storms do is they CRUSH your COMFORT. Let's be honest... comfort is what we want most in life! But very rarely do comfort and obedience go together. Stepping out in faith ALWAYS involved a certain level of discomfort and uneasiness. In fact, if you're never uncomfortable, you probably aren't very obedient. When was the last time you were uncomfortably obedient?
- Storms CHANGE your VALUES... in a good way! All of the sudden, things that USED to be important just aren't anymore. Yesterday's priorities and concerns and problems just don't quite seem of the same importance. We've all experienced this one. But storms also CREATE OPPORTUNITIES. When you go through a storm in life, people are watching you. They're waiting to see how you, as a Christian, are going to react and respond. Storms are opportunities for you to reveal to the world in what, or in whom, you really trust. Do you trust in the God you say you serve? Because, if not, the storm will find you out. What do people observe in YOUR life when you are in the middle of a storm? What was a storm you went through the rearranged your priorities in life?
- It seems that Paul was one of the only ones on that ship that had it together and wasn't freaking out. Was he afraid? Sure, but something kept him reassured and full of trust in God. Paul had three anchors in his storm. The first was the anchor of OWNERSHIP. In verse 23, as he told his shipmates of his vision, he mentioned that he belonged to God. Paul remembered that he he served God, and God never forgets those who belong to Him and serve Him. In those moments of fear, God was more real to Paul than the storm was. Are you a Christian? Then you have an anchor. He sees you. He knows you. He's with you. Sometimes we need to be reminded that FAITH isn't the absence of FEAR... it's trusting in a faithful God in SPITE of the fear. If we stay stuck until the fear subsides, what need do we have for faith? Is there a situation in your life right now where fear is keeping you from moving forward in your relationship with God?
- The second anchor Paul had was the anchor of SERVICE. Again, in verse 23, Paul said that he not only belonged to God, but he also SERVED him. He was on a mission from God, and when you're on a mission with Him that means He's not done with you. God knows our end date, we don't. Paul knew this very well. In fact, he goes on to write in his letter to the church in Corinth that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. In other words, he's cool with dying because that means he can be with Jesus. But he knows he can't because his work on earth isn't finished. God still had a mission for him. This should relieve some pressure from us and bring us courage! Our lives are like a mist. We live for HIS Kingdom, not ours. Our eyes should be fixed on eternity, not just the wind and waves around us. Are you on HIS mission or YOURS? Because your answer to that question will go a long way to determine how you handle the storm and how you come out of the other side. If you truly lived with an eternal mindset, how might this affect your perspective on the storms in your life?
- Paul's final anchor was TRUST. In verse 25, he said the he believes God... not believes IN God. He BELIEVES Him. We have to develop such a trust in God that we can have peace no matter the storm we are going through. We have to have a trust that is in Him alone and not in our desired outcome. Sometimes in storms we get angry. We question God and we have doubts. But God can handle all that! You will go through storms in you life. All God asks is that you trust him. What storm are you currently facing? If it doesn't end the way you want it to, do you still trust that God is faithful?
Prayer Topics:
- That we would learn to be anchored in Him during life's storms.
- That we would trust even when we don't understand.
- That the world would see Jesus in us during the worst moments of our lives.
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