Group Guide
This Week's City 7:
5. Why do I follow Jesus? I follow Jesus because Jesus rose from the dead proving that He is the way, the truth and the life.
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
Ice-Breaker:
Spiritually speaking, what are you most looking forward to this semester?
Discussion Questions:
Have someone read Acts 16:16-40 aloud.
- In Acts 16, Paul and Silas encounter a slave girl that can tell the future through the power of an evil spirit. Demonic spirits possess real spiritual power. In fact, behind every false religion there is a real evil demonic spirit that is counterfeit to the real thing. It is a demonic power that wants to lead people away from the real thing. This is why it's critical for us to never entertain any other religious practices, ideologies, or even trinkets that pay homage to any other religions. This is polytheism. But we know there is only one true God and only one way to get to Him... and that's through Jesus. He is the only way to the only God. We must be vigilant and keep these demonic powers out of our lives. Why might it be a bad idea to have a statue of Buddha or other trinkets from false religions in your house? What are some other examples of ways some people might toy with false religions or demonic powers?
- Once again, a mob rises up against Paul and he and Silas are arrested, stripped, severely beaten and imprisoned. Paul HAS to be thinking, "God, I came here because you told me to! What in the world is going on here?" His obedience led directly to his suffering. But how did Paul and Silas respond? Did they sulk or complain or shake their fists at God? Quite the contrary. They SANG... to GOD. They prayed and worshiped right there in their chains, and EVERYONE heard them. Put yourself in their shoes? How would YOU respond in that moment. What is your typical response when things don't go your way and you have to endure some sort of suffering?
- In the midst of their impromptu prison prayer and worship service, God frees them from their chains. Not only did the other prisoners see all this, but the jailer, after seeing how they suffered and still sang... he saw the power of God and asked them what he needed to do to be saved. God saved him along with his entire household! At this moment it must have become clear to Paul why he had to endure all this suffering...to bring glory to God and to bring lost people to Jesus. How might the way YOU respond to difficulty and suffering in your own life point people to Jesus? Do you have any examples of how God has done this in your life in the past?
- The first takeaway from Sunday was that God meets you WHERE you are, but doesn't leave you the WAY you are. So far in these last few verses, God has saved a successful businesswoman who had it all, a slave girl in the darkest of bondages, and an aggressive, angry jailer. God met each of them right where they were and then radically transformed them through the power of the gospel. Look back at your life. How has God done this same miracle in you? Where was it that He found you? What kinds of transformation has He done in your life?
- The next takeaway was that worship may not change your OUTCOME, but it will always change your OUTLOOK. This is an undeniable truth! It is impossible for us to be in God's presence and to come out unchanged. God's presence in our lives might not change our circumstances, but it will ALWAYS, 100% of the time, change our perspective. This is why worship is such a powerful weapon against the enemy. Are you in a season of difficulty and suffering? What might how you respond in the midst of suffering say about your level of spiritual maturity? What might praising in the midst of pain do for your relationship with God? Do you need a shift in your perspective?
Prayer Topics:
- That we would learn to sing in the midst of our suffering.
- That God would use our response to suffering to point people back to Jesus.
- That we would allow God to change our outlook.
1 Comment
Thank you Jesus for City Groups and for the opportunity to come together in this way.