GROUP STUDY QUESTIONS
WEEK 1(APRIL 19-25)
VERSE FOR MEDITATION
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. ACTS 1:8
OPENING THOUGHT
From the waiting on Christ’s promises in the Upper Room to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church, the Apostles and disciples were marked by prayer. As the Spirit empowered them to witness, prayer united them to God.
Communicating with God is at the heart of our faith. Seventeenth-century monk Brother Lawrence once expressed, “There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God.” Henri Nouwen, in his book Clowning in Rome, agrees and locates that continual conversation within our thoughts and prayers:
Our prayer can only become unceasing communion when all our thoughts—beautiful or ugly, high or low, proud or shameful, sorrowful or joyful—can be thought in the presence of [God]…our unceasing thinking is converted to unceasing prayer moving us from a self-centered monologue to a God centered dialogue.
It is in our constant thoughts and prayers about God and toward God that we hear from
Him. For those abiding in Christ, God speaks into our inner person. He addresses us through our thoughts, in our spirit. Proverbs 20:27 describes the role of our spirit, our inner person: “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” God, in our thoughts, sheds light on our lives and guides our way. This is what it means to hear from God and to discern His will.
A Christian’s thought life is a channel for communicating with God—where He brings things to our attention. In the inner person, we hear from God and respond to His call.
While prayer can be a list of requests each morning or a blessing before each meal, it can also be more. It can be a constant dialogue. This must have been the case for the Apostles and disciples as they anticipated Christ’s departure during His last 40 days on earth, as they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Imagine the group sharing those individual thoughts and prayers as they gathered in the Upper Room. Think how it might have encouraged them in their waiting.
QUESTIONS
Read Acts 1:1-14 and answer the following questions.
- Christ instructed His followers to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promised Holy Spirit (v. 4). What impact does waiting have on promises? What is the benefit of waiting with others?
- The Spirit gives power to witness (v. 8). How is witnessing related to discipleship (Matt. 28:19)? How does discipleship create movements of multiplication?
- Verses 13-14 go to great lengths to list out all who were there in the Upper Room. What does this mean for prayer as personal thought life? What are the implications for sharing and praying together as a group?
- The Spirit is central to being guided by prayer. What do John 16:13 and Romans 8:26 say about the Spirit’s role in seeking God’s will for us personally and for the Church?
Read Acts 1:15-26 and answer the following questions.
- The Apostles and the Prophets were the foundation of the Church. It would not be inaugurated without a complete circle of 12, representing the 12 tribes of Israel (Luke 22:28-30). How do you view church leadership? To what extent have you considered the weight of this calling? Should ministry be only left to the “professionals?” What kind of leadership is expected of church members?
- Jewish understanding held that all outcomes regarding choice were determined by God and that the ancient practice of casting lots (v. 26) was a common way of affirming that divine decision. How does the coming of the Spirit affect the way we now, in contrast to Old
Testament methods, seek guidance?
ACTIONS TO CONSIDER
- What thoughts do you need to take captive (2 Cor. 10:5) this week in order to hear God address you through the renewing of your mind?
- Over this series, what actions will you consider toward movements of multiplication?
- How can you pray for, serve or encourage the church leadership this week?
Find more at: faithpointum.org/acts