The Book of Acts: To the Ends of the Earth - Week 5

LLMC Sermon Series

Text: Acts 2:42–47
Topic(s): Church, Community, Fellowship, Prayer, Generosity
Big Idea of the Message: When the church was born through the Holy Spirit, the believers began to live differently and to devote themselves to God, his mission, and his church. This is our purpose: to be an alternate community of God’s grace in the world.
Application Point: As we continually devote ourselves to God and to one another, God will draw people into his kingdom.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is one thing that stood out to you from this week’s message?
2. When have you made a huge change in your life? It might be an event (a move, a marriage, a job) or a decision (habits or practices added or eliminated). How did that change things for you?
3. How did love radically alter the way the early believers lived?
4. In this passage, we learn that the four marks of the church are the apostles’ teaching, the common life of those who believe, the breaking of bread, and the prayers. How do these four practices mark your life, your family, and your community?
5. What steps can you take (motivated by God’s love!) to live more in step with the Christian way of life together?
6. How can we pray for you?
Here are the Foundations for Interpretation we are using. These are outlined by Larry W Caldwell, Doing Interpretation!: Making the Bible Come Alive for Yourself and Your People.
The Bible is Authoritative
God Communicates His Truth To Us Through the Bible
Jesus is the Heart of the Bible
The Holy Spirit Guides Bible Interpretation
Bible Interpretation is Best Done in Community
Bible Interpretation is Living and Active
The Purpose is to make Disciples of Jesus
The Seven Steps of Interpretation (Again Caldwell's book):
Step 1: What kind of literary form is this Bible passage and what are the implications of this?
Step 2: What are the contextual boundaries of this Bible passage?
Step 3: What was God saying through this Bible passage to the original audience back then?
Step 4: What is the general principle that God had in mind through this Bible passage for all peoples and all cultures?
Step 5: What is God saying through this Bible passage to you today?
Step 6: What is God saying through this Bible passage to your community of believers today?
Step 7: How will you communicate the truths of this?

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