Week 1 – We Are Sent

Week 2 – We Pray and Are Spirit-Filled

Week 3 – We Share Jesus

Week 4 – We Grow

Week 5 – We Stand Strong

Week 6 - We Work Together

Week 7 – We Believe in Changed LIves

Week 8 – We Cross Boundaries | Baptism Celebration Weekend

Week 9 – We Keep Going

1. When you hear the phrase “the church,” what immediately comes to mind? How might your understanding change if you truly saw yourself and the people around you as the church, rather than thinking primarily of a building, worship service, or pastors?

2. The early church was marked by “passionate spirituality”—a life oriented UP toward God.
   What does passionate spirituality look like in everyday life? Where do you currently feel most connected to God, and where might God be inviting you to pursue Him more intentionally?

3. The early believers practiced radical community—living IN deep relationship with one another. What do you think makes Christian community “radical” rather than simply being friendly people who attend the same church? What would it look like for our group to share more honestly, sacrificially, and intentionally with one another?

4. The early believers had a “missional zeal”—being so captivated by what God is doing that we want to join His mission in the world. Where do you see God already at work in your neighborhood, workplace, family, or community? Who might God be inviting you to notice, love, serve, or reach?

5. Acts shows God using ordinary people, filled with the Holy Spirit, to reconcile and restore the world. If we are the church and the church is God’s Plan A, what is one specific step UP, IN, or OUT that God may be asking you to take this week

1. Acts 2:1–4 describes the Holy Spirit coming upon the believers in a powerful and unmistakable way. What does it mean to you that, as followers of Jesus, the Holy Spirit doesn't simply visit us but dwells within us? How might that truth change the way you approach an ordinary day?

2. Acts 2:42 says the early church “devoted themselves” to prayer (along with teaching, fellowship, and breaking bread). What do you think the word devoted means in this context? What tends to compete with or distract you from developing a deeper life of prayer?

3. The Holy Spirit empowered the early church not just to know about God but to live differently because of God's presence within them. Where do you currently need the Holy Spirit's presence and power most—your relationships, decisions, work, struggles, witness, or something else?

4. The believers in Acts 2 experienced the Holy Spirit together—praying, worshiping, learning, sharing life, and caring for one another. How does being part of a Christian community help us become more attentive to the Holy Spirit? What happens when we try to follow Jesus entirely on our own?

5. Imagine our church became as devoted to prayer as the church in Acts 2. What might be different in our church, our families, our neighborhoods, and in our own lives? What is one practical step you could take this week to deepen your devotion to prayer and dependence on the Holy Spirit?

1.     Why does Peter focus so strongly on Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and lordship rather than offering general advice about living a better life?

2.     Why were those who received the gospel immediately added to the church and devoted to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer?

3.     Which part of the gospel are you most comfortable sharing—Jesus’ death, resurrection, lordship, or the call to respond? Which part do you tend to avoid?

4.     Who in your life needs to hear the truth about Jesus? What is one practical step you can take this week to begin that conversation?

5.     What would need to change in our small group or church for us to share Jesus more confidently and depend more fully on the Holy Spirit?

Read Acts 2:42–47 together.

1. Icebreaker: Who is an athlete, musician, artist, or other person you admire for their devotion to what they do? What impresses you about them?

2. Look at Acts 2:42–47. What specific things did these early Christians devote themselves to? Which practice stands out to you most, and why?

3. What results do you see flowing from their devotion? What words would you use to describe the kind of community God was forming among them?

4. The sermon gave two reasons Jesus is worthy of our devotion: He is fully devoted to us, and devotion to Him gives our lives lasting meaning and significance. Where have you seen Jesus' devotion to us demonstrated in Scripture or in your own life?

5. “We are saved by grace. We grow by devotion.” What do you think that means? Why is it important to keep both grace and devotion together?

6. Look at the DEVOTED playbook: Deepen my learning. Engage in worship. Value prayer highly. Offer God's gifts. Take time together. Extend Christ's invitation. Declare God's praises. Which of these is already a strength in your life? How has God used it to help you grow?

7. Growing Edge: Which ONE of the seven practices do you sense God inviting you to grow in right now? What is one specific thing you could do this week to practice it?

Close in prayer: Have each person share the practice they chose, then pray for one another to grow by devotion this week

1. When Opposition Becomes Opportunity
   Peter and John faced opposition because they were boldly proclaiming Jesus, yet their difficult circumstance became an opportunity to testify about Him. When have you experienced a difficult or uncomfortable situation that unexpectedly became an opportunity for God to work or for you to represent Jesus? How might we begin looking at opposition differently?

2. “They Had Been with Jesus” — Acts 4:13
   The religious leaders recognized something different about Peter and John and “took note that these men had been with Jesus.” What do you think they saw in Peter and John that made their time with Jesus evident? If people simply watched your life, what evidence might they see that you have been spending time with Jesus?

3. Who We Spend Time With Shapes Who We Become
   Our relationships, conversations, habits, and influences gradually shape our attitudes, priorities, and character. Who or what has the greatest influence on who you are becoming right now? What could you intentionally change or prioritize so that your time with Jesus has a greater influence on your life?

4. Prayer Instead of Fear — Acts 4:23–31
   After experiencing opposition, the believers didn't primarily pray for God to remove the opposition. They prayed for boldness to continue living and speaking for Jesus. When you face opposition or uncertainty, what is your natural response—fear, avoidance, frustration, control, or prayer? What would it look like to ask God for boldness rather than simply asking Him to make the difficulty disappear?

5. Worship, Community, and Generosity — Acts 4:32–37
   After praying, the early believers responded with extraordinary unity, worship, and generosity. Their encounter with Jesus didn't just change their individual lives—it changed how they treated one another. What does this passage teach us about the connection between being with Jesus and becoming more generous, connected, and other-centered? Where might Jesus be inviting you to respond with greater generosity right now?

1.     Do you find it easier to do everything yourself or to trust others? Why?

2.     What attitude or personal preference could make it difficult for you to work well with others?

3.     Who could you encourage or thank for serving faithfully behind the scenes?

4.     Have you been waiting for someone else to do something God may be asking you to do?

5.     How can your family or small group work together on one practical act of service this week?

1. Saul seems like the last person we would expect Jesus to transform. Who is someone you might be tempted to think is “too far gone” for God to change? What does Acts 9 teach us about the people God can reach?
   

2. James Bryan Smith describes transformation through three interconnected practices: the narratives of Jesus, soul training, and community—with the Holy Spirit at the center. Looking at Saul’s transformation in Acts 9, where do you see each of these at work? Which of these areas is strongest in your life right now, and which needs more attention?
   

3. Saul encountered Jesus, but his transformation didn't happen instantly or independently. He had to surrender, receive help from Ananias, spend time with other believers, and begin living differently. What does this teach us about the difference between having a powerful encounter with Jesus and actually becoming more like Jesus?
   

4. Ananias had his own transformation to experience. God asked him to go to the very person he feared and welcome Saul as a brother. Where might God be asking you to move beyond your assumptions, fears, or prejudices so that you can participate in someone else's transformation?
   

5. The Holy Spirit is at the center of transformation. Read Acts 9:17–22. What changes do you see in Saul after he receives the Holy Spirit? What would it look like this week to become more intentional about allowing the Spirit to reshape the way you think, practice, and live in community?