THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS. Next week, we’re kicking off a seven-week series called Powerful Prayers. We’ll look at some of the most powerful prayers in the Bible—from the Lord’s Prayer to Daniel’s cry in crisis—and discover what happens when ordinary people bring their real lives to God. To coincide with this exciting series, we’ve created a companion, 50 DAYS OF PRAYER. Over the next seven weeks, every devotion sent to your inbox via Beyond the Weekend will include a prayer prompt for us to pray together as a church (with a bonus prayer on Saturday and Sunday!). Register for Beyond the Weekend so you can follow alongside your church HERE.
GROUP VALUES. This week, we conclude our focus on the value of BIBLICAL TRUTH. When it comes to matters of eternal importance, like whether Jesus is the only way to salvation, it is important to be grounded in biblical truth. The world will always have its perspective on important topics. However, as Jesus followers, we find our understanding of these things from the Bible. How has your encounter with Scripture encouraged you to trust in Jesus’s words concerning himself?
GROW AS A LEADER. This week we conclude our sermon series, YOU ASKED FOR IT VOL. 2. Over the last four weeks, we took intentional time to explore difficult topics that people in your group might wrestle with. However, just because the series is ending doesn’t mean you need to stop exploring! In small groups, that exploration can happen best when we know how to ask great questions. These questions can lead to big moments in a person’s spiritual journey. For tips on how to keep this going, click HERE.
SERMON DISCUSSION GUIDE
Welcome to the fourth and final week of our series, YOU ASKED FOR IT VOL. 2, where we tackle the tough questions our church family has been asking. This week, we welcome guest pastor John Dickson as he unpacks whether Jesus truly is the only way to heaven.
ICEBREAKER
Is there anyone in your life who believes something other than Christianity? If so, what do they believe?
THIS WEEK’S TEXT
Have someone read Acts 17:16-34 aloud.
What words or phrases stand out to you in this passage?
Who are the different groups Paul engages with, and where does each conversation take place?
What does Paul say God has done to give “proof” of his purposes to the world?
THIS WEEK’S SERMON
In the final week of YOU ASKED FOR IT VOL. 2, Pastor John Dickson unpacks the exclusivity of the gospel and if Jesus truly is the only way to salvation. As a group, recall some of the sermon’s big ideas and main points.
We live in a culture that often believes “all religions are the same” or that “no one religion has the whole truth.” Why do you think that idea is so appealing today?
What are some claims you hear against Jesus being the only way to salvation?
Paul walked through Athens and took the time to observe what people believed before speaking. What does that tell us about how Christians should engage people with different beliefs?
Paul was not afraid to separate the claims of the Gospel from other belief systems. Why is it actually more respectful to take those differences seriously rather than smooth them over?
Why does it matter that the resurrection is a claim about history and not just a matter of personal belief?
When Paul’s audience in Athens heard about the resurrection, some sneered, some wanted to investigate further, and some believed. Which of those responses do you most relate to in your own spiritual journey – and why?
Paul told the Athenians that God has given the world proof through Jesus. If someone in your life said, “I just don’t have enough evidence to believe,” how would you respond – and what would you point them toward?
WRAP UP
As believers, we will inevitably rub shoulders with those who don’t believe in the gospel. Who is someone in your life that is skeptical or hesitant to trust in Jesus? Take some time as a group to pray for those individuals.