THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS
This past weekend we were challenged to show the love of Jesus through serving. One unique need we have as a church community is for people to serve in special-needs classrooms. Serving children with special needs shows the love of Jesus to both the children and their parents. To start a conversation about serving in a special-needs classroom or somewhere else at the church, visit adabible.org/serve.
GROUP VALUES
This month we are focused on the group value of invite. Check-in with your group about who they want to invite to join them for weekend services. Have those people been able to attend in-person or watch online? Consider how your group can encourage each other to invite people to church regularly.
GROW AS A LEADER
Leadership Focus is just around the corner on October 9. Pastor Jeff Manion will be sharing vision and direction to encourage and inspire you as leaders. Find out more and register to let us know you are coming at adabible.org/leadershipfocus.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
This week we continue our fall sermon series, Jesus & The City. Our discussion is about the value of keeping moving and God’s heart for people.
Choose one and explain why: Sports or Netflix?
Have someone read Acts 19:1-7 aloud (found on page 21 of the Jesus & The City journal). What stands out to you about the story?
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Paul’s first question is about whether or not they received the Holy Spirit. What do you think of when you think of the Holy Spirit? (Leader Note: If you or someone in the group is interested in Ada Bible Church’s beliefs regarding the Holy Spirit, see page 17 of the Ada Bible “We Believe”.)
SOMETHING’S MISSING
When Paul arrives, he meets a group of people who are disciples but don’t seem to know much or maybe even anything about Jesus. What do we know about John’s baptism? (see Luke 3 for more info)
These guys didn’t have all the answers right away but were moving in the right direction, eventually leading to a relationship with Jesus. They kept moving on their faith journey. How is it important to keep moving closer to Jesus as we begin to know more and more about him?
Pastor Jeff Manion gave three examples of baptisms people often receive: denominational baptism, baptism of cultural Christianity and “the do more, try harder” baptism. What’s the difference between trusting in these baptisms versus trusting Jesus?
Luke tells us that these disciples believed and were baptized. At Ada Bible Church, we practice believer’s baptism because of texts like this in the New Testament. This means that baptism is an outward expression of your decision to follow Jesus. What are your feelings about believer’s baptism?
John the Baptist prepared the way for and pointed people to Jesus. Often somebody, an event or even God’s creation plays a role in pointing us toward God. Who or what helped point you toward Jesus?
THE POURING
Have someone read Acts 2:4 aloud. How does this verse show there is a change in who receives the Holy Spirit compared to what happened with the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament?
The Jesus-message started in Israel and began to spread around the Roman Empire. How would the spread of the Jesus-message to groups like Samaritans and Gentiles have been surprising to the first disciples?
Have someone read Galatians 5:22-23 aloud. Why do we need the Holy Spirit’s power to have this kind of character?
What are some ways we can live by the power of the Holy Spirit?
Throughout the Bible, God presents himself as a God who wants to be known. How does the power of the Spirit through the fruit of the Spirit in our lives help God be known?
What are some things our small group can do to help show the love of God to our community?
WRAP UP
This week we discussed the spiritual power of the Holy Spirit. Take a moment to write down one big idea you want to remember from this discussion on page 23 of your journal. What did you write down?
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