IBC Richmond

Why study Jonah? It is highly theological, extremely personal, and intensely missional.

Application Questions:

1. What did Paul and Barnabas do in the first visit to Lystra, Iconium, and Derbe? What did they do on the return trip? Compare and contrast the purposes for each trip.

2. How does a person enter the Kingdom of God? Why is the path littered with tribulation?

3. Who listens to Paul and Barnabas “declare all that God had done with them”? How does this story inform missionary accountability to their sending church?

4. After 18 months of aggressive travel and evangelism, Barnabas and Paul remained “no little time” in Antioch. What can be learned about seasons of work and seasons of rest?

Application Questions:

1. What is the involvement of church members in Jerusalem and in Antioch? How does this influence the doctrine of congregational polity? Who makes decisions in the local church?

2. How should a church resolve conflict? What issues call for deference? What issues call for division? Who decided and lead on these decisions in Antioch?

3. What four abstentions did the Jerusalem letter prescribe? What significance do these have on Christian liberty?

4. How did the church at Antioch respond to the Jerusalem letter? What can be learned about submission to church authority from Antioch’s response?

Application Questions:

1. How many prophets and teachers are listed for the church at Antioch? Does the New Testament teach a plurality of local church leadership? Why or why not?

2. Who are separated and sent from Antioch for global evangelism?
What can a local church learn from this model of missions?

3. Have you ever fasted and prayed? What was the circumstance and the outcome? What spiritual goals are a Christian trying to accomplish through fasting?

4. When Acts 13:21 says the proconsul believed and was astonished, does that mean he was truly converted?

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1. What do you know about Antioch? What can 21st Century churches learn from the church that thrived in that city? Why is there no New Testament letter to the church at Antioch?

2. How can you see grace? What does it mean for Acts 11:23 (“And when he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad”) to describe the church at Antioch? How can the church today nurture a grace culture?

3. How many ethnicities are represented in Antioch? What applications should be made to churches ministering in multicultural, multiethnic communities?

4. What is the relationship between Barnabas in Saul while in Antioch? Why is the local church a great place for friendship?

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1. Is worship and doubt mutually exclusive? What does it mean to doubt in this context? How can a Christian doubt anything about God?

2. What divine characteristics of Jesus does the Great Commission depend on for fulfillment? Will the Great Commission be accomplished?

3. What does it mean to be a disciple? How have you been discipled by others? How are you discipling others?

4. What burden do you have to fulfill the Great Commission through the ministry of your local church?

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1. Who witnessed the resurrected Jesus in Matthew 28? How does their testimony influence your belief in the resurrection?

2. What causes your greatest fear and greatest joy? Is it the message or the messenger that provoked the two Mary’s fear and joy (Mt 28:8)?

3. Did the soldiers lie in their report of the resurrection? How can you defeat false accusations?

4. What does the resurrection story in Matthew 28:1-15 teach about faith and worship? In what ways can your demeanor reflect such genuine and spontaneous worship?

Application Questions:

1, What heart issue drove the high priests and elders to demand Jesus' crucifixion? How did Pilate identify the heart issue? Should actions be driven by emotions? Why or why not?

2. How many words does Jesus speak in Matthew 27? Why did Jesus quote Psalm 22? Why did God the Father forsake God the Son?

3. Was Jesus the king of the Jews? Why does Pilate ask? Why does Jesus as king appear four times in Matthew 27?

4. What in the crucifixion story convinces you to agree with the centurion, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Mt 27:54)?