Lakeside Church

Acts (The Church Gets Messy): Fractured Yet Faithful by Lakeside Church

The early Church wasn’t neat, tidy, or black and white - it was messy, complicated, and beautifully real. In this message from Robyn Elliott, we look at Acts 16 and discover how God shows up in the tension of right and wrong, rules and grace, motives and mistakes. If your Jesus following feels complicated, you're not alone - and that might be exactly where Jesus meets you.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does Timothy’s willingness to be circumcised teach us about the cost of loving others well - even when it’s uncomfortable or unfair? How far are we willing to go to remove barriers for someone else to encounter Jesus?

2. What are some modern-day equivalents to Timothy’s sacrifice - ways we can "cut" parts of our comfort, pride, or preferences for the sake of others? Think of situations in your life, community, or church where someone laid something down to build trust or unity.

3. What are some “low-cost” acts of love we often overlook but are still powerful? Who around you needs something simple - time, a kind word, a listening ear - that we might be withholding?

4. In what ways do we make winning arguments more important than building bridges? What conversations or debates are better left in humility than pursued in pride?

5. Is there something in your life that you’ve been unwilling to give up, even if letting go could help someone else experience Jesus more clearly? What would it look like to surrender that for the sake of love?

6. What “extra requirements” do we sometimes add that make it harder for people to feel like they belong in church? How can we, as individuals and a church community, remove obstacles and make space for others to encounter Jesus?

7. What's an example of something that's not so black and white in your faith? Why do we often make things more complicated than they need to be?

In the early church, rapid change created deep tension between tradition and the movement of God’s Spirit. In this message from Robyn Elliott, we take a look at Acts 15, which shows us how the early leaders navigated sacred convictions, honest disagreement, and radical inclusion - by listening, telling stories, and centering everything on Jesus. This passage is a masterclass in following Jesus faithfully through disruption, both in the church and in our world today.

Discussion Questions:

1. Where have you seen procedures or policies get in the way of purpose - in church or elsewhere?

2. Have you ever experienced your sacred foundations being shaken? How did you respond?

3. How do we know when our traditions are helping or hindering our faith?

4. What do you think Peter meant when he said, “Why are you now challenging God?” How might we do that today without realizing it? How do we balance faithfulness to Scripture with openness to God doing something new?

5. Can you recall a time when someone else’s testimony changed your perspective more than a debate could have?

6. Where in your life are you being invited to “bow your convictions to Jesus?”

7. What are some small, practical ways we can embody low-cost love in our church or neighbourhood?

Acts (The Church Gets Messy): Life isn’t Fair but God is Good by Lakeside Church

Acts 10 is a turning point - not just for the early church, but for how we understand God’s radical vision of inclusion. When Peter crosses the threshold into Cornelius’ home, everything changes: the boundaries of who belongs are shattered. In this message from Robyn Elliott, we explore what God is up to when the church gets messy, uncomfortable, and beautifully diverse.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think it means to ask, “What is God up to?” in our current moment, space, and community? How might that question shift our focus from programs or traditions to people and presence?

2. In Acts 10, Peter's worldview was shattered by a vision from God. Has there ever been a moment when God challenged something you always believed to be true? How did you respond? Did it lead you toward inclusion or resistance?

3. Cornelius was an outsider who embodied the heart of the faith but wasn’t accepted by the community. Who are the “Corneliuses” in our world today? What boundaries (spoken or unspoken) might be keeping them out?

4. Peter crossed a literal and symbolic threshold when he entered Cornelius’ house. Can you think of a time you were called to cross a personal or social boundary for the sake of love or unity? What held you back- or what pushed you forward?

5. How can we discern whether what we’re hearing is truly from God? And how do we test this in community?

6. What does it mean for you personally to "share a table" with someone who sees or lives life very differently?

Saul was the last person you'd expect to change, and yet, Jesus met him, and everything flipped. In this message from Mike Carmody, we dive into Acts 9, where God uses an ordinary guy named Ananias to welcome a dangerous man into the family of faith, showing us that no matter your story or your struggle, there’s a place for you in the church.

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever judged someone based on their past like Ananias judged Saul? What happened?

2. Mike said, “When we experience Jesus, something changes in us.” Have you experienced Jesus and what changed for you?

3. What might God be trying to say to you that you’re currently resisting or not hearing?

4. Do you find it easy or difficult to accept others into your spiritual community without preconditions? Why?

5. Where do you relate most in this story right now? As Saul before the encounter? Ananias being asked to trust? Or even Saul after his transformation?

6. What ordinary thing might God be calling you to do that could have extraordinary impact?

7. How can we, as a church (or small group or family, depending who you’re doing these questions with) create space for people to experience Jesus at their own pace?

Acts (The Church Gets Messy): Exiled by Religion, Embraced by God by Lakeside Church

When everything goes wrong, or everything falls apart, God still moves in the middle of the mess. In this message, Johanna Kelly walks us through the first verses of Acts 8 where we see how tragedy leads to transformation as the church is scattered and the gospel reaches new people. Even in conflict, division, and messy motivations, God is at work bringing healing, redemption, and hope.

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever experienced a time when everything went wrong or fell apart at once? How did you see (or not see) God at work in the midst of that chaos?

2. Acts 8 shows God moving through scattered people. In what ways have you seen growth, healing, or new direction come out of personal disruption or tragedy?

3. Philip stepped into unfamiliar, uncomfortable places (like Samaria). When have you been invited to step into spaces of division, discomfort, or difference? What did that stretch in you?

4. Simon wanted spiritual power for personal gain. Where do we try to “buy God?” Where is our relationship transactional? Maybe we think if we give generously, God will reward us financially, or if we pray long enough or hard enough, we’ll get what we want. Or maybe we “shop” for God in the church we choose, preferring convenience, comfort, or polished production over truth and transformation.

5. Peter helps Simon see what he couldn’t see on his own. Who in your life has helped you see something important about yourself? How did you respond?

6. Johanna said, “A life together is a life of conflict.” Does this ring true for you in your experience with church, family, or friendships? How do you usually respond to relational messiness? Do you lean in, or pull away?

The early church didn’t just face pressure from empire - it also faced betrayal from within. Stephen wasn’t killed by outsiders, but by the religious elite who thought they were protecting God. In this message from Robyn Elliott, we explore what happens when faith gets twisted by power - and how defending religion can actually become a denial of the very God we claim to follow.

Ever tried cleaning while the kids are still in the house? That’s what it felt like in the early church - it was beautiful for a moment and then chaos crashed in. In this week’s message from Robyn Elliott, we see in Acts 6 how Jesus’ vision for ekklesia - a people, not a place - was always meant to be messy, diverse, and radically inclusive. The Spirit empowers us not for control, but for compassion … for the good of others.

Discussion Questions:

1. Jesus chose the word ekklesia to describe God’s church - a people, not a place. How has your understanding of “church” been shaped more by buildings or institutions than by community and mission?

2. The early church faced its first real threat, not from outside persecution, but from internal prejudice. Where have you seen subtle (or not-so-subtle) favouritism or exclusion in Christian communities? Do you think you’ve ever contributed to it, knowingly or unknowingly?

3. In Acts 6, people from a different cultural group were overlooked in food distribution but Jesus' mission included good news to the poor. Who today might be overlooked in our community, our neighbourhood, or even right here at Lakeside? What would practical good news look like to the poor in your life or community right now and what small part could you play in that?

4. Hospitality and serving practical needs were elevated to acts of worship. Do you tend to see spiritual value in things like hospitality, cooking, organizing, or caring for others? Why or why not?

5. God has already given the ekklesia everything it needs to take the next step. What might Jesus be calling you to do next? Where are you serving at Lakeside or in your community, or where can you get involved?

6. The church is meant to reflect radical diversity and wide embrace. How comfortable are you with discomfort? What blind spots might you have when it comes to welcoming difference? And how do we continue to welcome diversity at Lakeside?

7. In the midst of conflict and change, the Spirit still moved, and the movement kept growing. What’s one way God might be working in the mess of your life or Lakeside right now?

8. This week, take some time to pray this prayer: Spirit of God, give me power for people, especially the ones I wouldn’t normally see.