SCRIPTURE: Acts 18-21:16 (Acts 20:22-21:7)

As Paul journeys back to Jerusalem, he faces steady resistance from the leaders in each church he visits along the way. He is warned repeatedly that he is heading into a trap laid by the Sadducees who want to see him arrested and killed for heresy. He is told of visions, and even words from the Holy Spirit, counseling against his return. Everywhere he goes, people ask him to avoid the city and keep himself safe. And yet Paul persists: he is committed to reporting back to the leaders of the church, and he shows little regard for his own safety. Why does Paul insist on this hardship? And how do the people of the church stand with him, even when he rejects their counsel? This week, we want to look closely at Paul’s mission, his unflagging commitment, and the lessons we can learn about supporting one another through hardship. 

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Read Acts 18:24-28. Although we didn’t discuss this story on Sunday, it’s an interesting window into the work of the church apart from Paul. What can we learn from the story of Apollos? What example do Priscilla and Aquila set in their interactions with Apollos? Why is important that they confront him? How does he respond? How do they continue to walk with him, even when he leaves their community?

2. Read Acts 20:21-24 together. What is Paul’s response to the church’s counsel that he avoid Jerusalem? In what ways do you think Paul is right? In what ways might you disagree with him? 

3. How can you be challenged by Paul’s statement that he “do[es] not count [his] life of any value to [himself]”? Are there ways where you can be stretched in your own life to surrender more control? 

4. Although Paul’s life certainly sets an example for us, it is also true that Paul rarely insists others live exactly as he does. What is the picture we see in this story of how the everyday-people of the church live their lives? 

5. How do the church members continue to support Paul? Are there people in your own life who are making decisions you disagree with, but who you can still love and support? How? 

Did you miss the 2019 Family Meeting on Saturday? There’s good news! Kenny has recorded an audio podcast of the Keynote for the event. Give it a listen to catch up on our year-in-review, our vision for the year ahead, some exciting news about RIP Medical Debt, and the introduction of our new church governance model. If you would like to look over the handout from the evening’s festivities, you can find that HERE.

SCRIPTURE: Acts 17 (Acts 17:16-34)

While Paul waits for his companions in Athens, his curiosity gets the better of him and he is drawn into a number of debates with local philosophers. Eventually, he is invited to speak at the Areopagus, a revered space for deciding religious matters. In his brief sermon there, he shows remarkable understanding and empathy with Roman culture, framing Jesus as the embodiment of the “Unknown God” the Athenians worshiped. He points out that all people, no matter where they are from, search in their own ways for God. He concludes that in this age, God is closer to us than ever. As we reflect on Paul’s sermon, we can learn quite a bit about what it means to share our beliefs about Jesus with others...by first seeking to understand them and what they are seeking. 

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Read Paul’s sermon at the Areopagus (Acts 17:22-31). What are your initial thoughts about the case Paul is making? Why do you think he begins by applauding the Athenians religiosity and acknowledging their “unknown god”? 

2. How does Paul reframe the Jewish story in verses 24-28 in a way that might resonate more persuasively with the Athenians? What can we learn from Paul’s approach here? 

3. What are some of the ways we sometimes fail to tell the story of our own faith in a way that is welcoming and inclusive to others?

4. What do you think about Paul’s claim that all people “grope” for God...and that God is not far from us? 

5. When Paul decides to return to Jerusalem, he knows he is walking into a trap (Acts 20:3, 36-38). Why does he choose to do it anyway? What do you make of his statement, “I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me” (v. 23-24)? What is frightening or off-putting about this? What feels true or tempting to you? How can this verse challenge you this week/season/year?

SCRIPTURE: Acts 16 (16:13-34)

After Paul and his first traveling companion, Barnabas, part ways, Paul and Silas continue to travel through modern-day Turkey and Greece. In the city of Philippi, Luke gives a detailed account of how Paul approached the places he visited on his missionary journeys: he would begin by looking for places where people are already open to spiritual conversations, join conversations there, and in all things, his guiding rule was to see all people as people. In Philippi, this comes into direct conflict with a culture that sees people as means to an end. Even when their words and actions lead to their arrest, Paul and Silas do not stop praising God...and they continue to empathize with others in ways that open new and surprising doors for sharing the Jesus story. 

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. When Paul and Silas go to the river to listen and speak to women gathered in prayer, the one woman who responds--Lydia--isn’t the woman they were looking for. But the Bible says “the Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said” and Paul and Silas respond. What lesson can we draw from this when it comes to the ways we approach and engage in conversations with others about faith?

2. After Paul releases a slave girl from a demon (Acts 16:16-18), her owners petition the court to arrest Paul for destroying their source of income. What does this story show us about the ways we see (or don’t see) one another and how God can work to shift our perspective?

3. When Paul and Silas are imprisoned (Acts 16:22-34), a miraculous earthquake appears to set them free...but they don’t escape. Why not? What does this story show us about their priorities? 

4. Do you think Paul and Silas might have been ignoring God by not escaping when they had the chance? Have you ever had to choose between a door that God seemed to have miraculously opened...and your obligations to other people in your life? What did you choose? How do you feel about this now? 

SCRIPTURE: Acts 13-15 (15:1-29)

As Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles begins to transform the composition and culture of the early Christian church, a debate surfaces that calls Paul back to Jerusalem for a council with the apostles about the future of his mission. In this council, we see a model for how Christians can and should work through the challenges that come along with expanding the circles of our communities: Paul and the other leaders put tremendous value on the trajectory of the church, on the experiences of those who are new to the community, on reading Scripture with humility, and on living out what they teach. As a church striving to share hope with everyone, we should make these same values essential to us, too.

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Read Acts 15:1-5. Why do you think this controversy about circumcision among Gentile converts happens? Why do Paul and Barnabas take it so seriously? And why do the Pharisee Jews in Jerusalem decide that the circumcision is necessary?

2. Read Acts 15:6-21. What is Paul’s argument here? What does James add by reading from Scripture? What is their conclusion, and why do you think they come to this decision?

3. At root in this debate is the empathy with the experience of the Gentiles: it is significant that those who most strongly favor adult circumcision live in Jerusalem, far from the communities their decisions might affect. How do we sometimes behave similarly? What are some specific expectations we sometimes set for people who might be new to Christian faith (or still exploring Christian faith) which might be based more on our expectations for ourselves than on expanding the circle of our community?

4. Why do you think the Jerusalem Council sends Judas and Silas along with Paul, Barnabas, and their letter? What does it communicate about the church’s values? 

5. What can we learn from this story here at Revolution? What can you take from it personally?

This week, we want to spend time practicing lament together as a community. Our service will feel and function quite differently from a “typical” week at Revolution, and it will include elements that might be uncomfortable, including extended periods of silence and prayer, readings which give voice to frustration, doubt, and hurt, and stories about personal suffering that might be difficult to hear. But we want to invite you to listen and participate with us in this service, even if doing so is hard. Our hope is that this service will help all of us to better understand the value of this ancient Biblical practice and serve as a first step towards equipping us to put it to use in our own lives. 

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Were there parts of this service that felt uncomfortable to you? Why? 

2. Were there parts of this service that were especially moving or emotional for you? Why?

3. What have you learned about ‘lament’ over the course of this series? How might what you have learned shape you moving forward?

4. Could/should lament become more of a regular practice in our Sunday morning gatherings? What could/would this look like?

SCRIPTURE: selected Psalms of personal lament

In order to learn how to step effectively into the grief of others, we must first learn how to practice grief and lament for ourselves. Luckily, the practices for sharing grief we talked about last week can apply to us, too! In order to practice personal lament, we first need to learn to recognize and articulate our grief, seeking not to fix it but to dwell in and experience it. Second, we need to gain confidence in our ability to cry out to God honestly. The beauty of lament is that it can transform even our cries of doubt into acts of worship and expressions of faith. And lastly, we can learn to verbalize and lean on the things we believe to be true about God. Instead of platitudes, we can be people of honesty, vulnerability, and patience. 

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Have you ever been mad at God? If you are comfortable sharing your answer, why were you mad at him? When did you stop being mad? What changed?

2. Thinking about the broken things in our lives can often leave us feeling helpless and lead to cynicism. How is lament different than cynicism? How does lamenting lead us to faith?

3. How can lament help to bring shalom (wholeness) to our lives?

4. How is lament different than just listing complaints or expressing sadness?

5. What are the things you believe to be true about God all the time?

6. When is it appropriate to share hope with people who are grieving? 

SCRIPTURE: Job (overview); Hebrews 4:14-16

Lament matters. By focusing so often on the excitement of Jesus’s resurrection from the dead and the promises of perfection and completion that are central to the Christian life, the church often overlooks this truth. But our hope is not a hope in spite of suffering...it is hope in the midst of it. So, how can we live more responsibly in a broken world? Part of the answer is by remembering the ancient practices of sitting in grief alongside one another and refusing the temptation to ‘square the circle’ of pain or injustice. We do this by maintaining presence with those who are hurting, rejecting the urge to censor anger and doubt, and trusting God to bring hope in his own time. Lament can transform us from people pointing towards hope into people living it out by embodying God’s patience, understanding, and love.

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What have your experiences been with grief in a Christian/church context?

2. In the story of Job, Job’s friends spend 7 days “sitting shiva” with him before they speak. During that time, they quietly keep him company. What are your thoughts on this ancient practice? How might it be helpful for a person in grief?

3. After “sitting shiva,” Job’s friends begin trying to do what Kenny referred to as “squaring the circle”: they try to explain how Job’s suffering is just (he is being punished for sin) and tolerable (he can and should move past it). Why do you think they do this? Have you ever had a similar experience, either trying to rationalize with someone grieving or having someone try to rationalize with you in the midst of grief?

4. After Job cries out to God, God replies to him...but God never answers Job’s question. Instead, he reminds Job of his cosmic authority and perspective (“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?”). How is God’s response different than the responses of Job’s friends? Is it comforting?

5. On Sunday, Kenny said that Jesus’s resurrection provides real evidence for more to a human being’s life than just their years on Earth. He also said this is the key to lamenting well. How does our hope in eternal life equip us to grieve well with people?

SCRIPTURE: James 3:13-18; 4:1-12 (13-17)

As we consider what it means to put our faith into practice as part of this series, it is fitting to conclude by looking at how James teaches us to think about both: when it comes to our beliefs, James challenges all of us to be humble above all, holding our confidence in an open-hand and submitting ourselves to the work of correction and purification God is doing in our lives. And when it comes to how we interact with others, we are to refuse condemnation, recognizing that it is God who teaches us how to behave righteously and not we ourselves who are responsible for our transformation. God is working out his plans for us, and as we begin to see the fruit of this in our lives, we should let our excitement lead us, first, to thanksgiving and second, to a deeper and even more active faith. 

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Read James 3:13-18 together. What is the difference between “earthly wisdom” and “Godly wisdom” in these verses? How have you experienced each of these in your own life? 

2. In various translations of verse 17, “wisdom from above” is described as being, among other things, “persuadable” (WYC), “open to reason” (RSV), or “willing to yield” (NRS). What do you think James is trying to communicate to us about what our attitude towards learning ought to be? Is this challenging for you? 

3. In chapter 4, James says that our quarrels with one another come from our “covetous nature” (4:1-3). Does this ring true to you? 

4. In the very next verses, James points out that God is always generous with us. How might generosity be an “antidote” for covetousness or judgmentalism? 

5. Are you ever judgmental in your own life? When/where/against whom? 

6. Where do you need more humility in your own attitudes/life? How can your community challenge and support you in this?