Acts 2:1-13

1. Be honest with your first response:  What would you do with three wishes given by a genie?  How would you use this kind of power?  Now that you have had a moment to filter your wish through your social conscious, would you alter any of your three wishes?

2.  Read Joel 2:28-29, John 14:26, and Acts 1:8.  What is Pentacost and why was it important to the early church?  Why is it relevant to you today? 

3.Prior to the New Testament Pentacost, this religious celebration was the Festival of Wheats - a festival celebrating the harvest of the first grains.  This is cool history, but could it link to what Jesus did at the 1st Pentacost?  

4.  Is the Holy Spirit just a modern version of your own personal “ Rosetta Stone” language teacher?  What did Jesus want the Pentacost to accomplish? Do you talk about Jesus, the Bible or the church with people outside of your “churchcy” circles?  What are easy, inclusive, and non-offensive ways to talk about Jesus, church and the Bible?

5.  Are you “using your wishes” for selfish purposes?  Why?  What would it take for you to wish for the power of God to increase your witness for Jesus in your world?

Pastor Joe Darago takes on the first week of our At The Movies series talking about Avengers Endgame talking about sacrifice.

"What if we were a people that fought to be the most sacrificial person in the room?"

John 15:12-17

1.  What were your favorite parts of the movie?  Why?

2. In your opinion, what makes for a hero?  Has anyone ever considered you one?

3. Do you think people are at their best when they are sacrificial for others or when they take from others?  With this in mind, how often are you at your best these days?

4.What kind of fruit is the fruit that lasts (verse 16)? What lasting fruit has someone else brought out of you? Have you ever been a part of bringing out lasting fruit from someone?

5. Jesus was about to lay his life down for his friends (and for you) in this passage.  A one time act is cool & noble.  But what about the day-to-day dying for your friends…how are you doing with that?  What kinds of self-sacrificing acts are you doing that no one really knows about?

6.  What would happen if we were to complete with each to be the most self-sacrificial?  Who would sign up for that contest? Would you?