Real Relationships
Acts 9:19b-25, 31
Richard Dahlstrom, Senior Pastor, www.spiritsoulbody.org
There are many ways we grow as Christ followers: solitude, study, silence, service. In today’s text we discover the important role people play in our growth, and the moral of the story is twofold: Find the right people for your transformation and be the right person for the transformation of the other.
How we discover the effect on Paul’s growth when he is:
I. On his own in Damascus
II. Without affirmation in Jerusalem
III. Affirmed and launched by Barnabas
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Discussion Questions
Before questions, attempt to give the group a bit of a summary of the main points of the sermon and then choose a few questions that fit your group’s needs and style. We don’t intend for you to use all of these. Three to five questions may be a good number.
Review the Rule of Life Handout.
Which “inhaling” or “exhaling” practices do you find easier?
How would these ROL practices change in the context of doing them with other people vs. individually?
The moral of this week’s story is to “find the right people for your transformation and be the right person for the transformation of the other.”
In this context of your small group, share one way being with others in your group has contributed to your transformation.
How do you want to continue growing in a way to positively contribute to the transformation of others?
Through both Paul and Richard’s examples we see that purely having a strong argument (apologetics) is not the way to influence the hearts of most people. What qualities of personhood do you find most attractive or inspire you to want to know more of Jesus?
There’s a messiness to the conversion process precisely because it’s not instantaneous.
Take 3 minutes of silence and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal: What is currently a seed or area of new growth that is germinating in your life right now?
If you were to take a 5 year snap shot, what is one way you hope to look like Jesus in the future? (Ex: courage like Jesus, presence like Jesus, humility like Jesus, service like Jesus, the capacity to freely lay down one’s life like Jesus, surrender of your autonomy like Jesus… emptying of ourselves like Jesus)
When was the last time you were able to move and change when convicted by the Holy Spirit and/or confronted by the truth?
Knowing that failure is inevitable, and not a disqualifier for a life of faith, can you vulnerably share one failure that has led to change because you listened to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in responding to it?
Considering his name (son of encouragement); who has been a Barnabas in your life? To who are you a Barnabas?