Filled & Led (Part 9): The Holy Spirit Brings Us Home

TO START

This Sunday, we jumped into part 9 of our Fall series focused on the new vision: “To be a Spirit-filled & Spirit-led church for those who don’t have a home yet”. Each week, we will journey with a part of the book of Acts as we unpack what it could mean (and not mean) for us to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led people. To start, unpack this prompt together: 

  • Share a time in your life where you have been far from your physical home and yet you felt welcomed home?

This week we are inviting your group to choose questions from the multiple options below.  Our hope is that these questions might help you to lead your discussion in a way that makes sense for your group this week as y’all “talk it out” and “live it out”.

TALK IT OUT AFTER READING ACTS 15:1-12; 19-21

STUDY

  • What other things do people put in the blank?: “Unless you are ______ you cannot be saved…” Are these right or people-ordained?

  • How did Peter respond to the concern that Gentiles needed to be circumcised in order to join the Disciples?

  • Are there other examples in Scripture where the church uses discussion, disagreement, tension & discernment as a part of the Lord’s work in welcoming people home?

PROCESS

  • When has someone around you welcomed your messiness? Did it change the way you respond to other’s messiness?

  • Share a time where you unfairly dismissed, diminished or wrongly judged someone around us because of what you assumed or heard. 

  • Do you struggle at times to realize that you are welcoming folks into God’s story and not your story? Do you struggle to live as if this story isn’t about you or in your hands? How so?

LIVE IT OUT 

PRACTICE

  • Have you ever prayed, “God, how can I help you? What story are you telling and how can I help it come true?” What might God’s response be to this prayer in your life right now?

  • Have you troubled yourself to welcome folks home with God? What has it cost you to help someone to find life in Christ? OR what would it cost for you to help someone to find life in Christ?

PRAY

Pray for those suffering and those without home today. “Be merciful, O Christ, to those who suffer, to those who worry, to those who grieve and to those who are threatened. Let your compassion be active through the world even now, tend to the conflicted, comfort the brokenhearted, and bring home to the hopeless. Come, Holy Spirit, Come”

Matt DeLano