1. Have you ever moved to a new city and had to make new friends? What did you have in common with them?

2. Read Acts 18:1-23. How did Paul’s ministry in Corinth change when Timothy and Silas arrived in verse 5?

3. What are some ways you see God working in the lives of Pricilla and Aquilla?

4. What do you find interesting about Jesus speaking to Paul in a vision?

5. What is your favorite part of the trial before Gallio?

6. Why do you think Paul made the vow mentioned in verse 18 and cut off his hair?

7. How have you experienced God’s presence and protection in your life?

Other verses to consider: Philippians 4:14-20, Acts 18:24-28

1. How many hours do you work each week? How much do you work on your 1 or 2 days off each week?

2. Read Mark 2:23-28 and 3:1-6. What were the complaints about Jesus on these 2 occasions?

3. How did David’s story apply to the first situation?

4. Why do you think the Pharisees were so fixated on what Jesus did on the Sabbath?

5. What does it mean to you that Jesus is even Lord of the Sabbath and that the Sabbath was made for man?

6. Read Isaiah 58:13-14. Jerel said the Hebrew word Shabbat is translated as 4 English words: stopping, resting, delighting, and worshiping. How are those 4 actions found in these 2 verses?

7. Jerel also said these words form a linear pattern – stopping (leads to) resting > resting (leads to) delighting > delighting (leads to) worshiping? Which of these actions do you feel the need to focus on in your next Sabbath time, or do you want to pursue them all in a linear, consecutive way? 

Other verses to consider: John 1:1-18

1. How many hours of sleep do you get each night? Do you wake up feeling rested and refreshed?

2. Read Matthew 11:28-30. What do you think Jesus means when He offers “rest for your souls”?

3. How is Jesus’ yoke easy and His burden light?

4. Read Hebrews 4:1-11. What are some different kinds of rest talked about in these verses?

5. What is this passage warning us about?

6. How do we enter God’s rest?

7. Looking at verse 11, what efforts should we be making to enter God’s rest?

Other verses to consider: Hebrews 3:1-19

1. Do you think of Christmas as a peaceful time or a hectic, chaotic time? Why?

2. Read John 1:1-18. Why do you think John was inspired to start his gospel with “In the beginning …” instead of focusing on details about the birth of Jesus like Matthew and Luke?

3. What do we learn about Jesus in the first 5 verses?

4. How would you describe the importance of John the Baptist to the message of Jesus?

5. What do you think vs. 9 means?

6. How would you summarize the mission of Jesus described in verses 14-18?

7. Do you have the peace that comes from trusting Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

Other verses to consider: Luke 2:8-14, Romans 5:1

1. How far back in time can your family genealogy be traced?

2. Who were you related to that we might know about, either good or bad?

3. Read Matthew 1:1-17. What similarities and differences can you think of in the 5 women in the genealogy: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary?

4. How does this list of people reveal the mercy of God?

5. Read Matthew 9:9-13. In the last few years, have you been more like Matthew, the Pharisees, or tax collectors and sinners?

6. What kind of mercy does God desire from us?

7. Who can you show mercy to this Christmas?

1. Which sounds of Christmas do you enjoy the most?

2. Which sounds of Christmas drive you crazy?

3. Read Luke 2:8-20. What stands out to you in these verses?

4. What do you think the angels sounded like when they were praising God?

5. Why do you think God sent angels just to the shepherds to announce Jesus’ birth and how did this benefit other people?

6. What events in your life have you cherished or pondered in your heart like Mary?

7. Who do you know who could benefit from your story of how God led you to Jesus?

Other verses to consider: Luke 1 and 2:1-7

1. How would you define hope?

2. How are hopes heightened at Christmas?

3. In what ways did you feel hopeless before you met Jesus? How about after meeting Jesus? 

4. Read Romans 8:23-25. What is the object of our hope in these verses?

5. Read 1 Peter 1:3-9. In what ways is our hope a living hope?

6. Read 1 John 2:28-3:3. What do these verses say about hope?

7. How can you spread hope to people around us who have no hope?

Other verses to consider: 1 Peter 3:13-17, 1 Thes 4:13-18, Romans 15:13

1. What did you like or dislike about Greek or Roman mythology when you learned about it in school?

2. Read Acts 17:10-34. This part of Paul’s journey was mapped out by which city the new believers smuggled Paul to next to escape from the Jews from Thessalonica. Why would Paul be encouraged by his stop in Berea?

3. How do you examine the Scriptures?

4. When Paul came to Athens, why was he deeply distressed and how did he respond?

5. What ideas for reaching lost friends and family today can we gain from Paul’s interaction with the people of Athens?

6. Why is it so important that people repent in verses 30-31?

7. Who are you most concerned about on Judgement Day?

Other verses to consider: Luke 24:44-47, Hebrews 9:27-28, Romans 2:1-11, 2 Timothy 2:22-26

1. Have you ever been blamed for something that you didn’t do? What happened?

2. Read Acts 16:16-40. Why do you think Paul was so annoyed by the possessed slave girl following them and talking to the people?

3. Why were the slave owners upset with Paul, and what did they tell the magistrates to get them beaten and imprisoned?

4. What do you think caused the jailer to want to be saved?

5. Kyle said, “There always comes a moment when you’re living for God and doing your best to obey and serve Him that you realize it’s going to cost you.” Have you had a moment like that?

6. Have you ever experienced suffering that tested your faith?

Other verses to consider: Matthew 5:10-12, 1 Peter 4:12-19

1. What was the most unusual initiation requirement you experienced to join a group, club, or organization?

2. Read Acts 15:1-21. What was the big problem in Antioch?

3. If you were a new Gentile follower of Jesus, how would you feel about the new requirements given by the Jews from Judea?

4. What steps did Paul take to solve the disagreement?

5. Have you ever encountered a church or a person who made it difficult for people to turn to God? What did they do?

6. Are there any areas of your faith that you struggle with?

7. What exactly does vs. 11 mean?

Other verses to consider: Galatians 5:1-6, Romans 10:5-13, Ephesians 2:4-10

1. Jerel talked about this election season being exhausting. What has exhausted you the most?

2. What fears did political commercials target this year?

3. Have you seen any tension or conflict with family members or friends over politics? What happened? 

4. How should Christian voters determine who they should vote for? 

5. How do you explain the fact that some Christians vote for Democrats and other Christians vote for Republicans? 

6. What are some practical ways we can maintain the unity in the church that Jesus prayed for in John 17, even though we may have differing political views?

7. It is interesting that no one in the Bible ever voted to choose their King, Governor, or Caesar. How does God assure us in the Bible that He is in control no matter who is elected President in 2024?

Other verses to consider: Daniel 2:19-23, Romans 13:1-7, 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Romans 8:28

1. Have you ever idolized anyone? Has anyone ever idolized you? How did it make you feel?

Read Acts 14:8-23. 

2. What do you find interesting about the healing of the crippled man in vs. 8-10?

3. How do you think Paul could see that the crippled man had faith to be made well? 

4. What were the unexpected results of the miraculous healing in vs. 11-18?  

5. How do you think the Jews from Antioch and Iconium won over the crowd to convince them that Paul should not be worshiped but be put to death? 

6. Paul faced heated opposition in almost every city he traveled to in his missionary journeys; Many times his enemies pursued him to the next town when they heard he was there. What impact would this have on you if you were a new follower of Jesus in one of these towns?

Other verses to consider: Matthew 5:10-11, John 16:33 

1. Have you ever been chosen for an important job or special task? What was the outcome and how did it make you feel?

Read Acts 13:1-12. 

2. What was the scene when the Holy Spirit spoke to the prophets and teachers in the church of Antioch?

3. How do you think the Holy Spirit spoke to them that day? 

4. How does the Holy Spirit speak to us today? How can we be ready to hear Him? Can you share about a time that you heard Him?  

5. Have you ever been around someone who strongly opposed Christianity? What happened? 

6. Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit in vs. 9 and at the end of this chapter in vs. 52 the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Can you describe a time when you felt full of the Spirit?

Other verses to consider: Acts 11:19-30, Ephesians 5:15-21.

1. How would you rate the quality of your sleep? How many hours do you try to get at night? What keeps you from having perfect, restful, rejuvenating, “like a baby,” sleep at night? 

Read Acts 12:1-19. Historians say this happened about 13 years after Jesus died and rose again. 

2. How do you feel about God sending an angel to free Peter but allowing James to be killed by Herod? Can you think of any reasons why?

3. What do you think “earnest prayer” means? Who have you known that would exemplify this type of prayer? 

4. In verses 6-11, what do you find interesting about the details of the angel’s appearance and impact on Peter? 

5. Why do you think they didn’t believe Peter was knocking at the door and told Rhoda she was out of her mind?

6. Have you earnestly prayed for something or someone? What was the outcome? 

Digging Deeper Questions

1. What is the grossest, yuckiest, most horrible thing you have ever eaten and why?

2. Read Acts 10:1-23. Considering the many Roman gods, how do you imagine Cornelius became a devout worshiper of the true God?

3. Why do you think God sent an angel to Cornelius and a vision to Peter 3 times before the 2 men met?

4. Some of the unclean vision animals Peter was told to kill and eat for the first time in his life could have been pigs, snakes, rats, lizards, bats, seagulls, herons, and turtles. Why do you think God told the Jews through Moses not to eat certain animals or associate with Gentiles?

5. What difficulties might be expected in a church made up of both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians?

6. Is there anyone that Christians today should not associate with?

Other verses to consider: Joshua 23:1-16, 1 Corinthians 5:9-13.