Acts 2:42-46
Series Key Verse: “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39 (p.753)
- We Are the Church.
- Live out your faith.
“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” Acts 2:42 (p.832)
“Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark 2:17b (p.762)
- Show up.
“And all the believers met together in one place…” Acts 2:44a (p.832)
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25 (p.926)
- Take worship with you.
“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity…” Acts 2:46 (p.832)
My Next Step This Week:
I will be the church this week by:
__ Becoming a follower of Jesus
__ Reaching out to someone who I know is in danger of drifting away from God.
Discussion/Groups Guide
Belong – Part 2 “The Believers Form A Community”
Life Groups use this guide in their discussion and study of the Weekend Talk. Use this also as a discussion guide with your family and friends.
Conversation Starters
- When have you been in a close-knit group or team? What made it close?
- How would you describe the Church to someone who had no idea what it is?
- Have you ever felt disconnected from the church? How did you get back into a connection with the community?
Quick Review
Looking back at your Weekend Talk Notes, was there anything you heard in the service that stood out to you, challenged you, or maybe even confused you?
Discussion Starters from the Weekend Talk
Refer to the Talk Notes and Bible verses from the Talk Notes.
Our One Thing: We Are The Church.
- What are some common cultural misconceptions about what The Church is?
Series Memory Verse: Matthew 22:37-40
- Read through the Memory Verse together as a Group. Pray for each other as you memorize it throughout the series.
One Voice Bible Story Background: Acts 2:42-47, The Believers Form a Community
- Would you say that the church described in Acts 2:42-47 had more of a consumer mentality or a community mentality? What’s the difference?
- Have you ever found yourself with this mentality or ever known people who approached the church like they were a consumer?
- Live out your faith. Acts 2:42-43; Mark 2:17b
- What does it mean to be devoted to God’s Word? How does that differ from merely reading or even studying it?
- What are some practical things you do to devote yourself to God’s Word?
- How does Mark 2:17b show what it means to “live out your faith”?
- Show Up. Acts 2:44-45; Hebrews 10:25
- Why do you think we see such a focus and emphasis on meeting together?
- What tends to happen when a team does not practice together?
- Take worship with you. Acts 2:46-47; John 4:23
- What is worship?
- Is worship only accomplished through singing or music? Make a list: how many ways can one worship WITHOUT music?
- What does Jesus mean by worshiping in “spirit and in truth?”
- What happened as a result of The Holy Spirit’s movement on the activities of the early church?
Digging Deeper
From the Lexham Bible Dictionary: CHURCH (Greek = ekklēsia). Followers of Christ who derived their identity and mission from Jesus and understood themselves to be the true community of God.
Read through the passages listed below. Choose one or more of them to pray through. To do that, simply read the passage back to God and offer a brief prayer related to what comes to your mind based on that verse.
If you don’t think of anything at a particular verse, just move on to the next one. Be sure you thank God for providing His Word to you so that you get, in a sense, His side of the conversation you are having with Him in prayer.
- Matthew 16:18-19; Acts 2:42-47; Acts 11:26; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 2:19-22; Colossians 1:18; 1 Peter 2:9.
My Next Step This Week
I will be the church this week by:
__ Becoming a follower of Jesus
__ Reaching out to someone who I know is in danger of drifting away from God.