READ: Acts 19:1-10

REFLECT: 

• Time is our friend when it comes to sharing Jesus. That’s not to ignore urgency. That’s not to imply that we should be laissez-faire about the gospel. It’s simply to say that the gospel is such a serious topic and following Jesus is such a life-changing decision that those conversations should not be rushed. One of the best things we can do is teach over a long period.

• It might require a new perspective, but it will be healthy for any of us to realize that you can’t fast-track discipleship. We need to think slow-cooker and not microwave. Change occurs over time. Maturity is a process of aging. Wisdom requires experiences upon which we spend time in reflection. No doubt some things change quickly when we follow Jesus. But the depth of a solid disciple comes after years of cultivating spiritual insight and maturity.

• Such a perspective might make it easier for spouses to deal with a slow to convert mate. Or for parents to understand the faith development of their child(ren). It might make it feasible to believe that a co-worker will one day see Jesus. Or that a church doesn’t have to grow overnight. It might even give us patience with ourselves so that we don’t feel as if everything has to be fixed right now.

RESPOND: 

• How long did it take you to get where you are today spiritually?

• Why do you think we want such instant success?

• How long are you willing to wait for someone to become more spiritually aware or mature?

PRAY: Commit to being patient with the spiritual formation process. Ask God to help you find contentment in watching others grow. Pray that we can see ourselves as more mature in the future without trying to fast track the process.

READ: Acts 19:1-10

REFLECT:

• Scripture often offers very little detail. This is one of those times. But our imagination can’t be too far off. Paul didn’t just blurt out the question, “Did you receive the Spirit?” We can assume there was previous conversation…possibly a lot of it. Enough conversation took place that Luke knew that these men were disciples. Enough conversation occurred that Paul felt like it was appropriate to ask about the Spirit.

• In fact, a reader might assume that the disciples said something that indicated something (aka, Someone) was missing. Apparently, these men were doing their best to follow Jesus based on what they knew from and about John the Baptist. But, in the process they were under-informed about what was needed. Upon learning (they clearly had a teachable spirit) about immersion into Jesus, they immediately submitted to baptism.

• Too often texts like this have been used to say that Paul was aggressive and wasted no time in getting to Jesus. By implication, that means we should be the same way. In a matter of minutes the expectation is that we will ask a good leading question that gets us into a conversation about Jesus. We might want to recognize cultural differences as well as simple etiquette. Conversation is the beginning of relationship. Relationship is the context for serious conversation.

RESPOND: 

• How do you feel about strangers (or recent acquaintances) jumping right into significant, personal questions?

• Would you feel more comfortable sharing your faith with someone you know well or a stranger?

• How can we go about developing solid relationships so we can share in meaningful conversations?

PRAY: Commit to relational courtesy. Ask God to help you build relationships that encourage serious conversation. Pray for wisdom in knowing when and how to speak about Jesus.

READ: Acts 18:24-28

REFLECT: 

• One of the more remarkable comments mentioned in this story is that Priscilla and Aquila “took him aside” to talk with him. Many teachers have experienced the moment when someone disagreed. Not everyone is as gracious as this couple. Some argue publicly, some contradict or correct in front of the rest of those being taught, while some even reprimand or shame the one they feel is in the wrong.

• The mark of mature leaders is respect for those they teach. They never seek to humiliate or embarrass. In fact, they go out of their way to see that doesn’t happen. Their kindness is evident and their motive is pure. What they want is to be sure the story of Jesus is accurate and complete, not that they can be seen as superior in their knowledge. While Apollos models humility/teachability, Priscilla and Aquila demonstrate grace and compassion.

• One of the marks of our Connect groups is “safety.” We seek an environment where questions can be asked without fear. There’s no expectation that anyone know everything nor that everyone knows something. Only that we all come willing to learn and grow as together we wrestle with God’s Word.

RESPOND: 

• Describe a time when you were embarrassed by the way someone tried to “teach you.”

• Why do you think people seek to appear superior to others in these situations?

• How can we cultivate a gracious heart like that of Priscilla and Aquila?

PRAY: Thank God for gracious, kind believers. Pray that we cultivate a safe environment for learning. Commit to being a kind, compassionate teacher.

READ: Acts 18:24-28

REFLECT: 

• It’s remarkable, really. Apollos is eloquent, instructed, fervent, and he taught accurately. But he still needed to grow more. Most who don’t want to teach are concerned they are not eloquent, learned or accurate. So, they don’t teach. Apollos is all those things, yet he needed further instruction himself. And he’s willing to receive it. He has what all good teachers need, a teachable spirit.

• It has often been noted that teachers learn more than their students. It’s true, if…; if they have a teachable spirit. Humility is a posture that allows for people to learn and grow. Even the best of teachers must recognize there is much to learn, both about the material and from one’s students. If that’s not recognized as true, eloquent speakers are not good teachers. The eloquent who lack humility love to hear themselves. Teachable teachers long to hear from others and learn from them.

• The most remarkable trait Luke identifies about Apollos is not his eloquence and previous training, nor even that he taught accurately. It’s that he was open to learning and appears to have received new teaching, incorporating it into his understanding. All of us who lead others in a study of Scripture should seek to be as teachable. We all have more to learn.

RESPOND: 

• If one (1) is low and ten (10) is high, how do you rate your teachability?

• What evidence shows that you are open to learn?

• How can we cultivate a teachable spirit?

PRAY: Thank God for those who are open to learning. Pray that you share that spirit of adventuresome learning. Ask God to bring across your path someone who can teach you.

READ: Acts 18:24-28; 19:1-10

REFLECT: 

• There’s just no getting around it, the early church required good teachers who could clarify the message of Jesus for those who did not yet believe. The story of Jesus as the Savior was only good news to those who understood what it meant. In order to know what it meant, someone had to teach. There was not yet a written record, so the truth was shared orally from person to person.

• Some recipients of the teaching were of Jewish heritage, so the teaching was clarifying the Jewish concerns of Jesus as Messiah. For others, Gentiles, the story of Jesus was up against the pagan teachings of the gods concerning how they sought to save broken humanity. In both cases, the news was new and required explanation. Thus, the church was gifted with teachers (Ephesians 4:11; Romans 12:6-8).

• We can all be grateful for the presence of those who are able to present the message of Jesus in an understandable, relevant way. For any of us to grow in the grace and knowledge of God, it will require those more informed and wiser than we are. And while we have beaucoup written helps, there is nothing as helpful as a person who will walk through the learning journey with us. One of the reasons for our Connect groups is just that, to put us into contact with people who are more knowledgeable and wiser than we are.

RESPOND: 

• Read Romans 12:6-8 and Ephesians 4:11. 

• Who has been a primary spiritual teacher for you?

• What made that person so helpful to you?

PRAY: Thank God for those who are able to help us understand Jesus and the Scriptures. Ask God to continue to raise up good teachers among us. Pray for a willing spirit that is open to learning.

A number of English translations effectively capture the heart of Luke’s comment in Acts 18:26. Standard translations state, “took him aside” (speaking of Priscilla and Aquila teaching Apollos). But others, in trying to express the sense of the occasion say, “they took him home” (Contemporary English Version, et al) or “they received him into their circle of friends…” (Common English Bible).

The essence of the text is that they listened to Apollos in a public place, the synagogue, but they spoke to him privately. It wasn’t a public contradiction. They didn’t embarrass him in front of others. They took him aside and there they taught. From there, Apollos returned to a strong, effective ministry of teaching the gospel.

We can be sure that the early believers didn’t call their home Bible studies, Connect Groups. They didn’t have labels like host, facilitator, or coach. What they had was an ongoing process of learning in order to grow into the likeness of Jesus. We could speculate that sometimes confrontation did occur. But, in this case, we see a very sensitive approach to helping a person become better informed and equipped about the story of Jesus.

That’s our goal. We long for Connect Groups that provide a safe place for conversational learning. We don’t call the group leaders, teachers. They are facilitators. We are hoping for lots of conversations around God’s Word as we connect with one another. We seek to cultivate safe spaces for questions and conversations. We intentionally plan for the development of relationships because we believe the best learning happens in that environment.

Thus, we hope to have lots of opportunities for dialogue and discussion, all happening in a place where confidence is kept and learning is mutual. We believe that best facilitates the kinds of changes that turn us into effective followers of Jesus.

READ: Acts 18:24-28; 19:1-10

REFLECT: 

• Whereever there are people, there will be varying understandings of God’s story. And what we see in Acts is the church seeking to make sure the story is clear and accurate. Even those versed in Jesus sometimes have it wrong. They may be powerful teachers in their own right, which makes addressing it even more important. Others may simply be under-informed and need additional information. In either case, teaching is needed.

• But it’s not merely that teaching is needed and takes place. It’s incumbent upon us to do so wisely and compassionately. Not that there’s no public confrontation or correction. In an act of discretion and kindness, Priscilla and Aquila take Apollos aside to teach him. Correction, yes; embarrassment, never. One of the hallmarks of these texts is the care in which the teaching occurs.

• One reason our Connect groups are so important is because of the context in which they occur. They are a safe place to learn. It’s understood that confidentiality is important and understood that people are not laughed at or scoffed for their misunderstandings. Instead, Connect studies provide a rich opportunity to learn and grow while doing life with those who deeply care about you. It’s why they are the key to our ongoing discipleship process.

RESPOND: 

• What was the first misunderstanding you had that someone needed to correct?

• How was it handled?

• How can we be sure to protect the safety of those who are learning and growing in our groups?

PRAY: Thank God for caring teachers and safe places in which to learn. Pray for our Connect ministry and for our upcoming Connect study. Commit to being a humble learner and a caring teacher.

READ: Acts 6:1-7

REFLECT: 

• Just as in Acts 4 there was an impact, so here there is as well. The immediate impact was that the hungry widows were fed. But it seems it also impacted others. It would have been the priests who were the care providers for the Jewish community. When they observed the Christian community doing so well at giving care, meeting needs and addressing their own oversights, a large group of priests became believers in Jesus.

• The effect of Scripture expanded. The number of disciples increased. There seems to be no end to the growth of the Kingdom of God as God’s ways of doing things gets done. It’s pretty amazing to think about. There had been persecution. There were physical needs. There was a case of oversight. There was a tragic act of discipline for lying about one’s intentions. Yet the church grew. 

• The world will be impacted by the gospel when the gospel impacts those who claim to obey it. There’s no fooling the world. They will not be surprised by our failure…they may even applaud it. But they will be deeply impacted by the success of caring for one another. Because so many have granted care to the government, when the church steps in and is the church, people take note. Good note.

RESPOND: 

• What experiences have you had with care-giving that have impacted/arrested the outside world?

• How can our Connect groups do a better job of demonstrating these practices?

• What can you do to be more intentional about meeting needs?

PRAY: Thank God for our connection with organizations like Horizons, Teen Reach and YoungLife. Pray that we are open to the needs of our community (both believers and not). Commit yourself to seeing people’s needs.

READ: Acts 6:1-7

REFLECT:

• Just a few episodes later, Luke records a case study of what is involved when a church seeks to have things in common—to be generous and caring. Each day people in need are receiving a distribution of food. In this case, it’s the widows that were involved. And, for some reason, the Greek widows are being overlooked. And that makes sense. It’s a Jewish community (Jerusalem) and at this point a Jewish church. But some of the widows have Greek as their primary language instead of Aramaic. 

• It’s interesting that it’s not the widows who call attention to the oversight. Someone notices and brings it to the attention of the apostles. Once known, the need is immediately met. Men who can be trusted (there’s that word again) are tasked with the responsibility to see that all widows are cared for going forward. Because that’s the church’s way of doing things: “all things in common.”

• It doesn’t appear there was any intentionality behind the oversight. No one was purposefully slighted. It was simply an oversight. It happens. People are people and that doesn’t imply impropriety. And response was immediate. People determined what tasks needed to be done; selected appropriate people to do them; and they all went forward with a renewed determination.

RESPOND: 

• When have you felt slighted or overlooked? 

• Describe a time when you stood up for someone you believed was being overlooked.

• How can a congregation become better at not overlooking anyone?

PRAY: Thank God for those who keep an eye out for those who have no voice. Pray that we never intentionally ignore a group of people. Ask God to help you be a catalyst to caring for others.

READ: Acts 4:32-37

REFLECT: 

• What preceded the acts of generosity were the attitudes that made it possible. Because the believers shared a common heart, they could share in common their goods. Oneness led to a deep generosity. It also led to a deep trust. Because they were one in heart and purpose, they believed in their leaders. They gave up houses and lands (and who knows what else) and gave it willingly to the apostles to distribute. They trusted the leaders to what was right.

• The value of land and houses is all relative to time and cultural milieu. But what doesn’t change is the action involved. To sell a house or land meant to give up something that couldn’t be retrieved. It wasn’t like giving up a paycheck that would be re-earned the next week. Land sold was simply gone and the proceeds given away. Depth of generosity is hard to measure. The impetus to give, not hard to figure out—unity of purpose and heart.

• These acts of generous trust happen all the time around here, too. People convert their time (sometimes their goods) into money that goes into the offering. That money leaves their control and is used to minister to both the Christian community and the broader community around us. It’s done in trust of the leadership to use it wisely. It’s done in the confidence that we share a unified heart and purpose. A congregation’s generosity is a clear sign of its compassion and its trust.

RESPOND: 

• Describe why you feel comfortable putting money into the church offering.

• When have you made a decision not to be generous with someone based on your lack of trust?

• Why do you suppose generosity (having things in common) is such a powerful testimony?

PRAY: Thank God for the times you have given the resources you had. Pray that you are willing to give. Thank God our leaders can be trusted with what we give.