Confrontation and Courage for All

Courage is captivating.

Whether it’s a misfit hero rising on a gimpy leg to face overwhelming odds, two friends breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, or Gandalf taking a stand against a fearsome foe, our favorite moments in movies, life, and legend are defined by courage.

But how might we live in the courage that so stirs our hearts? Where can we find the fight we need to step boldly into the confrontation between good and evil?

The book of Acts chapter 4 provides a path. This week, we will see it, explore it, and perhaps even walk that path together.

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SEE IT // BE IT

(Weekly Community Group Discussion Guide)

Date: September 18, 2016 // Title: Confrontation and Courage for All

Scripture: Acts 4:1-31

ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes
Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out.

SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes
We continue the big theme from Acts—What does it mean to be “living” God? Peter and John proclaim in boldness the way Jesus taught them to live after a confrontation from a “good deed done” (healing a man). They are brought before the power brokers of their time, who are threatened by the alternative source of power being demonstrated. It is a new King, a new way, through a new temple, with a new hope for a new kingdom from a new Savior. They show us how to walk with a free and fearless confidence and a cheerful courage—not through some individual virtue but through the strength that comes from a community value—a connection to a body that prays together and brings requests to a sovereign God in unity. We aren’t courageous alone. We see that we live not in fearful times, but in times that are an invitation for living in courage, trusting a Good Father, connecting to courageous community and hoping in an unshakeable kingdom.

THE MAIN THOUGHT Keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion.
We will need courage to continue in “the way” as we are confronted with the friction of the world around us.

SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes
Picture (What is the story saying?): In what ways are the powerful people threatened by Peter and John? How could Peter and John change the way people think about those people?
Mirror (Where am I in the story?): We live in a time filled with crisis, consumerism, and celebrity being pushed in front of us 24 hours a day. Do you react with fear and withdrawal from the shaking, or do you trust that God is sovereign, in control and inviting us to join in with him?
Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What’s shaking you right now? So often we aren’t aware of the things that are affecting us.

BE IT – Practice
Change UP // Exercise 7 minutes
We have a Good Father offering us his hands to give us the courage to run forward (like Jon’s daughter, Bethany, in the video). Take some time to think about where you need to grab on to be able to go in courage. His hands are there. Confess anything holding you back, and in your own mind see yourself taking his hands and leaning forward.
Change IN // Group Activity 15 minutes
Being with Jesus isn’t an individual virtue, it’s a community value. The community in Acts 4 clearly knew the Psalms. They used them for inspiration, prayer and worship. Find a Psalm (or use Psalm 2) to pray or sing. Talk about what’s been shaking you. Cultivate courage in your community by being united in asking God to move in those things in prayer.
Change OUT // Life Application Assignment 15 minutes
What “good deed done” could your community come together to do that would shake things up? Would it create friction or challenge the normal story we are presented with? Why?

CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes
Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week.