Grow Guide | May 1, 2022
May 1, 2022
Life In His Name
Acts 9:1-19a
Connecting Questions
Have you ever heard of a celebrity who had a conversion experience and suddenly became a Christian? How did you respond?
In all honesty, what type of person (in general terms, not naming individuals) would you find it difficult to call a “brother or sister in Christ?” Why?
Context
We continue our Life in His Name series this week by jumping into the story of the first generation of Jesus’ students found in the book of Acts. Much has happened since Jesus physically left the earth. His students began to proclaim the Good News of Jesus and thousands of people trusted that Jesus is the Messiah. The first students of Jesus were primarily Jews and they all stayed in Jerusalem and shared everything in common. It started out well.
Things changed in Acts chapter 7 when a man named Stephen was stoned to death in the street for teaching about Jesus. The students of Jesus scattered. A Pharisee named Saul made it his mission to hunt down Jesus’ students, arrest them, and have them executed. This is where our story begins.
Look at the Book
Read Acts 9:1-9.
What was Saul’s mission?
What did Saul encounter on the road?
What happened to Saul?
Read Acts 9:10-16.
What did the Lord ask Ananias to do?
Why was Ananias resistant to these instructions? How do you think you would have reacted to the Lord’s request?
Read Acts 9:17-19a.
How did Ananias refer to Saul?
What happened to Saul as a result of Ananias’ obedience to the Lord’s directions?
Taking it Home
Try to put yourself in Ananias’ shoes. You have lived your whole life watching the Empire crucify thousands of people for treason. Now you are considered a radical because you trust that Jesus is Lord instead of Caesar. You might die for it. How would you feel when word came that Saul was on his way?
What are some factors that make it difficult to trust that someone who is very different than you can be a trusted sibling in Christ?
What steps might we take, individually and as a congregation, to break down the barriers that keep us from trusting those who are different and/or scary to us?