Everyday Saints
Lydia — the single mom and business womanRead Acts 16:11-15
How is Lydia described in this passage?
What is Lydia's immediate reaction to when the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message?
How can you begin to respond to God in the same enthusiastic manner as Lydia? In what ways is it challenging to respond?
How did God use Lydia (see also Acts 16:40)? How open are you to allowing God to use you?
Read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
How is Christ's power made perfect? What do you think that means?
Why is it important for us as Christians to really understand this?
Our culture tells us to show off our strengths and downplay our weaknesses. How does this compare to what the Bible tells us?
When you accomplish something, who do you tend to credit? How much easier is it to give God His due credit when something is accomplished through you in an area of weakness?
Additional Study: Read 1 Samuel 16:7
What does this verses say is important to the Lord?
How is Lydia a reflection of this Old Testament passage?
Read Jeremiah 9:23-24
What does this passage advise against? What does it encourage?
What are your areas of strength? weakness? Have you considered letting God use you how He sees fit - including in your weak areas?
Read James 2:14-17
What does this passage say about a faith that does not urge one to action?
Using this passage, how does Lydia show that her faith is more than merely believing in Jesus?
How does your faith stack up in the action department? Pray this week that God will give you the faith to not only believe, but to also act.
Barnabas - The encourager/mentor
Read Acts 11:22-26
What is the description offered here in verse 23-24? If you were to write your own description of Barnabas, what do you imagine he would be like?
Which of these characteristics do you think God is wanting to develop in you?
In verse 25, Barnabas goes and gets Saul (who is later the Apostle Paul) and becomes his mentor. Who has played a role as a ‘Barnabas' in your life?
We are all called to play the role of mentor and equipper in someone's life. To whom do you think God is calling you to be a ‘Barnabas?'
Read Acts 13:1-12 for another scene in Barnabas' life. What is the main driving force described over and over here?
How do you see the Holy Spirit manifest in your life?
Read Ephesians 4:29-32
What is the command in this passage? What is the reason given for why this is important?
Why is this hard in our culture? What values do we have as a culture that make encouragement so hard to come by?
If you had to rate yourself as an ‘encourager,' how would you come out? Why?
Who is the most encouraging person you know? What is it like to be around this person? Why?
Who is God specifically calling you to encourage today?
Read Hebrews 3:12-14
What is the warning in this passage for believers? What is the instruction?
What are the areas of your life where you've felt your heart get a little harder?
Read Colossians 3:15-17
How does this passage advise us to live? Make a list.
Read v. 16 again. How is "teaching and admonishing" one another a working definition of encouragement?
Read 1 Peter 1:22, 4:8
When Peter says to "love one another," how would you describe what that looks like in everyday life?
How is the command to really love one another fulfilled when we live to encourage each other?
Philip -
the conversational evangelist
Read Acts 8:26-38
What do you notice about what Philip does as he engages the Ethiopian man?
When you think about sharing the gospel, what holds you back?
What do you notice about the Ethiopian man that might have "opened the door" to Philip sharing the gospel?
When you look at the people in your immediate social circle, how many are in need of the love and guidance of Jesus Christ? What names come to mind?
How can you begin to notice and seize opportunities to share (even if its just a little) of this faith that has given you hope?
Read Matthew 28:16-20
Re-read this passage as if you've never heard it before. What challenges you? What encourages you?
Why is it so important to Jesus that we get engaged in His mission? What keeps you from doing so?
Read Philippians 2:7-14
What is the primary "surpassing greatness" that you have experienced in knowing Jesus Christ? How would you put that into words?
Put in your own words what Paul is saying here. How do you identify with his point? How are you still growing in your ability to be "found in Him?"
Read 1 Peter 4:12-19
Read this passage. What jumps out at you? What do you think God is saying to you through this?
What trials and sufferings have you experienced specifically because you are a Christian (read specifically v. 14-16)? How can these be considered joy?
Stephen -
the man of passion & conviction
Read Acts 6:8-15
When you read this excerpt about Stephen, what is the description given?
What other character qualities do you glean from the text (spec. vs. 10 and 15)?
What can you say about Stephen based on the response he gets from people in verse 11? What would it feel like to be falsely accused because of your faith?.
What would it take to be able to stand up under this kind of pressure?
The rest of ch.6 and all of ch.7 are Stephen's response to these charges. Read the end of ch.7, starting in v. 51. What other qualities do you notice about Stephen?
How intent are you at cultivating these qualities (or letting God cultivate them) in your life? Why are these challenging? How could they be powerful?
Read Joshua 1:1-9
Underline each occurrence of the word "will" that occurs here. How many times does God make a promise about what He will do if Joshua follows Him?
What is the command God gives Joshua three times in vs. 6-9? What instruction is connected with each one?
How are you doing at following these instructions in your own life? How do you think they support your ability to "be strong and courageous?"
In v. 9, what is the promise God leaves with Joshua? How does it compare with Jesus' promise in the last verse of Matthew?
Read Psalm 34:1-10
What is the conviction of the psalmist in v. 1-3? Where does praise rank on your to-do list with God?
What are the promises in vs. 4-10 (list them)? Which do you need to hear today?
Read Colossians 3:15-17
How would you describe the "peace of Christ" in your life? How does that relate to the story of Stephen?
What are the instructions in this passage that could lead to even more "peace?"
Read 1 Peter 5:6-7
God cares for you. Specifically. Memorize this verse and what it means
Printer Friendly Format