Dangerous Word Night, March 18 - 24

In Acts 4:1-22, we begin to see Peter and John start fanning the flame that was sparked from the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  These were two normal, uneducated, untrained men.  They didn’t have the formal education that the religious elite had, nor did they have the Old Testament memorized.  They were hard-working, blue collar guys.  In many ways, we can relate to these guys.

Do you see any of yourself in Peter or John?  How about in how you rely on the Holy Spirit to lead you? 

Is “bold” a characteristic that your friends would use to describe you?  Why or why not?

Did Peter and John possess anything that we lack that would prevent us from exhibiting this same type of boldness?

Do people often recognize you as a Christian by your actions, your speech, your attitude, or the way you interact with others? (vs. 13) How would you describe our Westernized model of Christianity in comparison to what Peter and John demonstrated in Ch. 4? 

Peter and John’s boldness and courage literally left the most elite religious group in 1^st century Jerusalem speechless.  Their actions and their speech were both taken into account, not just one or the other.  On a scale of 1-10, how would you characterize your boldness in actions?  How about your speech?  Is there a big difference between the two?  If so, why?

Verse 20 says, “For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”  A dangerous church is a church that shares the Gospel liberally.  They’re driven by a conviction to share the Good News of Jesus, regardless if it’s illegal, or will pose a threat to themselves.  Peter and John understood that the Gospel is worth dying for.  There is no other message as precious, as important, or as powerful that could change someone’s eternal destination from death to life.  How are you doing at sharing the Gospel with your sphere of influence?  What can you improve?  Do you need to drastically re-think your schedule and priorities so that you can do whatever it takes to get the Gospel to your neighbors? 

Take some time to share stories of how people in your group are sharing the Gospel with their sphere of influence.  Encourage them, pray for them, and send them out to share the Good News! 

If you haven’t already, set up a system of accountability for your members so that they can be held accountable to each other for sharing the Gospel this week.