How to use this Bible Study

If you are in a group: Complete the sections that have a white background together. The sections with a peach background should be completed individually. Then come back together and talk about what you have written.

If you are doing a solo devotional: Read through and complete the journalling prompts as usual, and use the discussion questions as an additional journaling prompt.

Opening Prayer

Jesus -
Thank you for the time we spent with you this week. We welcome the Holy Spirit to join our discussion as we share what you have revealed to us through out the last week. Let us speak truth to each other that can only come from You.
Amen

Homework Discussion

Ask one or two people to summarize the reading from the homework. Did your reading bring up any new questions?
Based on the homework, what are some of the powers of the Holy Spirit?
Have you experienced the “quiet guiding” of the Holy Spirit or the sense of being filled by the
Holy Spirit?
How can you know that what you are receiving is from the Holy Spirit?
Jesus says that the Holy Spirit can only come if He leaves (John 16:7-16). What do you think the world would be like if Jesus had stayed? What benefits are we given because the Holy Spirit came?
What names are given to the Holy Spirit?

It is easy to spend your entire discussion time on the questions above. Make sure you leave 15 minutes towards the end of your meeting time to complete the reading below and additional discussion questions.

Read Aloud Together

Assign one person to read each of the following sections.

Acts 5:1 - 11
Acts 5:12 - 16
Acts 5:17 - 28
Acts 5:29 - 42

Discussion Questions

Why did the Holy Spirit strike the husband and wife dead? (v. 1 - 11)
What consquences did Peter and the other apostles face when they preached in public?
What consequences would you face if you shared the gospel?
You probably live in an area with multiple churches and surrounded by people who hold the title of “Christian.” Do you think it is still worth it to tell people about Jesus?

Homework

Read Acts 6 - 8 and Isaiah 53 in preparation for Session Three. Below is a suggested reading schedule for two, three or five days a week. For your convenience, the text for the homework is in the PDF in the World English Bible Translation (WEB) is available at the top of the page.

Continue highlighting the themes of this study, and noting the locations that the gospel has spread on your map.

Reminder: If sitting down with a printed Bible is not available to you in this season of life (or just this week), feel free to complete the reading using your preferred Bible app. There are also audio versions of the Bible that can be read to you. God is able to meet you wherever you are.

About Isaiah 53

We are stepping out of Acts for a moment, to read the full chapter that the Ethiopian Man was reading in Acts 8. Isaiah was a prophet from God. Through out his life he reminded the people of God’s promises, urged them to keep the faith, and warned them of what would happen if they walked away from God. Isaiah ends his writings by encouraging the Israelites to have hope, because God has a plan to restore all people.

That plan is Jesus. This chapter in Isaiah was written more than 500 years before Jesus’ birth. While Isaiah does not name Jesus, his prophecies clearly point to the Gospel. As you read this chapter, make a note of where you see Jesus in this passage.