THE TEXT: Acts 16:1-40.

5 Things to Do When Your Plans Don’t Pan Out: 

  1. Stay and get godly and . 

| Acts 16:1-10 | Proverbs 16:9 | Proverbs 29:18 KJV |

  1. Go where and trust .  

| Acts 16:11-15 |

  1. Discern how to or , through the .

| Acts 16:16-18 |

  1. and God through it anyway. 

| Acts 16:19-34 | 1 Thessalonians 5:17 | John 6:40 |

  1. Remember your is in .  

| Acts 16:35-40 | Philippians 3:20 | 2 Corinthians 4:17 |

 

Small Group Questions

 

What do you think?

Have someone quickly re-read the fill-ins from Sunday’s message. Then share what particular point(s) stood out to you, challenged you, or raised a question for you.

The story of your life.

Tell about a time when your plan did not pan out but God worked it out even better.

Digging deeper in God’s Word.

    1. The Book of Job tells the story of a righteous man who, despite immense suffering and loss, maintains his faith in God. Seemingly, in a single day, all of Job’s plans for his life were destroyed. Read Job 1:13-22 and answer the following prompts. 
      1. Have a few members recap the story in their own words.

      2. How can Job’s story encourage us to maintain faith and worship through our own difficulties?

      3. What does this passage tell us about God? People and yourself?

    2. One of the best New Testament examples of trusting that God is working when the plans are not working out is the birth narrative of Jesus Christ. Read Luke 2:1-7 and answer the following prompts.
      1. Put yourself in Mary’s shoes. What do you think she was going through emotionally, physically, and spiritually?

      2. Put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. What do you think he was going through emotionally, physically, and spiritually?

      3. Put yourself in the innkeeper’s shoes. What do you think he was going through emotionally, physically, and spiritually?

      4. In light of this, what can we learn about what God wants us to do when plans don’t seem to be working out.

    3. Read the following verses out loud one at a time. Then share as many insights as possible from the text on what to do when our own plans don’t pan out.
      1. Psalm 37:23-24

      2. Romans 8:28

      3. Isaiah 55:8-9

      4. Proverbs 19:21

      5. Jeremiah 29:11

      6. Isaiah 41:10

      7. 1 Peter 5:7

      8. Hebrews 13:5

Personal reflection and application.

  1. Have everyone share one thing someone else shared in the discussion that struck a chord with you.

  2. Pray for one another (men with men and women with women if possible).

THE TEXT: Acts 15 – The Jerusalem Council and the separation of Paul and Barnabas.

THE APPLICATION: 5 things needed to turn potential relational battles into real-life breakthroughs for the Gospel.

  • Both the right and the right are .

| Acts 15:8-11 | Matthew 7:21-23 | John 14:6 | Romans 10:8-9 | Mark 12:30-31 | 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 |

  • Make sure everyone gets a , feels , and that the people do not . 

| Acts 15:5-6 | 1 John 5:14 | Psalm 34:6 | Matthew 9:12 | 1 Corinthians 14:26 |

  • Be willing to the hard issues but be to leave with .

| Acts 15:24-25 | John 1:14 | Romans 12:18, 14:19 | 2 Timothy 2:24-26 | Proverbs 18:21, 17:27, 29:11 | Matthew 18:15-20 |

  • Keep the language , , and focused. 

| Acts 15:31 | John 15:11 | Colossians 4:6 | Ephesians 4:25-29 | Proverbs 15:1 |

  • Trust that Jesus is working on the when the don’t go .

| Acts 15:36-41 | 1 Corinthians 9:6 | 2 Timothy 4:11 |

 

 

Small Group Questions

 

Getting to know you.

Welcome to your first session of Fall 2024 Small Groups! We are so glad you set this time apart for spiritual growth and fellowship. Let’s take a few moments to get to know each other.

  1. Have everyone share their name, something about themselves, and something they did over the summer.

  2. A couple ice breakers:
    1. What is your favorite snack?

    2. Does anyone have a hidden/secret talent they’re willing to share?

Take a moment now to go through City Church’s “Small Group Top 10 List.” It can be found on the “Church Center App” by tapping groups, then resources.

What do you think?

What part of last Sunday’s service struck a chord with you?

The story of your life.

Tell about a relational battle in your life that has seen tremendous improvement, maybe that you would even call a breakthrough.

Digging deeper in God’s Word.

  1. For today’s discussion, we will focus on Bible verses that help guide us to God’s breakthrough in the midst of potential relational battles. Perhaps the most powerful concept in all of the Scriptures on this topic is the way of love. Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 and answer the following questions.
    1. What does this passage tell us about God? Love? People and ourselves?

    2. If anyone is willing, have them share about a time when they felt loved through a conflict. What did the other person do that caused you to feel seen and loved? How did that experience change you?

  2. Read the following verses out loud one at a time. Then share as many insights as possible from the text on turning potential relational battles into real-life breakthroughs.
    1. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.

    2. 2 Timothy 2:22-26.

    3. Proverbs 15:1, 18:21, 17:27, 29:11.

Personal reflection and application.

  1. One of the things we try to do at the end of small group is to share one thing someone else said that struck a chord with you. A little hack for next time: write them down as people share! It helps! So take a minute and have a few people share one thing someone else shared that blessed you.

  2. Pray for one another (preferably men with men and women with women if possible). Larger groups may need to break into even smaller groups for the sake of time.

THE TEXT: Acts 14:1-28

 

5 Traits of Spiritual Grit: 

  1. Spiritual Grit: Invests instead of taking the .

| Acts 14:1-4 |

 

  1. Spiritual Grit: and trusts the to bring .

| Acts 14:3 | Acts 1:8 | Matthew 5:14-16 | Acts 14:5-7 |

 

  1. Spiritual Grit: Seeks amidst to point to . 

| Acts 14:8-17 |

 

  1. Spiritual Grit: Takes but never .

| Acts 14:18-20 | 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 |

 

  1. Spiritual Grit: Overcomes and turns it into for . 

| Acts 14:21-28 |

THE TEXT: Acts 13.

  • Be sure to constantly remind yourself called you… and you’re it!

| Acts 13:1-3, 9 | 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 | 2 Corinthians 12:9 |

  • It won’t always be but the will be it.

| Acts 13:8, 45, 50 | 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 | James 1:12 | 2 Timothy 4:7-8 | Matthew 25:23 |

  • When everyone plays their on the , it’s .

| Acts 13:12, 48, 51 | 1 Corinthians 12:1-31 | Ephesians 2:10 |

  •  You’re never doing .

| Acts 13:21, 51 | Galatians 6:9-10 | Matthew 9:37-38 |

THE TEXT: Acts 12:1-25.

  • Let prayer be your not your .

| Acts 12:1-5 | Luke 9:54-55 |

Praying through problems…

  • Brings .

| Acts 12:6 | Philippians 4:6-7 | John 21:18-19 | Isaiah 26:3 | 1 Peter 5:7 |

  • Helps you the problems. 

| Acts 12:7-11 | Isaiah 43:2 | Romans 5:3-4 | Psalm 119:105 |

  • us with God’s . 

| Acts 12:12-19 | Luke 18:1-7 | Isaiah 55:8-9 | Matthew 20:20-23 | Luke 22:42 |

  • Brings God’s .

| Acts 12:20-25 | 1 John 2:16 |

A Christian is someone who has accepted as their and , is pursuing a life of to , and who in faith unto .

| Romans 10:8-11, 12:1-12 | Matthew 24:13 |

THE TEXT: Acts 11-12:3

Maturing Christians…

  • Help other Christians . 

| Acts 11:1-4, 18; John 15:1-11 | 1 Corinthians 13:11 | Ephesians 4:11-14 |

  • Fight to our … !

| Acts 11:19-26 | Romans 12:1-2 |

  • The of the is them.

| Acts 11:21 | Exodus 14:14 | 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 | 2 Chronicles 16:9 |

  • !

| Acts 11:27-29 | Micah 6:8 | James 1:27, 4:14-26 |

  • Process through the and of .

| Acts 12:1-3 | 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 |

  • What is from this ? Not … (the )!

| Acts 11:16-17, 24 | Ezekiel 36:26-27 | John 16:7-24 | Romans 8:26, 15:13 | Ephesians 1:13-14 |

“MANAGING CHANGE” GRAPHIC

THE STORY: Acts 10

  • A spiritual who knew he was something.

| Acts 10:9-20 |

  • A genuine who was struggling to a new way of .

| Romans 11:32 | John 16:8 | Acts 10:21-24 |

  • GOD’S VISION: The is for .

| John 6:44 | Proverbs 3:5-6 | Acts 10:25-29, 34-48 |

Getting (and staying) on board with God’s vision looks like…

  • Continually in my spiritual growth .

| Romans 12:2 | Joshua 1:8 |

  • Walking with the through some very steps.

| Acts 10:7-8 | Acts 1:8 |

  • A lifelong commitment to the of .

| 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 | Luke 15:7 |

1 Corinthians 13:13

FAITH

Psalm 100:1-5

Worship – “This I Believe (The Creed)”

Jeremiah 29:12-13

James 4:7-10

1 Peter 5:6-7

Revelation 3:20

Worship – “Trust In God”

LOVE

Zephaniah 3:17

1 John 4:19

Worship – “God Really Loves Us”

Mark 12:30-31

Matthew 25:40

Philippians 2:4

Worship – “Jesus We Love You”

HOPE

Psalm 90:2

Revelation 4:8

Revelation 4:11

Worship – “Holy Forever”

Psalm 121:2

Job 42:2

Psalm 34:18

Psalm 4:8

Psalm 75:1

Worship – “10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)”

NOTES:

THE TEXT: Acts 9:32-43

God’s plan and desire is to work , , and even  in the Church.

God’s work in our Needs, Challenges and Problems:

  • Opportunities to show up in and ways.

| Acts 9:34 | Acts 3:16; 4:10-11 |

  • Opportunities for to and others.

| Acts 9:41 | Philippians 1:6; 2:13-15 | Ephesians 2:10 |

  • Opportunities for others to be to faith in Jesus.

| Acts 9:35,42; | Mark 5:18-20 |

  • Opportunities to bring to God.

| Ephesians 3:21 | Matthew 5:16 | Ephesians 1:19-20 |

Oh, and by the way…

  • God is continually putting followers in situations to our understanding of the of .

| Acts 9:43 |

Is this just a Bible story or is it MY STORY?

 

Scripture References:

| Galatians 6:9-10 | 1 Timothy 6:17-18 | Jeremiah 31:3 | John 14:10-14 | Hebrews 13:15-16, 20-21 | 1 Peter 2:9 | John 4:39-41 |

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