1. Read Acts 19:1-12. What miraculous gifts and unusual signs manifest the Holy Spirit’s power? How does Luke direct us toward the purpose of these power displays (vv. 8–10, 20)? Why are we often more drawn to seeking dramatic signs, feelings, or quick breakthroughs than committing to the steady, faithful study and obedience of God's Word?

2. Read Acts 19:21-41. Demetrius and the silversmiths rioted because the gospel directly threatened their financial livelihood and civic pride. What does direct gospel opposition look like today? What does it look like to walk in the Spirit in the face of opposition?

3. Read Acts 19:11-16. The sons of Sceva tried to blend the name of Jesus with occult practices. Today, syncretism often looks like mixing a little Christianity with pop psychology, consumerism, horoscopes, or partisan politics. What cultural ideas or worldly values are you most tempted to blend into your faith? What is the alternative to this sort of manipulation?

4. Read Acts 19:17-20. The Ephesian believers responded to conviction by publicly burning millions of dollars worth of magic scrolls they had secretly harbored. What "scrolls" or compromising habits do Christians quietly hold onto in our day? What would radical, costly repentance look like for you this week?

5. Spend time praying for one another, and remember also to pray this week for the persecuted church. Learn more about the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church at https://idop.org/

1. In your experience, how have you been a part of a team that accomplished a BIG task? What are some parallels to Christians partnering to serve Christ together?

2. What is Gospel Partnership? What does this look like in your singleness or marriage?

3. Read John 13:34-35. Who are your Gospel Partners? Include examples of how the Gospel is being  spoken to each other and/or to non-Christians as well as how the Gospel is shining through loving actions.

4. Describe a Christian marriage you’ve observed that speaks a loud Gospel message.

5. Read Acts 18:9-11. What are specific ways Jesus encourages Paul while in Corinth? (Consider His presence, power, and purpose.)

6. Review some of VBCC’s Mission Partners and spend time praying for them.

1. Read Acts 17:16-21. When Paul arrives in the great city of Athens, what stands out to him? What assessment does Luke the narrator add (v21)? In what ways do you think our culture in 21st C Virginia Beach might mirror that of Athens? What might Paul & his team notice if they walked the boardwalk during tourist season? 
   

2. Read Acts 17:22-26. Paul pairs God’s immense sovereignty with His intimate involvement in determining our specific times, places, and families. How would the story be different if one side or the other of that pairing weren’t true (ie, God was powerful, but not involved, or vice versa)? How does reflecting on God's sovereign, intentional design for your life change how you view your current circumstances or struggles?

3. Read Acts 17:27-30. According to Paul, why has God designed our lives the way he has (v27)? What is the difference between a relationship with his God and the patterns of idolatry among his hearers?
   

4. Paul points out the absurdity of created human beings trying to craft or define the Divine using gold, silver, stone, or imagination. What modern "gods" or pursuits do people most commonly turn to today for security, status, or identity, and how do we recognize when a good thing has become an idol? What does repentance look like?
    

5. Read Acts 17:31-34 The sermon concludes by shifting the focus from competing intellectual philosophies to the concrete reality of the resurrected Christ. What is the practical difference in your daily life between treating Christianity as a set of convincing arguments versus submitting to Jesus as a living, reigning Person?

1. What type of music lifts your spirits? Do you have a favorite Get Hyped song?

2. Read Acts 16:16-40. Bloody and battered in the stocks of a lightless prison, Paul and Silas spent the night “praying and singing hymns to God” (vv. 23-25). Why do you think they did this? What does this reveal about their attitudes toward self, God, circumstances the other prisoners, or the jailer?

3. Read Acts 16:35-39. How did Paul and Silas deal with Roman officials in Philippi?

4. Read Romans 13:1-7. Compare what Paul says here to what he practices in Acts. Does he practice what he preaches? How or how not? In what ways can you apply his teaching and example?

5. If asked, “What must I do to be saved?” how would you respond?

6. How would you normally respond to persecution or pain? How can you adopt Paul and Silas’s response and attitude (vv. 23-25)? Look and pray for a specific chance to do this?

These questions are adapted from NavPress. (1987). Lesson Thirteen Acts 15:36-17:15 Paul and Silas. Life Change Series: Acts. Colorado Springs, CO.

1. Have you ever encountered a situation where long-standing traditions clashed with the aim of welcoming new people into the faith? How are we to handle church controversy with the grace and truth?

2. Read Acts 15:1-21. What controversy was the Jerusalem Council resolving? How did the testimony of key leaders (Peter, Paul & Barnabas, James) combine to bring the council to unity?

3. Read Romans 13:9-10. In the sermon, we saw how many Old Testament commands are re-instituted in the New Testament as applications of the law of love. How does viewing God's commands through the "law of love" change how you approach obedience and Christian ethics?

4. Read Acts 15:36-41. Paul and Barnabas experienced a sharp disagreement over mission companions, yet God used both of their teams. Can you share a time when a painful or sharp disagreement led to unexpected fruit? How we can disagree without being toxic?

5. Acts 15 recounts two different disagreements. The core gospel issue at the beginning of Acts 15 required church-wide unity. The personal disagreement between Paul and Barnabas regarding mission travel companions was a matter of preference. How can we discern which issues in our church or personal lives demand our complete unity versus those where we can peacefully differ? Can you think of contemporary examples of each? Spend time praying for the unity and purity of the church, both locally and globally.

1. . Can you remember a time when you followed God into a situation that felt scary or ambiguous? Tell the story. What was the occasion? How did it go? What growth did you experience as a result?

2. Review Acts 13-14. Mission requires going. Look at a map outlining Paul & Barnabas’ first missionary journey online or in the back of your Bible. Which part of the journey do you think would have been most challenging if you were part of their team? What does going look like for you in this season of life?

3. Compare Paul's scriptural sermon in Acts 13:15-41 to his message in Lystra in Acts 14:15-17. How do these two messages differ? How are they the same? Why is listening and noticing essential before sharing the gospel?

4. Read Act 14:1-23. In the sermon Robb said, “Growth begets tension, tension begets growth, and both contribute to gospel advance.” Show examples of this dynamic in the verses you just read. How have you seen spiritual growth or kingdom progress emerge from a period of tension, conflict, or hardship in your own life or church family?

5. Read Acts 14:27 How do Paul & Barnabas describe God’s work on the trip? Who is affected? Spend time praying for people in your life who have yet to surrender to Jesus, that God would open a door of faith for them.

1. Daniel Henderson contrasted living as a "powerboat" (achieving on our own engine and effort) versus a "sailboat" (receiving direction and power from God). In your daily life right now, which one feels closer to your reality?

2. Read Acts 13:1–3. The Holy Spirit directed the church while they were fasting and worshiping, not strategizing. Why does God consistently launch His biggest movements when His people draw near in prayer and worship, rather than simply "looking busy"?

3. The biblical fuel for mission is the joy of worship, not guilt or duty. How does your attitude toward sharing your faith change when worship is the starting point?

4. Read Acts 13:44-52. Paul and Barnabas faced intense opposition in Antioch of Pisidia, yet they pressed on because they knew God had sent them. How does remembering that you are sent under God’s authority change how you handle fear, awkwardness, or rejection?

5. Biblically, every Christian is a "sent one," not just cross-cultural missionaries. Where has God specifically sent you right now (your neighborhood, job, school, gym), and who in that space needs the hope of Jesus? Spend time praying together over these names.

6. Missions turns the "them" into the "us" so that more people worship God (Acts 13:48). Is there a step of faith or an invitation the Holy Spirit is nudging you to make this week to help someone move from "them" to "us"?

1. Begin your discussion by reviewing last week’s memory verse, Luke 9:23. Offer your group members the opportunity to recite it from memory. This week’s verse is Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’”

2. Share about a time when you noticed something that had gone unnoticed for a long time. What caused you to start noticing it?

3. Read Matthew 28:16-20.

4. How is the Great Commission a result of the resurrection of Jesus? What does that mean for how we receive and apply Jesus’s words?

5. A disciple is a learner, someone who follows Jesus. In this passage, it is disciples who are told to make disciples. What does it practically look like to be a disciple who makes disciples?

6. Disciples don’t make disciples on their own; they do it together, in community. How is community important to you as a disciple and as you make disciples?

7. In the sermon, Family Ministry was described as disciplemaking ministry in which the life of the church shapes the discipleship of families. What opportunities are there for you and your community group to shape the discipleship of VBCC’s families (within or outside your group)?

• Begin your discussion by reviewing last week’s memory verse, Matthew 11:28-30. Offer your group members the opportunity to recite it from memory. This week’s verse is Luke 9:23, “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’”

• Share about an experience you’ve had, whether in work or relationships, where you were surprised by the cost of maintaining it. For example, you made a purchase with hidden expenses or a friendship starting easy, but growing difficult over time, etc.

• Read Luke 9:23-27. What is Jesus saying in these verses? Who is Jesus speaking to? What is the reward for those who answer Jesus’ call?

• Notice the preceding context in verses 21-22. What might Jesus’ hearers expect when they are told to “take up your cross daily”?

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.”  What does self-denial look like in your life? Is there “a daily cross” you have hesitated to take up? How can we as a group support one another to deny ourselves and follow Jesus?

1. This week is the first of this year’s Community Series on Jesus’ model of discipleship. For this series, we encourage your group to memorize Scripture together. Next week, you will review verses to begin discussion. Your first verse is Matthew 11:28-30,

   Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. - Matthew 11:28-30

2. Who does Jesus invite? What does Jesus invite them to come to him for? What does he promise in return?

3. What does it mean that Jesus is “gentle and lowly in heart”? How does this description motivate us to respond?

4. In his book Gentle and Lowly, Dane Ortlund writes, “You don’t need to unburden or collect yourself and then come to Jesus. Your very burden is what qualifies you to come. No payment is required; he says, ‘I will give you rest.’ His rest is gift, not transaction. Whether you are actively working hard to crowbar your life into smoothness (‘labor’) or passively finding yourself weighed down by something outside your control (‘heavy laden’), Jesus Christ’s desire that you find rest, that you come in out of the storm, outstrips even your own.” Do you agree with this quote? Which of the two postures (labor or heavy laden) best describes you?

5. What are ways besides Jesus that you look for rest, or a feeling of relief or being okay? How do you think the rest that Jesus offers might be different?

6. What is a practical step you can take this week to go to Jesus for rest?

1.    What stood out in the sermon? What were major takeaways that you had?

2.    Read Verse 1-6: What were the four things we saw in the sermon about God’s design for the creation?

3.    Read Verse 7-11: What characteristic of God’s Word stands out most to you? Why?

4.    How does God’s word orient how you think about yourself, others, your circumstances, and God himself? Where do your thoughts about these four categories need to be corrected by God’s Word?

5.    Read Verse 12-13: What were the characteristics about sin from these verses that were mentioned in the sermon?

6.    What are specific bible verses that speak to sin struggles you have?

7.    We talked about how in verse 14, the psalmist joins in on the song. How can you, as a community group, join in on God’s global purposes?
One idea: Consider praying for a nation each time you gather using Joshua Project or Operation World – resources that give you specific things to pray for related to each nation

8.    Close by praying as a group for people at VBCC to be raised up and sent out to the nations, and that we here in Virginia Beach would reach the nations who are among us.

Joshua Project Electronic Resources can be found here: https://joshuaproject.net/pray/unreachedoftheday

Operation World Hard Copy Resource to pray with as a family: https://www.ivpress.com/pray-for-the-world

1. Read Proverbs 9:1–6, 13–15. The chapter contrasts Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly, both of whom call out to the "simple" and those who "lack sense." How would you describe the "voice" of Wisdom versus the "voice" of Folly in today’s world? Where do you hear these two voices competing for your attention in your daily life?

2. In what ways do these two ladies’ banquets differ from one another? Why do you think Folly’s "stolen" offer is often more tempting, even when it’s empty? What are some modern "stolen waters" that people are often lured by?

3. Look again at verses 5-6 and 18. What are the two outcomes for those who attend the two banquets? Reflecting on this, why do you think it is so difficult for the "simple" person to see the difference between these two outcomes until it is too late?

4. Read Proverbs 4:10-13. Throughout the prologue of Proverbs (chapters 1-9), we frequently hear the voice of a father saying, "My son". Why do you think wisdom requires this kind of urgent, personal transfer from one generation to the next, rather than just being something we figure out on our own? Who has played that "fatherly" or "mentor" role in helping you discern God’s wisdom in your life?

5. Read 1 Corinthians 1:22-24 and Colossians 2:2-3. Proverbs 9 describes wisdom as a lady who prepares a banquet for the simple. The New Testament points to Jesus as the true embodiment of this wisdom. How does it change your perspective to view the invitation of Proverbs 9 not just as a metaphor for "being smart," but as an invitation to a relationship with Jesus? What does it look like to "turn in" to His banquet today?

1. Share a lesson you learned the hard way. What happened? Were you warned ahead of time? If so, why didn’t you listen?

2. Read Proverbs 1:1-6. What details do you notice about wisdom in these verses? What are the synonyms used to describe wisdom?

3. What is the difference between a proverb and a rule (or statute)? Why doesn’t the Bible include a step-by-step book to tell you how to become healthy, wealthy, and wise?

4. Read Proverbs 1:20-22. Who are the three types of people mentioned in this verse? What does Wisdom call us as readers? What is a scoffer? What makes a someone a fool?

5. Read Proverbs 1:7. What is the fear of the LORD? How does God want us to fear him (cf. Ps 42:1-2; 130:3-4; Rom 8:1, 15)?

6. What are ways you are tempted to be impressed by fools? How can we as a group encourage each other to walk in the way of wisdom instead?

1. What might be reasons an atheist would remove God from his or her worldview?

2. Definite practical atheism and give examples of what this pitfall can look like for a believer.

3. Read 1 Timothy 4:7. Discuss your experience with Biblical meditation and prayer throughout the day. What are possible next steps for growing in these areas?

4. Read Psalm 103:2-5. Which benefit for God’s people (that a fool misses out on) stands out to you the most in life right now? Why?

5. Read Ephesians 2:12-13. What has been your experience when you lived without God? How did your heart soften to seek Him?

6. If you had the opportunity to interact with an atheist, what would you say? What Bible verses could you use in your conversation?

1. Can you remember a time you took refuge in God when you felt anxious or afraid? What was the fearful situation? What did you practically do to take refuge in God? What was the outcome?

2. Read Psalm 91:1-2. These two verses set the stage for the rest of the psalm. Verse 1 provides us a proverb, verse 2 a response. What imagery does the psalmist employ in these two verses, and what does it communicate?

3. Read Psalm 91:3-13. These two stanzas (3-8 & 9-13) constitute two extended meditations on the opening proverb. How does the psalmist meditate on the truths of v1? What aspects of the proverb are expanded in these stanzas?

4. Read Psalm 91:14-16. What affect do these “I will” statements have upon you when you read them? How do God’s promises help us in a moment of fear or anxiety?

5. Read Luke 4:9-11 and John 10:17-18. The New Testament depicts Jesus as the fulfillment of Psalm 91’s “Invincible King” archetype. How does Jesus’ power and invincibility change how we understand the cross?

1. In your opinion, what makes or breaks a worship service? Are there certain elements in our services that you love, or that you can’t stand? What do you think matters most to God when we gather for worship?

2. Read Psalm 50:1-6. What words would you use to describe the emotional tone of this passage? Psalm 50 was most likely recited during a large corporate worship service - a covenant renewal during the Feast of Tabernacles. What does the elevated language tell us about the act of corporate worship?

3. Read Psalm 50:7-13. In this stanza, what ‘worship myth’ is being debunked? In our day, we don’t bring bulls or other sacrificial animals to the worship meeting. How can we apply these verses to our own lives as New Testament Christians?

4. Read Psalm 50:16-22. This stanza mirrors the previous one, but focuses on debunking yet another ‘worship myth.’ Why are some of the worshipers being labeled ‘wicked’? How can we avoid this kind of ‘wicked worship’ today?

5. Read Psalm 50:14-15. These three commands constitute the heart of the psalm, describing the positive alternative to the negative ‘wicked worship’ expressed in the flanking stanzas.. According to these verses, what are the marks of a wise worshiper living as a faithful member of the covenant community?

Below is the text included in Lily’s prayer:

O GOD,

Praise waiteth for thee, and to render it is my noblest exercise;

This is thy due from all thy creatures, for all thy works display thy attributes and fulfil thy designs;

The sea, dry land, winter cold, summer heat, morning light, evening shade are full of thee, and thou givest me them richly to enjoy.

Thou art King of kings and Lord of lords;

At thy pleasure empires rise and fall;

All thy works praise thee and thy saints bless thee;

Let me be numbered with thy holy ones, resemble them in character and condition, sit with them at Jesus’ feet.

May my religion be always firmly rooted in thy Word, my understanding divinely informed, my affections holy and heavenly, my motives simple and pure, and my heart never wrong with thee.

Deliver me from the natural darkness of my own mind, from the corruptions of my heart, from the temptations to which I am exposed, from the daily snares that attend me.

I am in constant danger while I am in this life;

Let thy watchful eye ever be upon me for my defence,

Save me from the power of my worldly and spiritual enemies and from all painful evils to which I have exposed myself.

Until the day of life dawns above let there be unrestrained fellowship with Jesus;

Until fruition comes, may I enjoy the earnest of my inheritance and the firstfruits of the Spirit;

Until I finish my course with joy may I pursue it with diligence, in every part display the resources of the Christian, and adorn the doctrine of thee my God in all things.

From The Valley of Vision

1. Do you have any traditions you love to observe on Independence Day? Fireworks, cookouts, or something more unusual? Why is it important to remember days like the 4th of July?

2. Read Psalm 78:1-8. How many generations are identified in verses 5-6? Why do you think the Bible places so much emphasis on generational dynamics? (see also Exodus 34:6-7, 2 Timothy 2:2)

3. According to v6-8, what are the positive and negative aims of this story-telling habit? Peruse the rest of this lengthy psalm and share examples of ‘their fathers’. How do you feel about remembering history this way? Your personal history? Our national history? Why might it be difficult? Why might it be beneficial?

4. Read Psalm 78:37-38. How do these verses summarize the stories being shared? Who is the hero?

5. How can we practice story-telling in a way that highlights God’s grace in our lives? Spend time praying for the next generation, and the one after them (and the one after them!), that they would know and cherish the story of God’s amazing grace.

1. What were you afraid of when you were a child? Share with the group. Did you ever outgrow it?

2. Read Psalm 112. This psalm uses the same acrostic device as Psalm 111 (each line begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet). How does this psalm flow out of the last one? To what “commandments” does the psalmist refer (v1)? What does fearing God mean?

3. What external signs point to his being blessed (vv. 2-3)? What kind of blessing is implied in verse 4a?

4. What two traits characterize his dealings with people (vv. 4-5)?

5. What internal blessings are available (vv. 7-8)? Why does disastrous news fail to shake him?

6. Read James 1:2-3. How does James help us to better understand the wisdom of this Psalm? How is God producing steadfastness in your life?

1. God reveals himself to his people as a Father. Can you recall a personal experience, either as a parent or as a child of parents, that has informed the way you understand the fatherhood of God?

2. Read Proverbs 4:1-18. According to v3, how many generations have benefited from the wisdom of these verses? How might a vision for generational blessing change the way we approach family life in our culture?

3. What specific blessings are offered in these verses? What instruction[s] does the author tie to the blessing? What is the relationship between the instruction and the blessing?

4. When you think about God as Father, what descriptive words come to mind? What does the father/ speaker in Proverbs 4 have to teach us about the fatherhood of God?

5. Take time to celebrate the gift of fatherhood together as a group. Give thanks for your earthly fathers, consecrate the fathers among you, and worship God as the perfect Father who calls us sons and daughters in Christ.

1. Do you have a ‘secret skill’ , something you do well that not everyone knows about? Share with the group, and demonstrate if you can.

2. Read Psalm 1:1-6. What emotions do you feel when you read this psalm? What tone do you think the psalmist trying to convey?

3. In the sermon today, we learned that biblical wisdom is “the art of skillful living.” What imagery in Psalm 1 develops the idea of wisdom as a way of life?

4. Read Proverbs 1:8-19. The fruit of wisdom is blessing. What central images depict the blessing of wisdom vs the plight of the foolish/wicked? How are these contrasts depicted in Psalm 1?

5. Read Proverbs 1:20-22. Compare the desires & delights of the foolish to the delight of the Blessed Man in Psalm 1. What do these contrasting desires tell us about what it means to be a ‘fool’ in the Bible? What other parallel words are used to depict a person whose delight is NOT in the Lord?

6. Consider the ‘Wisdom Challenge’ presented in the sermon. Do you intend to try it? If so, see if anyone will do it with you, and make a point to compare notes on a regular basis over the summer.

   1. Read Proverbs every day, matching the chapter to the calendar. If it’s the 15th day of the month, read the 15th chapter of Proverbs.

   2. Underline one verse that is meaningful to you, and put a question mark beside one verse you’d like to understand better.

   3. Bring those two marked verses to God in prayer.