October 11 | Acts 17 | Paul in Athens
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?