GROUP GUIDE
Leading a group through these questions? Here’s a simple guide for 1.5-2 hour GROUP meeting.
Welcome and Opening Prayer. (5 minutes)
Read the passage aloud. (5 minutes)
Guide the group through the questions. (30-60 minutes)
Take time to share prayer requests and pray for each other. (15-30 minutes)
TEACHING RECAP
Summary: What do you do when following Jesus brings applause—or opposition? In Acts 3–4, the early church faces both success and pressure, and their response might surprise you. This talk explores where real courage comes from and why silence and aggression both miss the point. If you’ve ever struggled to speak about your faith in public, this is for you.
Main Points:
1. Mission becomes difficult when people are cheering for you.
2. Mission becomes difficult when people are opposing you.
3. The early church found courage as they devoted themselves to Scripture and prayer.
On-Ramps:
1. Where could your success become an opportunity to speak about Jesus?
2. When pressured, do you go silent, fight back, or speak about Jesus?
3. What is your next step into deeper life with the church family?
Discussion
What stands out to you from this passage? How does this passage most challenge or encourage you?
In Acts 3 God uses Peter to perform an incredible miracle and that gives Peter an opportunity to tell people about Jesus. How can we as Christians use what God is doing in our lives to tell others about Him?
Why does living for Jesus & seeking to tell others about Him sometimes lead to opposition from people who are not Christians & from our culture? Why does it sometimes lead to opposition even from Christians and from churches?
Why do you think we sometimes err on the extremes of either being silent about Jesus or far too aggressive/forceful with people in seeking to share Jesus with them?
What do you think it practically looks like for us as Christians to stand for what we believe, while at the same time, love those who are far from God in a way that helps to reveal to them the true character of God as revealed in Jesus Christ?
Looking at Acts 4, how do the Christians of the Early Church respond when Peter & John are brought before the religious council of their day? How can we choose to respond when people oppose us for what we believe as Christians?
How do you want to respond to this passage in your daily life?
PRAYER
How can we pray for you as a group?
Next week: Acts 4:32- 5:11
