By Doug Redford
1. Did you follow up on “doing good and helping” in one of the areas mentioned at the conclusion of last week’s set of Discovery Questions? What did you do? (Consider how you can continue this service to others on a regular basis.)
2. When was the last time that you gathered with a group that included relatives and/or close friends? What memories do you have of that occasion?
Ask two people to read aloud Acts 10:17-24, 34-48, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize the passages.
3. Acts 10:24 says that Cornelius was expecting Peter’s arrival and had contacted his relatives and close friends.
- What do you think the mood or atmosphere was like in Cornelius’s house as they awaited Peter’s arrival?
- What might the group have talked about?
4. Have you ever been in a situation where someone showed favoritism and you were the person ignored/overlooked/rejected/ridiculed as a result? What was your initial reaction?
- Have you ever witnessed the above scenario happening to someone else? What was your reaction? Do you wish you had reacted differently? How?
5. What influences in today’s culture can cause us to “show favoritism” or treat certain people differently?
6. How should the fact that God does not show favoritism impact:
- The way I view my relationship with him?
- The way I pray?
- The way I treat others: in the workplace, at school, in my neighborhood, in daily contacts?
7. What do you learn about Jesus from Peter’s words to Cornelius and those gathered with him?
8. Peter spoke of the “good news of peace through Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:36). How would you define or explain the peace that Jesus brings?
9. The circumcised believers were “astonished” when they saw the Holy Spirit being poured out on Gentiles (Acts 10:45). Have you ever been “astonished” at something God did or provided for you? Describe what happened.
10. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
11. Ask yourself, “In what areas of my life do I tend to show favoritism or treat people in a way that does not honor God? Is there a specific individual whom I have not treated with proper respect or dignity?” Create a plan for addressing this during the upcoming week.
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Acts 13:1-13, 26-31, 38-39. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Author: Doug Redford
Doug Redford has served in the preaching ministry, as an editor of adult Sunday school curriculum, and as a Bible college professor. Now retired, he continues to write and speak as opportunities arise.
