By Doug Redford
1. In what way or ways did the Holy Spirit help you in your walk with the Lord during the previous week?
2. Tell about an act of generous giving you recently saw that genuinely touched you. (NOTE: This should be something you saw in “real time,” not something you saw on TV or in a movie.)
Ask two people to read aloud Acts 4:32—5:16 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize the passage.
3. “All the members [of the church described in Acts 4] were on the same page,” writes Mark Scott.
- What would this look like in terms of what those within a congregation believe?
- What would this look like in terms of attitudes and conduct?
- How would this affect how conflict within the congregation is handled?
4. Barnabas is highlighted in the book of Acts as an example of true generosity.
- Who have you known whom would you highlight as someone who has shown you such generosity?
- If that person is still living, have you thanked them for their kindness? (If the person is no longer living, take time to thank God for their example.)
5. What are the risks of being known as a giving person? What are the blessings of being known as such a person?
- Replace the word “person” in the above two questions with the word “church.” Are the answers similar? How might they be different?
6. What can you learn about God’s desires for giving from this passage?
7. What influences in today’s cultural climate can keep people from being as generous as they might otherwise be?
8. Acts 5:14 says that in spite of what happened to Ananias and Sapphira, more and more individuals “believed in the Lord and were added” to the church. What makes a church the kind of place where people desire to be a part of it?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. Acts 4:33 describes God’s grace as “powerfully at work” among all the Christians. Keep a record in the coming week (in writing or digitally) in which you record how God’s grace is being demonstrated in your daily life.
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Acts 2:44-47; 6:1-7. 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.
