LifeGroup Notes
OPEN
As you open up tonight, let’s think about this past week. How are you gifted by God? If you don’t know, what do others have to say?
What jumped out at you from the message this week? What led you to really think or even better, to change your actions?
INTRODUCTION
As we begin the study this week, we see that the church had a problem; several problems actually, what were they?
What were the clearest examples of boldness in Acts?
What does chapter 6 tell us about Stephen?
What does Stephen do that draws the attention of the Sadducees?
What were the Sadduccees response to Stephen’s wisdom and Spirit?
What was Stephen’s defense as he stood on trial?
READ
Read Acts 6:1-7
1Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Why do you think the Sadducees were filled with rage and gnashed their teeth?
What were the issues with the first problem?
What was the solution to the first problem?
What were the issues of the second problem?
How did there come to be so many widows in the church in those days?
What were the cultural and linguistic barriers present in this situation?
How exactly were some of the widows being left out of the daily food provisions?
How did this specific issue have the potential to impact the future direction of the church?
Why is the solution to this question so important?
What was the approach to the solution of the second problem?
So what was the solution to the problem of the widows being overlooked?
How did this solution successfully resolve the issues at hand?
LET’S PRAY
Consider the following questions as you pray together as a LifeGroup:
1. Are you stepping up to the calling that God has placed on your life in the church?
2. Do you even know what that calling is?
3. What steps are you willing to take to discover your spiritual gifts and how they apply to the
church?
BIG IDEA
The early church had a problem! The physical problems were just manifestations of the spiritual problems; could the church meet both the physical and spiritual needs of it’s people? the inevitable solution proved that as the church develops and grows and moves on, great things can be accomplished when we work together. Had the servant leaders not stepped up at this point, the apostles would’ve become bogged down. If the apostles had not held onto their convictions then the church would’ve lost it’s way. But because everyone did their part and conducted their ministry, the word increased, the number of disciples increased, and even many people came to the faith. To God be the glory.
PERSONAL REFLECTION
How would you define what makes someone a servant leader?
How does the Bible define leadership in contrast to our culture?
Does a leader’s personal conduct affect the people he or she leads? Why does this matter?