Puyallup Nazarene Church
With all the changes coming rapidly on us as citizens in our community and globe, this is an excellent time to reflect on the opportunity that it presents. The Scriptures have an abundance of encouragement.
Unsettling times
Isaiah 8:11-14 NIV
God's corrective encouragement...
Acts 7:57-60 NIV
Acts 8:1-8 NIV
The church has left the building!
Resolute! Ways to respond in the present crisis.
Discussion and Application Questions for Group Life Communities
What fears, anger, worries, attitudes or complications are you dealing with in this present situation with the coronavirus?
1. Read Isaiah 8.11-14a. How could this be a word of encouragement to you and to the church?
In understanding how God has worked in the followers of Jesus in the past, we can gain clarity and courage for how we can also be empowered in the present. Read Acts 7.59-8.8.
2. How is the crisis that came on the followers of Jesus described? Look for events, words and phrases that give us understanding of the difficulties they were facing. verses 7:59-8:3
3. From this narrative, how did the followers of Jesus respond? What surprises you? What do you think is at the heart of their individual and collective response? verses 8:3-4
4. One lay person is singled out--Philip. How did he get into the story? (Acts 6.1-7).
5. How did he respond to the present crisis? verses 8:5-8. What do you think are some of the reasons and motivations that empowered him to respond in this way? (See again Acts 3.3-6.)
6. How could this story of the disrupted, scattered church be encouraging and instructive to us as followers of Jesus now?
7. What could you begin to pray and plan in order to be the hands and feet, the mouth and ears of Jesus in this time?
Next Week's Study: "Resolute." A study in the Gospel of Mark, chapters 14-16.
All Church 21-Day Fasting with Prayer continues! March 1-21. See www.pnconline.org/events
