Experience S2 - End of Week 2

INTRODUCTION
The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.

OPEN QUESTIONS
If you’ve given your life over to Jesus and you’re willing to share, tell a short version of your testimony; when and why did you give your life to Jesus.  If you haven’t done that yet, share about something that you’ve learned about Jesus that you are particularly fond of.

HEAD

1. Read together Acts 9:1-30, and share any wisdom, insights, and thoughts that come from the reading of the Scripture.
2. How do you think Saul could justified killing others for what he believed?  Do we see this same thing happen today and if so, where? How?
3. What do you think that encounter with Christ was like for Saul?  What emotions did he experience? Do you think at any point he questioned whether or not it was real?
4. When you think of Saul’s days of being blind, what do you think might have gone through his head?
5. Ananias had heard all the horror stories about Saul and what he was doing to the followers of the Way.  Do you think he stopped being scarred to go to Saul after Jesus told him what to do?
6. Do you think it was a good idea for Saul to immediately begin preaching Jesus? Explain your answer.
7. Saul ends up going away and we don’t hear from him again for 11 years.  Why might these 11 years been an important time, and what might these years given Saul the opportunity to do?

HEART

1. How can you and I avoid hurting other people who think differently than us, for the things we believe strongly in?
2. If you had three days to ask God questions, or listen for His voice, what would you ask or what would you do with your time?
3. Has God ever asked you to do something that scared you to death, or at least you were convinced you couldn’t or shouldn’t, do?  If so, what was it and what happened?
4. Can you think of a time that you were less mature in the faith?  What’s different in you between then and now?
5. Jesus spent roughly 30 years before he began his public ministry, Paul spent 11. Why is this time important and how is it so different from our world today?  What lessons can we learn from this difference?

HANDS
Spend some time thinking back to your conversion experience, and your journey with Christ.  Journal about what you’re thankful for.  Then, take time to think about, and pray over, someone you know who is young in the faith.  What could you do for them this week that might encourage them in their journey, or what advice or tools could you share to help them keep growing?

LIVING WORDS FOR YOUR WEEK
“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ”
Philippians 3:8 NLT