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Sermon Series: We’re continuing a sermon series through the book of Acts. Today we’ll learn all about the different stages of a believer.
Acts 2:37-41
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, this story is for you! In this part of God’s Word, we see the outcome of Peter’s sermon: 3000 people being saved! By taking a look at Peter’s instruction to them, and their decisions for Christ, we can learn what are…
The stages of a believer:
1. Being transformed by the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:37, John 14:26, 15:26, 16:8, 13
2. Repentance
Acts 2:38, 3:19. 1 John 1:9, Luke 13:3
3. Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior
Acts 2:38, Rom. 10:13, John 3:16, Eph. 2:8
4. Receiving the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:38, Rom. 8:9-14, Mark 1:8
5. Baptism
Acts 2:38, 22:16, Mark 16:16, Matt. 10:32-33
6. Life transformation
Acts 2:39, Rom. 12:1-2, 2 Cor. 3:18, 5:17, Gal. 2:20
7. Committing to the mission
Acts 2:39-41, Matt. 28:19-20
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
- Take some time to read over Acts 2:37-41 and pray.
- Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it?
- What surprised you as we talked about it?
- As you reflect on this sermon series, what questions come to mind?
- As you think about the instruction that Peter gave, what do you think was going through the minds of the people listening?
- As we talked about the different stages and steps of a christian’s faith, were there any that surprised you? Have you ever thought about this concept before?
Diving In
- 1. Spend some time thinking and praying over your own faith journey. Where are you in the faith? What step(s) do you need to take?
- 2. Think about a few people who God has placed in your life. Where are they in their faith, and how can you help them to take the next step(s) in their faith?
- 3. Was there ever a time in your life where you got hung up on any of these stages? What stage? What caused you to get hung up on that stage? What caused you to be able to move on?
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?