December 26, 2021

Ridgeline Study Prompts

 Acts 19:11-20

Prayer and Preparation

Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

Reading God’s word, mindfully studying it, and intentionally applying it are all part of what it means to abide. Try to consciously sense the Lord’s presence as you read His word. Allow the Holy Spirit access to all areas of your life and watch the Vinedresser bring vibrance to your time with Him. Pause to pray, then read the text.

Study

There are some pretty amazing things happening in verses 11 and 12. What is the point of Luke documenting those miracles for us to read about? Should we expect these types of events and works in our lives, or is there something else we can understand, and possibly apply?

The seven sons of Sceva seem to want certain aspects of Jesus, to use to their advantage, without actually wanting Jesus Himself. What did they want and how were they using it to their advantage?

What parts of the story caused fear and reform among the Ephesians?

Application

The Gospel has so many good things that come from it. It’s sometimes easy to look at the good fruit that’s produced in walking with the Lord (or even just being in proximity to the things of the Lord), and we take our focus away from the Vine. We allow the fruit to be the focus and we wield portions of the Gospel to our benefit and/or purposes. Are there areas of your life where the fruit and benefits of the Gospel have received more of your attention than Jesus does?