September 12, 2021

Ridgeline Study Prompts

 Acts 13:1-12

Prayer and Preparation

Spend a few minutes in prayer as you prepare for your time studying the Word. Pray that God would give you eyes to see truth, a mind to comprehend it, and the courage to step out in obedience to what He shows you.

Study

We know from Acts 11:26 that the part of the story we study this week takes place after a year of ministry in Antioch. What are some of the details found in verses 1 through 3 that exemplify a healthy church culture?

As Paul and Barnabas make their way around the gentile island of Cyprus, it’s interesting that the opposition comes from a Jewish man? Once again, someone who has all the background knowledge, and should be most ready to believe in a Messiah, opposes the Gospel of Christ. Can you list other passages in the Bible where the resistance to the Gospel comes from “within”?

We often think of gracious and gentle responses when we think of how Jesus, or those who followed him responded to opposition, yet instances like this elicit a stern response. Why do you think that is? Is there something different about the situations that elicited a stern response?

Application

As people who belong to the Family of God, what might be the take-away for us from this text? What can we learn about what our church can look like? What can we learn from Paul’s interaction with Sergius Paulus and Bar-Jesus?