Pointing Our Hearts Toward God | Can/If | Erin Johnston

Whose approval do you seek? In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabus experience a shift in the crowds, who go from praising their arrival to criticizing them and throwing them out of town. From this, we learn we can’t control what others think about us or the message we bring, but we can show up well and point back to God. How can you lean in to knowing you’re loved by God, pointing your heart back to Him and pointing your feet toward His work?

Key Verses

• Acts of the Apostles 14:8-20 NLT: While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sittingand listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed.So Paul called to him in a loud voice, “Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, “These men are gods in human form!”They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker.Now the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles.But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting“Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own waysbut he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.”But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead.But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

• Acts of the Apostles 14:14 NLT: But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting.

• Acts of the Apostles 14:15 NLT: “Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.

• Acts of the Apostles 14:18 NLT: But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.

• Acts of the Apostles 14:20 NLT: But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

  
  One of the best ways to hear what God is saying right now is to look at what He has said in the Bible with a few friends. Discovery Bible Study is an easy-to-use way to hear from God, make good changes in our lives, and share with others what God is up to. Grab some friends, pick a verse or story from above, and dive deeper into this week’s message.

Recap

• Reconnect

  To begin the study, each person answers these questions:

  • What are you thankful for?

  • What is causing stress for our neighbors and people around us?

  • What can we as individuals or as a group do to help?

• Recap

  • Have someone retell the story from your previous meeting.

  • Did you live out your response from last week?

  • Did you tell anyone else about the story from last week?

DISCOVERING WHAT GOD IS SAYING

• Read and Retell the Bible Story

  • One person reads the story out loud to the group.

  • Someone else in the group retells the story in their own words as they remember it, and others fill in what’s missing.

• Read and Look

  • Read the passage again (different version if possible)

  • What does this passage say about God, Jesus, or His plan?

• Read and Look Again

  • Have 1-2 more people retell the story as if they were telling a neighbor outside their home.

  • What does this passage say about people in general?

DISCOVER WHAT GOD IS SAYING

• Consider

  • What in me needs to change to better DO what God is showing me today?

  • How will you respond to/obey this passage in a tangible, perhaps even costly ways in the next 47 hours?

  • Have someone record these for prayer time, and for the beginning of the next meeting.

SHARING WHAT GOD IS SAYING

• Praying Together

  • Take prayer requests

  • Pray together

• Share

  • Who in your life needs to hear this story?

  • Who could you invite to study the Bible like this?

Practice Generosity Here

Every time you give in Jesus’ name, you make a difference in others AND you make a difference in your own life! Partnering together in generosity helps accomplish things together that could never be accomplished alone! You can partner together in giving today with a single gift, or schedule recurring giving using your checking account, debit, or credit card.