A Vibrant Community of Faith

I. The description of a vibrant community of faith (Vv 43-47)

II. The devotion of a vibrant community of faith (V 42)

Big Idea: Spirit-ignited devotion is the spark that sets the church on fire.

Study Guide

1. Why was belonging to a community of believers so important to these first Christians? What made these believers want to get together? Now answer both questions in relation to our church.

Read verses 43-47

2. What did the people demonstrate by selling their possessions and by their unified commitment to the church?

Which of these actions—fellowship, worship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism—do you more naturally gravitate toward? Why is the balance of all five important for the individual Christian and the church as a whole?

3. Why is being a part of a community of faith critical if we are to have the devotion described in verse 42? What might happen if we tried to live out these values on our own?

4. What impact do you think the early church’s sense of community had on its rapid growth (v. 47)? What does the world learn about God through healthy Christian community?

5. For first-century Christians, what was the draw of becoming part of a local body of believers? Is it the same draw today? Why or why not?

6. What are some of the unique challenges we face to being a vibrant community of faith?

7. Would people outside of our church say we model the characteristics of the church? Where do we excel, and where might there be room for improvement? What can our group do to help?

8. What are some of the unique challenges we face as a church to engaging deeply with each other? What could each of us do to make our church a closer community?

9. In what ways has our discussion challenged your view of church membership? How will you approach church differently moving forward?