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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

Scripture Focus

Acts 16:16-40

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

The Word to Live By

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and

you will be saved.

--Acts 16:31

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

Session Truth

The gospel has always encountered

resistance wherever it has been proclaimed,

but the power of God has always been at

work in ways to overcome that resistance

through grace and the faithful witness of the

people of God.

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

What does it take

for the gospel to be heard

in a culture

that has embraced

the worship of false gods

and the exploitation of people?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

How does the Holy Spirit guide

believers in their attempts to

establish the church in such an

environment?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

What was

the slave girl

saying about

Paul and Silas?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

What was the problem with the

girl's pronouncements?

Was the gospel message

damaged by the girl?

Why or why not?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

The Scripture Focus says Paul

was “annoyed.“

Did Paul let his feelings get the

best of him?

Did he act rashly?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

What does Paul’s example say to

us about dealing with

annoyances?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

How can the church bring the

light of Christ into a community’s

spiritual darkness?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

The charges mentioned that Paul and Silas

were Jews.

How was this ethnic term used by

the accusers to gain favor

with the authorities

and crowd?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

What physical condition do you

imagine Paul and Silas were in by

the time they had been punished

and thrown into prison?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

Have you ever been on the

receiving end of injustice,

especially related to your faith?

How did you respond?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

Why is it so easy to trump up

fear in people toward an

ethnic group that is different

from their own?

If this occurs in your

community, how should the

church respond?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

Why did Paul and Silas respond

in such an unusual way to

mistreatment?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

We are told that “the other

prisoners were listening.”

What does that say to us?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

Why did Paul and Silas pass up

the opportunity to walk out of the

damaged jail after the

earthquake?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

Why did the jailer turn to God?

Whom did his “household” include?

How is it that they were included in

salvation?

What immediate difference was

evidenced in the jailer?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

Have you experienced the Holy Spirit

holding you steady in the midst of a

difficult life challenge?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

Should Paul and Silas have

“turned the other cheek” with

regard to the magistrates?

What did Paul and Silas do on

their release?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

What can we learn from the

example of Paul and Silas?

What enabled these men to

offer encouragement to

other believers?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

My Faith Response

Is there a place where you need to

take a personal stand this week?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

My Faith Response

To whom can you be an

encouragement this

week?

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SILAS:A Joyful Witness

My Faith Response

What expressions of praise

should you offer today?