“From Saul to Me (And You)” by Mark Seekins (Acts 9:1-22)

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Leaders, this week you’ll want to make sure you leave enough time to discuss question 9, on Easter Preparation. Thanks!

1. Briefly share your favorite comeback story of an athlete, musician, politician, etc. Answers will vary. This question is meant as a quick ice breaker.
2. Read Acts 9:1-22 and discuss the following:

• Describe Saul’s conversion story. What was unique about it? A light from heaven flashed around him. He heard Jesus voice. Afterward he was left blind.
• What changes occurred in Saul’s life after he met Jesus (v. 1, 20-22)? Instead of persecuting the Way, he began preaching that Jesus was the Christ.
• What was Ananias’ role in Saul’s story (v. 17)? Ananias was sent by the Lord so that “you (Saul) may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
• What did Saul do once his sight was restored (v. 18-19)? He was baptized and then he ate. He spent several days with the disciples and began preaching in the synagogues.
• What is Saul’s new purpose in life (v. 15)? He was God’s chosen instrument to carry the good news of the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Leaders, Questions 3 and 4 are “why do you think” questions, so we’ve included some insights that may be helpful during your group’s discussion.

3. Why do you think Jesus chose Saul to be an apostle? Why do you think his conversion had to be so extraordinary? What made his preaching so powerful as described in v. 22? Saul was uniquely equipped because he was a Jew and a Roman citizen. He was well educated and knew the Scriptures thoroughly, as evidenced by his ability to prove immediately after his conversion that Jesus is the Son of God. His conversion may have been so extraordinary because Saul’s zeal was so extraordinary. God had to use a big hammer to get his attention. Saul’s preaching was powerful because of his knowledge of scripture and the sudden, dramatic change in him after his conversion. He went from persecuting Christians to preaching that Jesus is the Son of God.
4. What was the choice set before Ananias? What were the potential costs and outcomes? Why do you think God used Ananias when Jesus had already appeared to Saul? Ananias was a disciple in Damascus. In a vision, the Lord asked him to go to Saul, place his hands on him and restore his sight. The potential cost was huge (v. 13-14) as Saul had come to Damascus for the purpose of arresting Christ followers. One outcome was Ananias’ faith; he chose to obey what the Lord had asked him to do, no matter the cost. Another result was that Paul’s vision was restored, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he was baptized. God may have used Ananias to confirm in Paul what he had already experienced on the road to Damascus, building Paul’s faith. Also, Ananias was able to be a bridge for Paul into the community of believers.

5. Challenge: Review the book of Acts and identify other conversion stories. How are they similar to Saul’s story? How do they differ? Some of the stories you could look at include: Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40), Cornelius (Acts 10:1-48), and Apollos (Acts 18:24-27). Each story is unique, so the differences are pretty apparent in each.

• Some similarities are:
  • Recognition that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God
  • Another disciple was part of the story
  • Repentance and baptism
  • Changed lives and joy
  • Filling of the Holy Spirit

6. What area of your life has changed the most since you started to follow Jesus? What other area might need to change so that your Christian witness is more effective? Answers will vary. When looking at the areas that need to change, here’s a Brennan Manning quote from the sermon to consider: “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians…who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, but deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds…unbelievable.” You may also want to refer back to the discussion a few weeks ago on legalism (see blog post “Joy’s Resolve”, Jason Greene, Philippians 3: 1-11).
7. Do you know your conversion story? Who do you need to share your story with? Pray together for opportunities to move conversations to Jesus. If group members haven’t had a chance to share their testimony with the group, this might be a good week to schedule it. The Leader’s Blog has links to the two minute testimony outline (under Lost and Found Resources) and the five minute testimony outline (under Small Group Tools). Remember to not only discuss this question, but also to take time to pray together.
8. Is there someone in your life that seems beyond God’s reach? How does Saul’s story give you hope and help you pray more fervently for them? Encourage each other to be faithfully praying for specific friends, family members and co-workers. These may be some of the same people you identified in question 7. Sometimes we grow weary, but Saul’s story should give us hope that no one is beyond God’s reach. Saul probably would have been the last person that his friends and family thought would ever believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
9. Easter Preparation:

• Please pray for the service, Pastor Dave, others involved, and guests.
• Prayerfully invite someone to Easter service with you.
• We have a need for food servers and greeters on Easter Sunday. Contact Dale Shaver at [email protected] if you can help.
• Consider attending the “Night of Worship” together on Good Friday 7:00-8:30 pm.