Acts Study Questions #14
God’s Plan Prevails
Acts 12:1-24
INTRODUCTION: In this passage, Luke unfolds for us the martyrdom of James, the brother of John, the arrest of Peter at Passover, Peter’s miraculous rescue, and ultimately, Herod’s death. Peter’s rescue is reflective of his rescue earlier in the book of Acts. In 5:19, where Peter and John had been arrested for preaching about the resurrection and performing miracles in the Temple court. In the night, an angel of the Lord set them free and instructed them to go back to the Temple at dawn and preach the gospel. Here again, we see Peter’s arrest due to his connection to Jesus and again his miraculous rescue. It is important to note that Luke closes this passage (12:24) by noting that from all that had occurred (good and sorrowful), the word of God increased and multiplied. By this, he means that the gospel was spreading, taking root in people’s hearts, and changing lives. Here again, in many ways, what man intended for harm, God graciously used for man’s good and His glory. Why? Because God’s good plan will prevail.
GETTING STARTED – As a group, talk about a time that you watched God take something that was intended for destruction and graciously use it for our good and his glory. That does not mean that thing or experiences became easy per se, but that instead of just bringing sorrow, God redeemed it with joy. Personally, I (Kyle) have watched God redeem many health challenges and crises in my family. Through them, faith has been strengthened, and there have even been sweet blessings of new relationships through those challenging moments.
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage. It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?