Sermon Notes:
What is Paul’s (Saul’s) story:
1. Paul grew up in a cross-cultural world.
2. Paul was born of privilege.
3. Paul was smart.
4. Paul was ambitious and ruthless.
What changed Paul:
5. Paul had an honest look at himself.
6. Paul had an honest look at Jesus.
7. In Acts 9, Paul’s perspective of God, himself, and the world changed.
Follow-up Questions from Sunday:
Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for thefirst time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?
Digging Deeper:
1. How would you define perspective? How has your perspective on life changed over the years?
2. How do you think your belief in Jesus has impacted your perspective about life in big and little ways?
3. Was there ever a person in your life that you thought would never believe in Jesus, but they did? If so, who was that and what did Jesus teach you through that journey?
4. Read Acts 9:1-31. Describe what happened in verses 3-9 from the viewpoint of one of Saul’s companions.
5. How do you think you would feel if you were in Ananias’s place? Have you ever tried to help God understand a situation like Ananias did? Why do you think we do this with God sometimes? How do you think this makes God feel?
6. In those three days– that God blinded Saul/Paul– what do you think was going through his mind? What do you think would have been going through yours?
7. What were some of the most impactful moments of you coming to a deeper understanding of Jesus in your life? How is He revealing Himself to you lately?
8. Consider the influence of Paul in the Early Church. How many books did he write? Look at the missionary journeys he took and the churches he planted and encouraged. Paul lived out his calling to tell people about Jesus. How do you think his calling is different and similar to God’s calling in our lives?
Taking it Home:
Get the devotional on 1 Thessalonians this week and begin to go through this amazing letter.