Before the Session
Facilitator: In advance of the session
- Have the Bible Background Video ready to view.
- Review today’s scripture text and the session activities to help better facilitate the discussion.
- Encourage your group to listen to the Faithelement podcast ahead of the next session (Share the link via email or social media)
Context (From the Current Session Page)
Visit the Faithlab Photo site and review some of the church pictures shared there. Ask:
- What was your favorite picture and why?
- Imagine that you were asked to take only three photographs of your church that represent your group being the church:
- What three pictures would you take?
- What kinds of moments would you photograph and why?
- What kinds of things should congregations “look like” and in what ways does that differ, depending on the audience?
Content (From the Mind Session Page)
Read Acts 2:42-47, then watch the Bible Background Video.
Then ask questions like these:
- What four practices did the early believers devote themselves to (v.42)? Take a minute to discuss each of these and what it might have looked like in those times.
- In what ways do we keep these practices in our faith communities today, even though the forms might have changed?
- What was happening in verse 43 and how does that impact the way people do things today?
- Why do you think they chose to meet together every day?
- Why might these very first believers have needed daily fellowship with each other and why do you think things have changed?
- How was the early believers’ money and property used?
- How did unbelievers respond to them according to verse 47 and why might this kind of fellowship and generosity have been attractive to others?
Closure (from the Media Session page)
Play the Madame Blueberry trailer and continue with:
- Where do places like “Stuff-mart” fit into our lives?
- If Luke had a time machine and could have been transported from the First Century CE to today, what would his reaction be to places like “Stuff-mart?”
- How do we balance what we need with what we want?
- How do we balance recreation for self-care with caring for God’s people?
- Assuming that you agree that our attitude toward possessions and time can affect our witness, what meaningful things can we do about it?