Big Idea: Trust in God is based on his character, not our circumstances.

            Psalm 73:13-14

If God allows bad things to happen, can we trust him?

Trust in God is based on his character, not our circumstances.

            Acts 12:1-5; 12-16

Why does God allow bad things to happen?

            Three wrong answers:

1. Bad things happen because God doesn’t care.
   Romans 5:8
2. Bad things happen because God is angry.
   Luke 13:4-5
3. Bad things happen for the greater good.
   Romans 8:28

If God allows evil in my life, how can I trust him?

We can trust God’s character, God’s promises, and God’s commands.

            Psalm 73:28

Message Questions

We are continuing our study in the book of Acts, which is the story of the Holy Spirit igniting the Jesus movement through faithful obedience of a few humble people. We continue that same story today, and the Holy Spirit will use the teachings of Acts to inspire you to do the same thing the earliest followers of Jesus did when they first understood the magnitude of what God has done through Christ: to GO. This Sunday, the big idea is: Trust in God is based on his character, not our circumstances. Our passage is Acts 12:1-19.

Use these questions to discuss the message from Sunday, focusing on how you can grow as an everyday follower of Jesus and how you can go accomplish what Jesus calls you to do.

1. Read Acts 12:1-5. What differences do you notice between what happened to James in vs. 1-2 and what happened to Peter in vs. 3-5? What was the church doing during these incidents?
2. Have someone read Acts 12:6-11. Describe Peter’s prison situation in your own words. What did the angel of the Lord do and say to Peter? Have someone read vs. 9 again. How did Peter respond?
3. Have someone read Acts 12:12-16. Where did Peter go after he realized he was freed from prison? What was Rhoda’s response to seeing Peter? How did the people respond to the servant Rhoda? After Peter kept knocking on the door, how did the church respond?
4. Pastor Wyatt shared that Luke was intentional with putting these two stories right next to each other and that we can trust God’s character, God’s promises, and God’s commands. Share a time when you have either experienced protection or evil and how it caused you to grow in your relationship with Jesus.
5. Trust in God is based on his character, not our circumstances. Read Psalm 73:28 two or three times slowly. Spending time with God and making him our refuge gives us the ability to go to the relationships he has placed around us. How would you rate your level of trust in God today?