Acts (The Church Unleashed): The Cost of Faithfulness
What does it look like when the Holy Spirit is among us? One of the signs is incredible courage and boldness. In this message from Acts 5, Joash Thomas reminds us that following Jesus means confronting destructive systems—religious, political, and economic—that harm the marginalized. Like the apostles, we are called to courageous obedience to God over any human authority, even when it brings personal cost.
Discussion Questions
- Where in your life are you being invited to embody courage over comfort? What might it look like for you to choose faithfulness even when it costs something?
- What unjust systems—spiritual or societal—have you noticed in your community or workplace?How might the Holy Spirit be inviting you to respond?
- When have you felt pressure to obey an “earthly authority” over obeying God? How did you respond? What would you do differently now?
- What parts of your life or history (family, cultural, spiritual) may hold blind spots? How open are you to reckoning with the past as a path to faithfulness in the present?
- How is your community currently engaging in the work of justice—especially for the marginalized? Are there places where fear or comfort might be limiting your impact?
- How can generosity—even when it costs us—reshape our hearts to be more like Jesus’? What would it look like for your church to live with a mindset of God’s abundance rather than societal scarcity?
- The apostles rejoiced in being “considered worthy to suffer” for Christ. How do you personally relate to the idea of joy in sacrifice?
