Small Group Guide: Week of 10/5
To view this guide as a PDF, click here.
Acts of the Spirit: Enduring in the Spirit
Acts 21:1-16 (NRSVUE)
When we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 When we found a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board and set sail. 3 We came in sight of Cyprus, and leaving it on our left, we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. 4 We looked up the disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 When our days there were ended, we left and proceeded on our journey, and all of them, with wives and children, escorted us outside the city. There we knelt down on the beach and prayed 6 and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.
7 When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for one day. 8 The next day we left and came to Caesarea, and we went into the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. 10 While we were staying there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 He came to us and took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and will hand him over to the gentiles.’ ” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 Since he would not be persuaded, we remained silent except to say, “The Lord’s will be done.”
15 After these days we got ready and started to go up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came along and brought us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.
17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us warmly. 18 The next day Paul went with us to visit James, and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the gentiles through his ministry. 20 When they heard it, they praised God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all zealous for the law. 21 They have been told about you that you teach all the Jews living among the gentiles to forsake Moses and that you tell them not to circumcise their children or observe the customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow. 24 Join these men, go through the rite of purification with them, and pay for the shaving of their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you but that you yourself observe and guard the law. 25 But as for the gentiles who have become believers, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having purified himself, he entered the temple with them, making public the completion of the days of purification when the sacrifice would be made for each of them.
Opening Discussion
Introductions & check-in
Introductions: Have small group members introduce themselves and share if they are new or returning members.
Icebreaker suggestion: What was your favorite class in school? Why?
High/Low exercise
Go around the group giving each member a chance to share highs and lows. Feel free to use a different check-in structure if helpful.
Additionally or alternatively, you can invite the group to share a word or phrase to describe how they’re coming into the group this week.
Orienting to the group
Spend a few minutes orienting folks to the small group.
Share your vision/hopes, and identify discipleship as the purpose of the small group and the aim of keeping Christ at the center.
It may be helpful for newer folks to hear about the history of the group.
Share your plan for the fall (bible study, following the sermon series, reading a book, etc.).
Share any established community care practices, expectations, or discussion guidelines. Consider inviting the group into conversation, asking for feedback or additional suggestions. (Find more on community care practices here.)
Digging Deeper
This Week’s Sermon
Consider reading this week’s text aloud. (Options: listen to it read aloud on an app/YouTube; one person in the group reads; each person in the group reads a section or a few verses).
From Sunday’s sermon:
What resonated with you?
What comforted/challenged you?
Did you learn something new?
What might the Spirit be prompting you to remember and consider?
Pastor Andrea shared about her experience with weightlifting and Solidcore, highlighting the difference between strength (lifting heavy once) and endurance (sustaining effort over time). Read Acts 21:1–14, where Paul continues traveling toward Jerusalem despite repeated warnings.
How do you see endurance — not just strength — in Paul’s actions?
In your own life, how do you see the difference between moments of “strength” and moments of “endurance”?
Are there areas where you feel strong but struggle to sustain over time? Where do you feel worn down but still enduring?
Paul carried not only physical burdens but also the fear and anxiety of others in Jerusalem.
What fears or anxieties are you carrying right now, either your own or those of people around you?
How do fear and concern influence the way you act or make decisions in your life or in the community?
Paul’s journey brought him to Jerusalem, a place of tension and resistance, even though it was familiar.
What “Jerusalems” exist in your life—places, relationships, or challenges that feel heavy or resistant?
How might God be calling you to step into those spaces rather than avoid them?
Andrea noted that endurance is often communal — we endure not just alone but alongside others.
Who helps you endure faithfully in your life? How do you help others endure?
How do you make space for others to rest, recover, or be carried for a while?
What practices or rhythms might help us sustain faith, hope, and love over the long haul?
Alternative prayer practice - feel free to use in addition to or an alternative to your prayer time this week.
Invite the group to share one area where they are feeling exhausted or stretched and, if they want, one way they’ve noticed the Spirit sustaining them. This can be done as a whole group, in pairs, or smaller groups depending on your space and time.
Pray for one another over these areas.
Prayer
Praying for one another regularly is an essential part of small groups. You’re welcome to design your gathering however you’d like, but encourage you to include prayer time each week.
Prayer Requests
Give the group a chance to share prayer requests. If it’s helpful, utilize categories like praises/requests.
Spend time praying for one another and the requests made.
Depending on the group size, it can be helpful to break into smaller groups to share requests and pray for one another.
Some groups use prayer partners throughout a semester.
Community Updates
Community Resources
We want to make sure everyone at Christ City knows about some of the support resources available in our community.
Benevolence Funds are available to help with financial needs; you can apply for yourself or on behalf of someone else. All requests are confidential and handled with care. You can apply at go.christcitydc.org/benevolence
Our Job Seekers Support Group offers connection, encouragement, and practical help for anyone who is unemployed or in transition. Email Pastor Justin to get connected (justin@christcitydc.org).
Our Prayer Team meets weekly to pray over requests submitted. You can submit a request at go.christcitydc.org/prayer.
If you’re looking for a therapist, our Counseling Consultant can help you find a counselor who fits your needs and help you navigate insurance options. Reach out to counseling@christcitydc.org.
If you have questions about any of these resources, reach out to Pastor Andrea (andrea@christcitydc.org).
Miner PTO
Christ City is working with Miner Elementary to provide childcare during their monthly Tuesday PTO meetings. This allows Miner parents to attend and be engaged at the school and in their child’s education.
We’re hoping small groups can mobilize to provide childcare from 5:45-7:30p. Christ City will provide craft materials and pizza! Once you choose a week with your group, sign up HERE.
Missional Grants
The vision behind Missional Grants is to provide funding for neighborhood outreach efforts that those within the Christ City Church community feel led to initiate, support, engage, or elevate. The aim of this is to spark a movement of neighbor and neighborhood blessing that emerges from within the Christ City Church family. We want to empower you - those that call Christ City home - to be agents of God’s Kingdom in your communities and neighborhoods and we see Missional Grants as a tool - not the only tool - but a tool for that.
If you want to
Host a block party or neighborhood cookout
Provide a meal, or needed items for a neighbor in need (elderly, new parents, etc).
Put together care packages for neighbors experiencing homelessness
Hold front porch concert with neighborhood musicians
Sponsor a neighborhood clean up / clean up along Anacostia Trail
Resource the local community garden
Support back to school needs for your children’s school
Or some other idea that the Spirit has been beckoning you towards…we want to encourage you to apply for a Missional Grant. Encourage those in your small group to consider what they can do in their community and have small groups serve together!
You can find a flyer with additional information and links to the application out on the hospitality table. And you can apply at: go.ChristCityDC.org/MissionalGrants.
