Small Group Guide: Week of 11/23
To view this guide as a PDF, click here.
Acts of the Spirit: Unhindered
Acts 28:1-31 (CEB)
After reaching land safely, we learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. Because it was rainy and cold, they built a fire and welcomed all of us. 3 Paul gathered a bunch of dry sticks and put them on the fire. As he did, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, latched on to his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer! He was rescued from the sea, but the goddess Justice hasn’t let him live!” 5 Paul shook the snake into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They expected him to swell up with fever or suddenly drop dead. After waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to claim that he was a god.
7 Publius, the island’s most prominent person, owned a large estate in that area. He welcomed us warmly into his home as his guests for three days. 8 Publius’ father was bedridden, sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul went to see him and prayed. He placed his hand on him and healed him. 9 Once this happened, the rest of the sick on the island came to him and were healed. 10 They honored us in many ways. When we were getting ready to sail again, they supplied us with what we needed.
11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had spent the winter at the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with carvings of the twin gods Castor and Pollux as its figurehead. 12 We landed in Syracuse where we stayed three days. 13 From there we sailed to Rhegium. After one day a south wind came up, and we arrived on the second day in Puteoli. 14 There we found brothers and sisters who urged us to stay with them for a week. In this way we came to Rome. 15 When the brothers and sisters there heard about us, they came as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he gave thanks to God and was encouraged. 16 When we entered Rome, Paul was permitted to live by himself, with a soldier guarding him.
17 Three days later, Paul called the Jewish leaders together. When they gathered, he said, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I’m a prisoner from Jerusalem. They handed me over to the Romans, 18 who intended to release me after they examined me, because they couldn’t find any reason for putting me to death. 19 When the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar. Don’t think I appealed to Caesar because I had any reason to bring charges against my nation. 20 This is why I asked to see you and speak with you: it’s because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
21 They responded, “We haven’t received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of our brothers come and reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we think it’s important to hear what you think, for we know that people everywhere are speaking against this faction.”
23 On the day scheduled for this purpose, many people came to the place where he was staying. From morning until evening, he explained and testified concerning God’s kingdom and tried to convince them about Jesus through appealing to the Law from Moses and the Prophets. 24 Some were persuaded by what he said, but others refused to believe. 25 They disagreed with each other and were starting to leave when Paul made one more statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke correctly when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet,
26 Go to this people and say:
You will hear, to be sure, but never understand;
and you will certainly see but never recognize what you are seeing.
27 This people’s senses have become calloused,
and they’ve become hard of hearing,
and they’ve shut their eyes
so that they won’t see with their eyes
or hear with their ears
or understand with their minds,
and change their hearts and lives that I may heal them.
28 “Therefore, be certain of this: God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles. They will listen!”
30 Paul lived in his own rented quarters for two full years and welcomed everyone who came to see him. 31 Unhindered and with complete confidence, he continued to preach God’s kingdom and to teach about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Opening Discussion
Introductions & check-in
Introductions: If you have new folks, do a round of name intros.
Icebreaker suggestion: In honor of the holiday week, what are two things you are thankful for (one serious and one fun/random!)?
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.
Community Care
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 image, story, or line from the sermon stayed with you most and why?
Acts ends where most of us actually live—between gratitude and grief, exhaustion and hope.
Where are you living “in-between” right now? What feels unfinished, unresolved, or uncertain?
What has been both a source of gratitude and grief for you this year?
Paul survives a storm only to be met by “extraordinary kindness” from unexpected people.
Who has shown you unexpected kindness this year—someone you didn’t expect to receive care from?
Where do you need a fire built for you right now? And where might God be nudging you to build a fire for someone else?
Everything forms us—either toward the anxious, self-protective “flesh” or toward the Spirit’s fruit.
What fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) do you see quietly growing in your life?
Which feels hardest to imagine growing right now—and what might it look like to try to “practice” it in small, ordinary ways?
Paul preaches in chains; some believe, others refuse. Faithfulness is measured in showing up, not outcomes.
Where have you experienced “mixed responses” when trying to live out your faith—moments of encouragement and resistance together?
What helps you stay faithful when the results are unclear, slow, or disappointing?
Acts ends with Paul chained but the gospel “unhindered.”
Where do you feel constrained in your life right now—circumstances you didn’t choose or can’t change—and what would it look like to trust the Spirit to work through that limitation, not just in spite of it?
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
Spiritual Health Check-in
Please remind your small group to fill out the Spiritual Health Check-in sometime before 11/30! It’s a short reflection practice—about 10–15 minutes—that helps you consider your life with God, your connection to community, and what’s been stirring in you lately.
Your responses will also help our staff, pastoral team, and Elder Board discern how to best support discipleship, care, worship, and mission in the coming year. You can find the check-in at go.christcitydc.org/checkin25.
Women’s Brunch + Advent Devotional Group
All Christ City women are invited this season to join a special 4-week Advent group, meeting virtually on Sunday evenings from 8-9pm, and via WhatsApp during the week. This group will be going over a free study by Kate Bowler called, "Bless the Advent We Actually Have." This study is an invitation to slow down, experience the act of waiting as holy, embrace the stubborn hope of Christmas, experience joy in the midst of sorrow, celebrate a love that knows no bounds, and inhabit a transcendent peace amid a world on fire. Join at go.christcitydc.org/womensadvent. For any questions or for more information, reach out to Sarah Bell at sarah@christcitydc.org.
Ladies, you’re invited to join us for a special CCC Women’s Brunch on Saturday, December 6th at 10am! We’ll enjoy a morning together with delicious food, time to build community, connect, and reflect on the Advent season. It’s a wonderful opportunity to slow down, gather, and get to know one another more. RSVP at go.christcitydc.org/brunch.
Miner PTO - Wednesday, December 3
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. *We’re in need of a group to sign up for December’s meeting!
