Scripture/Text: Acts 13:42-52; In our final Advent-themed sermon we focused on joy as we explored the conclusion of Acts 13. After preaching about God's fulfillment of His promises through Jesus Christ, Paul and Barnabas urge their listeners to “continue in the grace of God.” This message of lavish, generous, unearned grace spreads throughout the city, producing two starkly different responses: some receive it with rejoicing and are filled with the Holy Spirit, while others are filled with jealousy and violently oppose it. The sermon calls us to examine our own response to grace. Do we receive God's generous gift with joy or do we resist it because it threatens our control, systems, and self-sufficiency? Grace cuts to the heart, exposing whether we truly trust in God's provision or prefer to maintain our own power and position.

Sermon Outline:

1. Grace: A Message That Continues (Acts 13:42-43)
2. Jealousy: The Threat of Grace (Acts 13:44-47)
3. Joy: The Fruit of Receiving Grace (Acts 13:48-52)

Discussion Questions:

Understanding Grace

• What does it mean to “continue in the grace of God” rather than just receive it once and move on? How does this challenge common misconceptions about the Christian life?
• The sermon described grace as “lavish, benevolent, unprompted, and ignoring the recipient's worthiness.” Which aspect of grace is hardest for you to fully embrace, and why?
• How does understanding that Christianity is “grace from beginning to end” change the way we approach daily challenges, spiritual growth, and our relationship with God?
• In what ways might we subtly adopt a “debtor's ethic” toward God—trying to pay Him back for His grace through our good works?

Examining Our Response to Grace

• Why would anyone reject a message of “pure, beautiful love, deep-rooted hope, otherworldly peace, and unspeakable joy”? What does the jealous response of the Jewish leaders reveal about human nature?
• The sermon suggested that grace threatens “moral leverage, spiritual hierarchy, merit-based instincts, and self-righteous identity.” Where do you see these dynamics at play in modern religious or cultural settings?
• How might our desire for control, position, power, or wealth cause us to resist God's grace (even if we don't reject it as dramatically as the Jewish leaders did)?
• What's the difference between rejecting grace outright and “stiff-arming” it by keeping it at arm's length while maintaining other systems of control?

Living in Joy

• How does the sermon distinguish between superficial happiness and deep-seated, Holy Spirit-given joy? What does this kind of joy look like in everyday life?
• The disciples were “filled with joy” even while being driven out and persecuted. How is this possible? What is the source of joy that persecution cannot diminish?
• In what current circumstances in your life do you need to remember that God's grace is “fixed, eternal, and present” regardless of how you feel?
• How does knowing that “nothing can stop the unstoppable power and message of grace” give us confidence to share the gospel, even in the face of opposition or rejection?

Applying Grace to Our Lives

• The sermon ended with three questions, how would you honestly answer these questions today? Do you know grace? Are you walking and receiving and continuing in grace? Does it produce joy or jealousy in you?
• What would it look like practically for you to “receive afresh a free gift of grace through the person and work of Jesus” this week?
• The sermon mentioned that grace produces transformation and good works, not as payment, but as fruit. What good works might God be calling you to as a response to His grace (not as a way to earn it)?