CONNECT
Respond to any or all of these to get the conversation rolling:
1. What has God been revealing to you this past week?
2. What's one thing that was once a burden you are now grateful for?

PRAY
Spend a few minutes in prayer, drawing your attention toward God. Consider these prayer points as you invite God to lead and guide you.

◾Dear Lord, I pray You’d break through the noise and help me hear Your voice.
◾Help me sense Your presence at all times in many ways.
◾I’m here, ready to receive from You. I hold nothing back.
◾Lord, grow my trust and dependence on You. Reveal parts of my heart and life where I rely on my power instead of the power You’ve given me through the Holy Spirit.
◾I pray You’d help me experience You in this area (name an area) of my life this week.
◾I pray You’d deepen my love and concern for the people around me.
◾May the people of Brookwood (maybe name specific people) get lost in the wonder of who You are.

Let me learn by paradox that…
the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that a surrendered spirit is the rejoicing spirit.

A Puritan Prayer, The Valley of Vision

STUDY AND DISCUSSION
Don’t rush through this. It’s OK if you don’t get to all the questions. Sometimes it’ll make sense to go on to the next question. Other times, you might slow down and process a bit longer. Allow God to guide the pace of your discussion.

1. What are the attitudes and motivations of the different people in this passage?

2. Which character in this story do you resonate most with right now—and why?

3. What stands out to you about how Paul and Silas were treated by the authorities?

4. When have you experienced—or witnessed—doing the right thing but still suffering negative consequences?

5. How did that affect your desire to worship?

6. What do you imagine it took for Paul and Silas to pray and sing hymns in prison?

7. How is worship in suffering different from worship in comfort?

8. Where do you see God at work in this passage?

9. How did that jailer respond after the earthquake hit?

10. What motivated the jailer to ask how he could be saved?

11. How does this story shape your understanding of God’s nearness in hard moments?

12. What might God be doing in situations where freedom doesn’t come immediately?

13. What does this passage invite us to reconsider about faithfulness, success and results?

14. How might God be calling you to respond when following Him costs you something?

15. If Paul and Silas were to speak into your life, what might they challenge or encourage you about?

PERSONAL APPLICATION
Ask God what He wants you to know and remember from this week’s study and discussion. Share this with your group or with a friend, and pray for each other.

THE PRACTICE OF REORIENTATION
Living in a broken world, our hearts are prone to wander, to be overcome with fear, and to get lost in the demands of everyday life. Maintaining union with God requires a careful reorientation of our hearts and minds to the work and wonder of God. Focusing our attention on Him is an act of worship.
1. Choose a simple phrase of worship (like You are here, or I belong to You, or You are enough).
2. Set three to five natural cues during the day (entering a room, grabbing your phone, stopping in traffic).
3. At each cue:
a. Pause for 5-10 seconds.
b. Breathe slowly.
c. Say your phrase of worship quietly or out loud.

Try doing this every day this week and see what happens!

SCRIPTURE MEMORY
One of the best ways to hear God in your daily life is to have His words rooted in your heart. Memorize this Scripture to direct your heart and mind in the ways of God.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:25 (NIV)

App and the Daily Devotional
Spend time with God with the Daily Devotionals available on the App. You can also find Sunday Message resources and videos, leave prayer requests, give and more.

Why Jesus?
If you’ve never experienced God’s forgiveness and grace, we’d love the opportunity to talk with you about a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Email thepastors@brookwoodchurch.org or call 864.688.8200.

Additional Study Tools
For additional Bible Study tools, guides and devotionals, check out bible.com, youversion.com, biblegateway.com and blueletterbible.org.