Acts Reading GuideSample

Convenience is not something we should expect from God. It may feel poorly timed, perhaps even prickly, sharp and uncomfortable. The paradox is this: God’s Word is always perfectly timed—just by a different timepiece. Any attempt to schedule growth—to wait until life isn’t so busy, to wait until the children are older, to wait until God’s commands feel less confrontational—will mean missing out on what God is doing now. Felix, though “well acquainted with the Way,” (Acts 24:22) missed out on a relationship with Jesus because God’s truth felt like a spur in Felix’s indulgences. He tried to take God in small doses. Felix sent for Paul frequently then dismissed Paul when he had enough. It can be easy to slip into comfortable religion, consuming morsels of truth sporadically so as to dilute its impact. Growth and change require a daily diet of God’s word—not appetizers of scripture served up on special occasions. 1) What does this passage teach us about God? How does it apply to you? 2) What do you think frightened Felix about Paul’s message on righteousness, self-control and judgment to come (Verse 25)? How is it possible to hear truth and remain unchanged by it? 3) Is your commitment to growth and change more like Paul or Felix? How?