The Power of Your Story
Discussion
Describe your first impression of God. How old were you? Where were you? What happened in that place?
Who or what helped you understand the person of Jesus Christ? Describe the situation.
If you could thank God for just one person in your faith journey it would be ____________________ and why?
Read Acts 26 (Paul’s personal testimony)
Would you describe Paul’s speech as a legal defense or a personal testimony? How are the two related?
Do you think Paul’s primary goal in this speech is to convince Agrippa of his innocence, or of the truth of Christianity’s claims? Why?
If you were in this court and heard Paul, what impressions would you have of Paul as he concluded his speech?
Just like each person has an “oikos” or a group of people in which they have a relationship, every Christian has a testimony a.k.a. a story of how they encountered Jesus and how their life has changed. Do you believe this?
Do you believe that all testimonies are powerful and that God can use them? How can one person’s testimony impact some people differently than it may someone else?
Application
- Have you begun to make a list of those in your household (your Oikos)?
- This week, use today’s handout to help begin working on your testimony (your story).
- Begin to ask the Lord to give you opportunities to share your story with the people in your “personal mission field” and others.