Follow-Up Study Guide To:

 

Faith Is Dangerous Because It’s Contagious
Part 3 of 4 in the series “Dangerous Faith”

March 15, 2009                  Pastor Scott Oldenburgh

 

 

Let’s start by thinking about the contrast between infectious and attractive

 

«  What are the similarities between them?

«  What are the elements they both share?

«  What is the major difference between the two concepts?

«  Specifically, how do you treat things that are infectious?

«  What do you do to prevent them from spreading?

«  Specifically, how do you treat things that are attractive?

«  What do you do to promote their spread?

 

 

Read Acts 10.  In this chapter, Peter receives a vision from God.

 

«  What is the vision?

«  What do you think was the point of the vision?

«  What did Peter learn about things that are clean or unclean?

«  Who makes things clean?

«  Why do you think Peter received this vision before being told       to visit Cornelius?

«  According to Peter’s background, what do you think he would have originally thought made him an attractive or clean person?  - Look at Peter’s focus on the law to get insight here -

«  What was Peter learning about what makes something attractive or clean?

«  Why would this be a necessary principle for Peter to understand   as the church began to spread?

«  Were more people attracted to the law and traditions of the Jewish culture or because the gospel was now available to the Gentiles?

 

Look back at the two principles from this week’s message

 

«  How do these principles contrast with what is taught in the world and in our culture today?

«  Where would you think that the world believes attractiveness comes from?

«  What is the shortcoming of this belief?

«  Have you experienced these principles?

«  Have you seen things in your life that used to be infectious that God touched and they are now attractive?

«  Have you ever struggled with keeping control of certain areas of your life and allowed that aspect of your life to remain infectious?

«  Why do we do that?

«  How do you think the world views the church today? Attractive or infectious?

«  Based on the contrast from the message, answer why?

«  What would happen to that view if the world saw the principles of this week’s message practiced?

«  What would they learn about attractiveness?

«  Do you think this would attract or repulse people?  Why?

«  What effect did this principle have when Jesus spoke to people in the New Testament?

«  How did culture embrace His message?

«  Whose responsibility is it for the church to be a source of attraction over infection?

«  Where does that begin?

 

 

Pray and ask God to begin to show you the difference in specific areas of your life where God’s touch has created something attractive.