Seven Chosen to Serve

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To view the Leader Guide for this week, click here.

To view a .docx version of this guide, click here.

Introduction 

Last week, we talked about the story of Ananias and Sapphira and how we should live with integrity to share Jesus with the world.  

During the “Apply” section last week, everyone was encouraged to write down specific action steps they will work on throughout the week. Take a few minutes to discuss how everyone has been active in their application steps from last week. 

This week we will be discussing the story of the seven people chosen to serve their community as the followers of Jesus grew in number. 

First, begin your meeting in prayer for God’s blessing over this time with your group. 

Connect  

• Who’s someone you know that’s really good at making others feel seen and included? 
  • What helps you pick up on when someone might be feeling left out or overlooked? 

Opening Thought 

The most meaningful things we do are often less noticed. These moments might not draw attention, but they matter. They create space for people to feel cared for, seen, and valued. When we each do our part, even in small ways, we help build the kind of community where no one falls through the cracks. God invites us to look for ways to do this so we can reflect His heart, as well as shape us into the kind of people he wants us to become.  

This leads us to our main idea for this week:  

Main idea for the week

We can meet the needs of others by using the gifts God has given us

Here’s where we are this week 

Jesus’ teachings are now spreading quickly and the amount of people who are following Jesus has vastly grown since the disciples first received the Holy Spirit. This caused opposition from the religious leaders at the time, but also a tight-knit community between the disciples. At the same time, the disciples are all sharing everything they have. The combination of these two factors means that there are many more people to care for and, unfortunately, some people are beginning to get overlooked.  

Unpack 

Read each set of verses out loud as a group, making observations as you go. Afterward discuss each of the connected questions before moving to the next set of verses: 

Read  

Acts 6:1-7 

Unpack 

The people in these verses who were not being well-cared for were widows of the “Greek-speaking believers”.  

• Who do you think is overlooked or not well-cared for in our churches today?  
  • Why do you think these people fall through the cracks in our communities? 
    • What do you think the role of the church is when it comes to caring for those with more challenging circumstances? 
  • How do you think the church today can work to ensure fair treatment and justice for all its members?  
• What does the apostles’ approach to resolving the complaint in these verses teach about how we should work with other believers? 
• Why do you think the apostles believed it was more important for them to focus on prayer and teaching rather than distributing food? 
  • What do you think this says about the importance of finding your role within the church? How can we figure out how long we are meant to fill our roles? 
• How do you think the appointment of the seven people in this story should influence our approach to meeting the needs of our communities? 
  • Why do you think it was important for the seven people to be “well respected” as well as “full of the Spirit and wisdom”? 
    • What does this show about how involved these people must have already been in their community? Why is this important?  
    • How does this emphasize the importance of community and servant leadership within the church? 
• What can we learn from the rapid growth of the Church following the appointment of the seven men? 

Apply 

Take a moment to discuss these questions, based on the verses above, as a group to decide what your personal action steps for the week can be: 

• How will you try to meet the needs of the overlooked people in your community starting this week? 
• How will you use your strengths or availability to serve others this week? How will you look for ways you can do this outside of your normal weekly rhythm? 
• How will we as a group help fill any needed roles in our church community? 

Closing Thought 

Read the first section to your group, then read the verse out loud to the group, and finally, move to the Prayer and Verses section: 

It’s easy to miss the small moments showing a person you care, whether it just be a quick check-in or simply noticing someone who feels overlooked. These moments are the spaces where something deeper takes root, though. When we’re paying attention and are willing to step into a need, we can help create the kind of community where everyone has a place. God invites us into that kind of work, not to do everything, but to do our part to meet the needs of others and help people come to follow Jesus. 

Prayer and Verses 

Ask for prayer requests and conclude your time with prayer then share the Key Verse for the Week and Daily Devotional Verses with the group. 

Thematic Reflection Verse for the Week  

*Read this verse, then encourage the practice of memorization through the week. 

1 Peter 4:10 

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” 

**When practiced consistently, memorizing Bible verses can be an important spiritual practice that centers your mind around the truth that God has given us. 

Daily Devotional Verses  

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Use the S.O.A.P. method to reflect on the verses below. 

Scripture: Read the verses several times. Reading out loud can be helpful as well. 
Observation: What can you see about the scripture you read? 
Application: What is God wanting you to believe, do, or feel, based on what you have read? 
Prayer: This is a chance to talk to God about what you have read and ask him for help in living out what you’ve learned. 

Day 1: 1 Corinthians 14:12 

Day 2: Romans 12:11 

Day 3: Hebrews 3:13 

Day 4: Colossians 3:23-24 

Day 5: 1 Peter 4:8 

Day 6: Proverbs 17:17