Getting Started

1. What connotation do you have of the Holy Spirit?
2. When you think of the Holy Spirit in your own life, what comes to mind?
3. How would you describe the Holy Spirit to someone who wasn’t a believer who asked?

Digging In

1. Based on what Brandon discussed in his message, what is the significance of the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost?
2. Based on Peter’s sermon, why is this a new era for God’s chosen people?
3. What is the significance of wind, fire, and prophetic utterances? Do you believe God still shows himself in this day and age? How?
4. What is the overall purpose of the Holy Spirit coming to those who followed Jesus? Does that purpose still apply today?

Making It Yours

1. Would you say the Holy Spirit is active in your own life? Why or why not?
2. Who is God trying to reach with the Gospel through the Holy Spirit in you?
3. What questions do you have about the Holy Spirit?
4. How can Westwind be reaching “all humanity” with the Gospel.

ANNOUNCEMENT:  Don’t forget to remind your connection group to fill out the GROUP LEADER EVALUATION that was sent out…

Getting Started

The sermon started out with “tales” of the work of the Holy Spirit through the Disciples (great power, great eloquence, great joy).  What story or experience could you share with the group of the great power of the Holy Spirit? (DB mentioned a former student who witnessed healings).  It could be something you heard about, read about or even saw yourself.

Do you really believe that the Holy Spirit works that way today?  In your life?

Digging In

After witnessing the Ascension, the disciples return to the Upper Room and begin praying.  They expected something big to happen.

1) What do you think it would have been like to gather with those disciples in the house in Jerusalem?

2) What do you think it means to wait for God?

3) How was the disciples’ waiting different from ours today?

4)How would you be praying if you were in this group of believers?

5)What is the value of praying together?

6)How are you affected when you pray with other believers in this way?  Especially when you consider your part in the task of making Jesus known.

Applying God’s Word

DB mentioned that the prayers of those in the Upper Room were Persistent, Unified, and Dependant.

7) What could your group do to model those 3 things in prayer?

Take some time to pray with your group.  You could follow the example we used in the service or make up your own.  Don’t forget to include praying for the names that were written down on the cards.

Getting Started

1. Paul shared this morning about the final words of instruction from his father-in-law dying of a liver disease.  Have you ever received final words of instruction from someone?  What were they and how did they affect you?  If not, what might your final words of instruction be to your loved ones?
2. Many read all or some of Acts this week.  What were your initial impressions?

Digging In

1. Reread Acts 1:1-11.  How do you think the disciples felt hearing and seeing these things?  What would have been going through your mind?
2. Mentioned 57 times, the Holy Spirit is clearly the main Actor in the book of Acts.  Read the following verses and describe what the Holy Spirit is doing in each verse.  (1:1-2, 1:8, 6:3-5, 1:16, 2:4, 5:3, 8:26-29, 8:39, 20:28, 9:31, 11:28)
3. Reread Acts 1:8.  What were Jesus’ last words to his disciples?

Applying God’s Word

1. Jerusalem was physically and culturally close; Samaria was physically close but culturally very different; the ends of the earth were both physically and culturally distant.  Very practically, who are some people like that in our lives and how can we be witnesses to them as individuals, connection groups, and as a church?
2. Pray and ask God’s Spirit to empower you to take a step forward as a witness for God this week.

Looking Back…

1. Open up to the book of Philippians.   Go around and have everyone share what the most meaningful part of the series was for you.  What is one personal challenge that you sense the Lord wants you to keep applying?
2. Reflect on this weekend’s service.  For you, what was the best part about it?  How was the Lord challenging you or speaking to you?
3. We are having an unprecedented amount of people follow the Lord in obedience through baptism at Westwind.  What stood out to you most during the baptisms this morning?

Looking Forward…

1. We are about to begin the book of Acts.  The elders and connection group leaders are encouraging the entire church to read through the book of Acts before next weekend.  Are you up for that challenge?  If so, how will you set aside the time needed to make that happen?  Is it possible to pull your family into that?
2. Let me encourage you to get started now.  Sit back and begin to read Acts as a connection group.  If you have various translations, sit those down and just read from one.  Perhaps you go around the group and have everyone read one chapter or ½ a chapter.  Try and read the first 5 or 6 chapters.  This will be an awesome jump-start.
3. What were your immediate first impressions as you read those chapters together?

Prayer

Spent 10-20 minutes in focused prayer to begin this Acts series.   Ask the Lord to do a powerful work through His Holy Spirit to make us all great witnesses of God and great witnesses for God.