Click here to see the sermon discussion questions or see them listed below. We highly encourage you to listen, reflect, and discuss the sermon. These are questions you can reflect on by yourself, with your family, or with your small group.

Sermon Discussion Questions: 

1. Explain how something beautiful can come from suffering and tragedy - try to explain using the early church as an example

2. In our passage this week, James is killed and Peter is imprisoned. Where was God in the midst of such evil?  Why do you think God would allow such wickedness to fall upon His bride the church?

3. Luke explains that the church’s response to tragedy was earnest prayer to God.  Why should prayer be the church’s first response to evil, trials and suffering?  What do you think is meant by “earnest” prayer?  Why is it that this kind of prayer is oftentimes the Christian’s “last resort”?

4. Through no effort of his own, Peter is rescued from prison by an angel of the Lord.  How is Peter’s rescue analogous to our own salvation?  Considering the fact that our best efforts contribute nothing to our salvation, and that it was God alone who saved us, how should this impact the way we view the lost?  Are we any better, more virtuous, wiser and more worthy than they?

5. When tragic events hit our lives, it can easily lead to questioning God’s love for us.  Two thousand plus years after James was martyred for his faith, do you think he is questioning God’s love?  Explain.  What is it that James understands now that he may not have understood when he was killed by the sword?

6. Why do you think Christians are so surprised when God answers our prayers in a miraculous way?  Should we be surprised?  Why or why not?

7. In our fallen world, sinful humanity would rather align itself with evil kings who would kill them when they fail rather than bend the knee and follow a Savior King who would die for them even after they rebelled against Him. Why do you think that is?  What does this say about fallen mankind?