The difficult truth about god's good news
Acts 19:23-34
- Read through Acts 19:23–34. How would you describe to a friend what was happening? If you had been there, would you have felt like God had lost control? How would you have prayed?
- Look at 19:24-25 and compare it to Acts 16:19. What do you think was the greater concern for the businessmen—money or "gods" like Artemis? Does that have any relevance to people today?
- If a "god" is anything that has ultimate allegiance in a person's life, what are the main gods that compete with the true God in our world? In your own life?
- The Bible is consistent in saying that having any "gods" in the place of God will eventually rob us of true life. (See Dt 4:39–40; 5:7, 29.) Thinking practically, how is that true? In what ways does putting other things first harm our lives?
- Read vv. 30–31. Paul had spent years ministering in this area (see 19:8–10). How did that affect his witness? What should we learn from this?
- Ephesus eventually became the leading church in Asia Minor and the church of John, Paul, and Timothy. If we had been in Ephesus on the day described in our text, we may have thought this would be impossible. What should we learn about trusting God in the midst of turmoil?
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