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Begin in prayer, welcoming the Holy Spirit, inviting Him to lead, guide, and convict. Then, reflect on the sermon. What were some highlights? Was anything particularly helpful, convicting, or confusing?

Examine the Word

• Read Acts 1:5; 2:42-47; 11:15-16
• Read Ephesians 2:11-22 and Colossians 1:18

For Discussion

• Share an experience from your formative church years. What did you learn implicitly and explicitly about what the church is and how it works? Have you changed or matured in your understanding since then and, if so, how? Right now, how would you define “church”?
• Talk about the miraculous beginning of the church detailed in the book of Acts. How did the church begin? Who formed it? What did it look like? How did they function? What stands out about these early believers?
• Ephesians 2 describes the church in many ways: “one” (v. 14), “one new man” (v. 15), “fellow citizens” (v. 19), “members of God’s household” (v. 19), a “building” (v. 21), a “holy temple in the Lord” (v. 21), “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Pick one or two of these descriptors and discuss the rich meaning of Paul’s message to the multiethnic Ephesian church.
• A common metaphor for the church is “body.” What do you learn about this body in Colossians 1:18?

For Practice

• Join: The body of Christ is not simply a doctrine to believe but a reality to participate in. Ask God if He is calling you to join your church in membership, join a Bible study or small group, or simply go deeper with the people you already are investing in.
• Invite: Consider who you can invite to experience what church is - not a building but a group of diverse people united together under the leadership of Jesus?

For Family Discussions

• Talk about the sermon together. What did you learn that was new? Were there any parts that were confusing?
• Have each person draw a picture of a body. Talk about Paul’s metaphor that Jesus is the head of the body, with each believer in Jesus serving as one part of the rest of the body. Talk about the ways that God has wired and gifted each family member to serve within the body of Christ.