Hidden Grace – STUDY GUIDE

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Icebreaker: Share a time when you experienced grace that you did not deserve.

Sermon Title: Authentic Church – ‘Hidden Grace’ – Acts 4:32 – 5:11

Group Discussion:

Read Acts 5:1-11 – An authentic church takes the Lord, His character, and His mission seriously. According to Peter, what exactly was Ananias and Sapphira’s sin? How does this passage challenge the idea that the early church was perfect? Discuss how genuine, authentic living, ‘warts and all,’ in community can create space for others to grow in grace. Consider examples at Mt. Gilead Church.

Read Acts 4:31-37 & Titus 2:11-14 – Abundant Grace – How does the idea of “abundant grace upon them all” shape the way the early church lived? Discuss what abundant grace might look like (1) in our lives, (2) in our families, and (3) in our relationships with others (e.g., in groups, while serving, in our communities). Share examples of receiving grace well and extending grace well.

Read Romans 6:1-2 (Grace is not a license to continue in sin) & Titus 2:11-12 (True grace teaches and transforms; it does not excuse sin) – Abused Grace – Discuss ways that believers today might abuse grace (e.g., relying on God’s forgiveness while continuing sinful behavior). How can we cultivate integrity and sincerity with the Lord consistently, even when no one else is watching?

Read John 15:4-5 & Colossians 2:6-7 – Abiding in Grace – As followers of Jesus receiving grace (e.g., living through His strength), discuss why we sometimes find ourselves returning to a self-centered ‘I got this’ mentality. Discuss practical signs in our lives that we may have stopped ‘abiding’ and started trying to live through our own intellect and authority. How can we live out the Lord’s abiding grace in our own lives while encouraging others, through mentorship, to do the same?

Spiritual Disciplines: Additional resources are available on the Church Center app at:

Church Center / Home / Sermon Resources, like Grace is Greater: A Study by Kyle Idleman

You may study other ‘tough moments’ in these bible stories: Achan in (Joshua 7:1-26) – Uzzah in

(2 Samuel 6:6-7) – Nadab and Abihu in (Leviticus 10:1-3) – Simon the sorcerer in (Acts 8:9-25) and Elymas the sorcerer in (Acts 18:6-12). Explore common denominators in God’s actions & purposes.

Action Steps: (1) Praise the Lord: Identify where you see His grace in your life and give Him praise; and identify areas in your life where you need to abide in His grace, and (2) ‘Warts & All’: Meet with a friend this week and confess an area where you are struggling to abide in His grace (John 15:4).