Ice Breaker
Share about a time when God carried you through difficult circumstances
General Study Questions
How does this passage fit into the book as a whole?
How does it flow from the previous section of the text?
What in the passage stands out to you?
How does this passage minister to its original audience?
How does this text minister to us today?
Is there a sin to confess?
Is there a cause for thanksgiving or praise to God?
Is there a promise or truth to trust in?
Is there an attitude to change?
Is there a command to obey or an example to imitate?
Is there anything confusing or hard to understand about the passage?
How is the Gospel present in this passage?
What is the single, main point of the passage?
How would you apply this passage to your life?
Text Specific Questions
There are four different Herods in the Bible. How many do you know and what was significant about each one?
Why would Herod want to please the Jews? Why would James’ death and Peter’s arrest please them?
The church faced a dark moment in verses 1-4, but responded with prayer in verse 5. How have you responded to dark moments in your own life? How should we respond?
Luke repeats the details about how heavily Peter was guarded multiple times. Why are those details so significant?
Verse 11 is the key verse of the passage. Peter knows it was God who delivered him! How have you seen God deliver you in your life?
In verses 12-16 we see that the church was praying, but struggled to believe that God had actually answered their prayer. Have you ever prayed but had doubts about what God could do? How can this passage encourage us to pray with faith?
Herod meets a gruesome end in verses 20-23. What do we learn about God’s justice in this passage? What do we learn about pride?
Despite increasing persecution the church continues to flourish (verse 24). How can this truth encourage us today?
