Week of 8/16/26: Sent By the Spirit

SUMMARY
Formation Theme: Be the Church - Formed for Mission
Weekly Theme: Be the Church - Sent by the Spirit
Sermon Text: Acts 9:32-35
Primary Reading: Acts 1-4
Secondary Reading: Isaiah 1-9
Memory Verses (Through September 5th): Acts 1:8
[8] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 
1 | Theme Reflection - “Sent by the Spirit"
Acts 9:31 describes a Church shaped by both awe and comfort. They lived with a holy reverence before God and a deep rest in the Spirit’s nearness. Mission began in receiving, not striving from performance. The Church did not spread because they tried harder. The Spirit moved, and they followed!

To be sent by the Spirit is to live from rest, not pressure. We do not bring Jesus to others. Christ is already present, already drawing, already loving. We are invited to participate. Mission is not a human strategy. It is presence and patience. It is love that moves gently and boldly at the same time.

This is why we can say with peace: Jesus is enough for you and for me. 
Mission begins with God’s work.

2 | Daily Reading Rhythm  

3 | Missional Practice of the Week - Pray for Three

This week, we begin the evangelism journey prayerfully.

      1. Identify three people in your life who do not know Jesus.
      2. Write their names where you will see them daily.
      3. Pray for them once each day.

No invitations yet, unless you feel the Lord call. No agenda.

We are not doing evangelism.
We are becoming Good News People.

Healthy mission doesn’t result from pressure, but from trust in the Lord, King of all. God moves first, acts first, loves first. We follow

4 | Doctrinal Focus - The Mission of God (Missio Dei)
Mission begins with God. The Father sends the Son into the world. The Son sends the Spirit to the Church. The Spirit sends the Church into the world. We do not initiate mission. We participate in it. God is already present, already drawing, already working long before we arrive. Our role is not to convince or control. Our role is witness - to embody the peace, patience, and kindness of Christ in real relationships while sharing the good news of His life, death and resurrection.

This frees us from anxiety. We are not trying to “make something happen.” We are responding to the grace that has already changed us. We rest in the truth that salvation belongs to the Lord. Mission is not a task. It is a way of being - grounded in the love of God and led by the Spirit of God!

5 | Community Group Discussion Questions
From the Sermon (Text — Acts 9:32-35)
      1. How does God identifying you as a “saint” change the way you see yourself and other Christians?
      2. How does the suffering of Jesus inform your own?
      3. In what ways does a Christian's identity of being a “saint who sins and a saint who suffers” change the way you care for and love others?
From the Reading
      1. How do Acts 1–4 show mission beginning in prayer, unity and dependence?
      2. How do Isaiah’s early chapters reveal God’s heart to restore and renew His people?
From Personal Reflection
      1. Who are your three people?
      2. What feelings arise as you begin to pray for them? What might the Spirit be saying in those feelings?
From Community Life
      1. How can we support one another in patience, love, and courage as we learn to witness and share the Gospel?
Questions for Children
        1. What does it mean that Jesus loved the whole world? Is anyone too bad for Jesus to love?
        2. Who can we pray for this week?
        3. How can we show kindness like Jesus?
    6 | Closing Prayer
    Lord, help us! Help us love You more,
    and grow in our passion to share Your name boldly.
    May we trust You, not counting our efforts
    as the work that saves.
    But knowing, in all things, You move towards the lost, have done so in Your Son,
    And invite us in to join You in the work You are already doing. 
    We love You, we love You, we love You.
    Amen.