CELL NOTES 15/9/08

ICE BREAKER

If you felt like singing, and nobody was around to hear you ( e.g. in the bath or the car), what would you be likely to sing?

THEME

Baptism

Reading ; Acts 16 : 25 – 34

SERMON OUTLINE

Sunday’s service centred on the four baptisms, and the testimonies each candidate gave. The brief message from the passage highlighted :-

1) Paul and Silas’ joyful behaviour, even though they were in prison.

2) The jailer’s fear when the prisoners were released, and astonishment that they did not flee.

3) The fact that we often face great difficulty and turmoil, even though we may not be in prison.

4) The jailer's reaction in finding that putting his trust in Jesus saved him from much more than the punishment he feared for allowing his prisoners to escape.

5) Here is the  heart of being a Christian : trusting in the risen Jesus, rather than accepting a code of doctrine.

QUESTIONS OF APPLICATION 

1)  What did you bring away from, or what did God say to you at, Sunday morning’s service?

2) Read the passage. What strikes you most?

3) How do you deal with difficulty? What difficulty do you face at present? Do you sing in the face of trouble? What enabled Paul and Silas to do so?

4) The jailer’s whole family were baptised? How are family relationships for you? How easy is it for you to be a Christian in your family? Are there any relationships that you need to restore?