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Bible Study: Aug. 23, 2015

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NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.

This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Bible Studies for Life curriculum.

Bible Passage: Acts 13:1-3, 44-52

Discussion Questions: Where do you like to go to recharge your batteries? What can we do to intentionally seek God’s guidance? How do you hope to see God move in your life and community?

Food for Thought from *Ronnie Floyd:

Sometimes you just need to get away, don’t you?

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Your to-do list is out of control. Responsibilities compete for your attention. Your day is full from morning to night doing one thing after the other. When you’re constantly on the go, your perspective can get muddled. Important relationships can get left out of the loop, and life can feel out of whack.

Two of the most powerful ways to do that — to regain focus — don’t even require leaving town. Prayer and fasting can be done right where you are, and they can revitalize you and lead you to fix your attention on the things that are truly important. In Acts 13, we see this principle at work in the church in Antioch. They prayed. They fasted. And God did something incredible.

In Acts 13, the church in Antioch sought God’s leadership during a time of worship. In response, God called Saul and Barnabas to take the Gospel message beyond Judea and the surrounding areas. Saul and Barnabas launched out on what became known as the first of Paul’s three missionary journeys. The Gospel spread throughout the region; God was at work.

The ministry of Paul and Barnabas was preceded by prayer and fasting. Allow the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into you and your church by returning to prayer and fasting. Let God Himself refocus you to a renewed commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission.

Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life is a life-stage focused family of resources that addresses key issues in the lives of adults and students. Consisting of five curriculum lines developed for various life and generational stages plus two others designed for deeper study, all of these resources focus on the same Bible passage for each week. Information about the different Bible Studies for Life resources can be found on the Internet at LifeWay.com/BibleStudiesforLife [3].

Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool [4].