Amazing Boldness

Spiritual boldness comes from knowing Christ. In other words, the more Jesus builds your faith, the more boldness you will see in your life. Take inventory of your relationship with Christ this week and see what steps you need to take immediately in order to grow your faith in Christ. Those steps could be more prayer time, increasing your time reading God’s Word, or seeking a mature believer to mentor you. The Book of Acts is full of examples of amazing boldness as the first church began the task Jesus entrusted them with and advanced His kingdom into all the nations. During this series, read the Acts YouVersion reading plan at http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/acts. As you read, be intentional about finding examples of bold living that you can follow in your own life and share with others.

• What’s one of the most amazing acts of boldness that you’ve seen?

With your Bible or YouVersion, read Acts 4:1-22.

In this passage, Peter and John exhibit such boldness before the Sadducees that it tremendously impacted those around them.

• What can you learn about being bold for Christ from Peter and John’s example in Acts 4?

• Peter and John were ordinary people who spoke and acted with boldness. How do you think being bolder for Christ would impact you and your relationship with God?

• In what areas of life do you most need amazing boldness?

• Boldness is behavior born out of belief. What beliefs about yourself do you need to change that are keeping you from living with amazing boldness?

• Describe a time when you were bold. What was the outcome of your boldness and what did you learn from it?

• Peter and John’s boldness amazed the Sadducees. Who could benefit from your being bold for Christ?

• How would you rate your current level of boldness? What’s keeping you from being bold?

• Who would you describe as being amazingly bold for Christ? What about their boldness inspires you?

• As Jesus builds your faith, your boldness will also grow. What steps do you need to take immediately to grow your faith in Christ?

Here are some specific things you can do this week that will help you develop amazing boldness in your life.

5-Day Micro Devotional:

• Ask God to reveal what He would like boldness in your life to look like.

• Thank God for the bold people He has placed in your life who have helped you grow your faith in

Christ.

• Ask God to develop amazing boldness in all areas of your life and in your faith in Christ.

• Ask God to deepen your faith in Him so that boldness will result out of your faith.

• Pray for those you feel would benefit in their faith by your boldness. Ask God to give you the boldness you need to impact them.

Bold Prayers

Ok, I looked and I tried really hard to find prayers in the book of Acts in which they prayed over their food, or said, “Lord be with me” / “Keep me safe” / “Watch over me” / “keep me safe” / “give me a better house or a raise”. Now I know God is not offended at these prayers and there is nothing unbiblical about them. I just wonder what type of prayer He expects to hear from us. I remember a few guys in the old testament that said before a king, “hey you can throw us into the fire and God will rescue us, but if he does not we will not bow.” (Daniel 3).

That bold prayer and bold statement is a far cry from the standard prayer today. I challenge you to stop praying selfish and small prayers this week and begin to pray bold prayers. Start by picking two or three bold things to pray for. Follow the example in Acts 4 by praying for boldness in your life and in the lives of others. If you or someone you know has a great need, pray that God will work a miracle in that situation. Consider sharing your bold prayer requests with others and ask them to pray your bold prayers with you. The Book of Acts is full of examples of amazing boldness as the first church began the task of advancing Christ’s kingdom into all nations.

During the Bold series, read the Acts YouVersion reading plan at http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/acts. As you read, be intentional about finding examples of bold living that you can follow in your own life.

Don’t let

• What’s one of the most miraculous things you’ve ever seen or heard about?

With your Bible or YouVersion, read Acts 4:23-37.

In this passage, Peter and John prayed bold prayers before God that led to bold results.

• How would you describe the way you typically pray? In what ways do your prayers reflect what you believe about God?

• What stood out to you about bold prayers after reading Peter and John’s prayers in Acts 4?

• When was the last time you were amazed by the power of prayer? How did that experience affect your relationship with God?

• Why do you think prayers become bolder when they are prayed together in a group?

• What’s keeping you from changing your selfish and small prayers into bold prayers?

• What bold prayers do you need to start praying today?

• Peter and John’s prayers led to bold results. What bold results would you like to see come from your bold prayers?

• What impact do you think it would have on your church if everyone began praying bold prayers?

• In what ways have you seen the power of bold prayers build your faith in Christ?

"I Feel"

So many times I have heard this phrase "I Feel". I have even utter it myself thousands of times. Now each time that phrase sputters past my lips I cringe. Why? Well it's simple, feelings are the most unstable platform for making any decision, ANY! At best I have observed a 50/50 track record on the "I feel" decisions (I am being very generous here). Yet it's what we use as our primary filter for entertainment, job decisions, family relationships and our obedience to God. I bet you have your own story of how feelings left you torn and tattered behind the bumper of an emotional drag racer!

What might be a better way to live? It seems a better way is to still feel as a human does, but then subject those feelings to God's calling! In other words, what has God called you to do or be in this situation that transcends feelings? To give you some meat for this so you don't disguise your "Calling" decisions in more cloaked feelings, look for these things before making decisions in life:

1. In inward urge of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14), Scottish proverb “It’s better felt than telt”. It’s an experience you can’t describe.

2. A definite word from the Scripture. (John 7:17) It serves to deepen your conviction of that urge.

3. A burden in your heart. (John 4:35). Everything God does draws back to bring people into the kingdom, so will be your calling.

4. Advice of Godly Christians (Gal 2:2). Nothing significant accomplished in human history was ever done alone! Others discernment will serve you will and you will prosper.

5. A mentor that comes alongside to equip you. (2 Tim 4:11). The words and actions of a gifted and spirit-led leader that has gone before you will help you through the most difficult times. (Your pastor, parents or a friend that is more spiritually mature than you)

6. Divine ordering of events by God. (1 Cor 16:9). God will use His providence to seal the deal that you are heading in the right direction.

Use these filters the days of feeling frustrations will be finished forever! (5 F's in one sentence must be a record!)