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Sermon Study Guide | Series: Weird Church Sermon: Baptism - Spiritual Bath
Scripture: Acts 2:1-41 and James 1:22-25
Date: May 18, 2025

CONNECT - “A Personal Reflection”

This section is designed to help you relate personally to the theme of the sermon. It encourages you to reflect on your own life experiences and how they connect to the message.

Baptism Sundays are often filled with emotion, both for those taking the step and for those witnessing it. Think back to a significant moment in your faith journey when you knew you needed to take action based on what God had shown you—whether it was your baptism, a major life decision, or a small daily obedience. What did that moment teach you about living out your faith?

Open your time together as a group by sharing that moment with others.

ENGAGE -  “Exploring the Scripture”

This section invites you to dive into the biblical passage, discuss its meaning, and apply it to your life through thoughtful questions.

Read Acts 2:1-41 and James 1:22-25 together and discuss:

• What stood out to you in Peter’s sermon at Pentecost? Why do you think it was so powerful for the hearers?
  
  
  
• In James 1, what does it mean to look in a mirror and forget what you saw? How does this relate to our faith and obedience?
  
  
  
• How does your understanding of baptism reflect your view of God’s role in your spiritual growth?
  
  
  
• Baptism is a public declaration of faith. In what other ways can your faith be “public” today?

APPLY - “Putting the Scriptures into Action”

This section challenges us to take what we’ve learned and implement it in practical ways in our daily lives.

1. The significance of your story: If you’ve already been baptized, how can you reflect this week on the significance of that moment in your story? Who is one person you could share that story with?
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2. The power of repentance: What’s one area of your life where you’ve been a “spectator” in your faith—knowing the truth but not living it out.

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3. Living the truth: How can you live out a more public and bold expression of your faith—whether through baptism, serving, or another act of obedience?

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4. What’s Next?: If you’ve never been baptized, what’s holding you back? Take time to pray and process if this is your next step.

PRAY - “Seeking God’s Guidance”

This section offers a short prayer to help us center our hearts and invite God to work in our lives through his scripture.

“Jesus, You are the fount of every blessing who invites us into a life with You—not just one we learn about, but one we actually live. Help us be hearers of your truth and ambassadors practice it for the watching world. Thank You for the gift of baptism and what it represents—the miracle of new life in Jesus. For those who haven’t taken that step yet, we ask for comfort and courage. For those of us who have, help us live in light of it. Fill us with Your Spirit and empower us to live with bold, obedient faith that points others to You. Amen.”

GOING DEEPER - “Further Study & Reflection”

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[STEP ONE: What do you see? – Read James 1:22-25]

Distractions and division are all around us causing us to forget not just who we are but whose we are. Write this verse down and attach it to a mirror in your home.

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[STEP TWO: Who is the Hearer? – Reflect on Acts 2:37-41]

Who do you feel is ready to accept the invitation of Jesus in your life? Commit to prayer for them weekly and consider how you can be a friend and witness to them.

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[STEP THREE: Receive the Helper – Reflect on Baptism in the Holy Spirit]

Read this article and recall a time when you sensed the Holy Spirit working in your life. Write that moment down as a call to remembrance when you received the Helper.

[STEP THREE: From Death to Life – Your Testimony]

Read this document about your Testimony and set some time aside to write out your testimony. Even if you’ve done it before or you’ve already been baptized. This is your moment to declare what God has done and how it has shaped who you are now.