The author of the book of Acts is Luke; what is the ‘former book’ that he was referring to? Can you think of any ideas as to who Theophilus might be?

Why did the Apostles have to stay in Jerusalem (1:4)? Why do you think Jesus stressed Jerusalem rather than another Palestinian city? Wouldn't it have been safer to go to some rural village or something?

What task did Jesus give to the Apostles (1:8)? Who would help them in this task? What should we learn from this about our own ministry/witness?

What specific means (abilities, opportunities, relationships) has God given you to carry out the task of being His witness? Take time to discuss recent opportunities you’ve had or potential opportunities/relationships you can see and make a note of these for the prayer time after the study.

How did the Apostles show that they were following Jesus’ orders (1:12-13)? What should this tell us about the role of prayer?

Peter seemed to take a role of leadership among the apostles early on (1:15). In the light of Peter’s denial of Christ, what does this tell us about God’s grace? Are our mistakes too much to get over? Discuss.

How do you think the other apostles may have felt about Peter’s leadership in the light of his denial? What can we learn about submission to leadership from this?

What was the reason for appointing Matthias as an apostle (1:26)? What is the significance of this?

How do you make important decisions in your family? Why is prayer important in such decisions?

Can you recall any times you or your family have made an important decision and really felt God’s leading? What did it do with regards to your faith and trust in God?

Do you think Parkdale church does a good job when it comes to making important decisions? Discuss ways in which the church (any church) should approach making decisions. Can anything we’ve learned from this study help us in this?