Acts: The Spread of the Gospel

This study is taken from John MacArthur's "Acts: The Spread of the Gospel." My prayer and goal for this devo is that we will learn more about how the early church laid the foundation for what we possess today, and that we would allow God to use us to turn our world upside for Him!

This will be an exciting journey, so encourage others to join you! I'm looking forward to the interaction we will have on this blog as we study the book of Acts!

The devos will differ in format from day to day, but two things are constant: 1) a daily reading, and 2) additional Scripture passages that are in bold. Be sure to read any and all of the readings/bold verses that appear so that you can see the full picture of what is taught that day.

Remember, you can access any of the previous devos that have been posted from the "Blog Archive" section on the left side of this page.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Caught in Adultery - Part 1 - Devo for 05/22/08

Reflective Questions
1. Which is harder for you: to forgive or to seek forgiveness? Why?
2. Think of a time when you hurt someone and that person was willing to forgive you. How did it feel to be forgiven?

Reading
John 8:1-11

Responsive Questions
1. Unlock some of the emotional background of this encounter. How do you think the woman feels when she is publicly accused?
2. What emotions grip the woman's accusers?
3. What would you have done if you had been part of the crowd that looked on?
4. How do you feel when someone exposes a sin or failure in your life?

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

1. Unlock some of the emotional background of this encounter. How do you think the woman feels when she is publicly accused?
She probably felt very ashamed. MAybe a little mad with the people who caught her. She might have also felt frustrated or sad.

2. What emotions grip the woman's accusers?
They are contempt
towards Jesus. They are also furious and outrage at what the woman was doing,

3. What would you have done if you had been part of the crowd that looked on?
I probably wouldn't have done anything. Not because I would be afraid, but because I wouldn't know what to do.

4. How do you feel when someone exposes a sin or failure in your life?
I feel ashamed and sad. We usually don't like o admit we are wrong.

Anonymous said...

Reflective Questions
1. Which is harder for you: to forgive or to seek forgiveness? Why?

oh thats a hard one. prolly to seek it because were human and dont like to admit it when were wrong.

2. Think of a time when you hurt someone and that person was willing to forgive you. How did it feel to be forgiven?

awkard. just becuse not everyone forgives u and you kinda xpect it but then when someone truly forgives you it feel really good and wierd at the same time...

Reading
John 8:1-11

Responsive Questions
1. Unlock some of the emotional background of this encounter. How do you think the woman feels when she is publicly accused?

well deffinatily mad at the people and comepleatly ashamed at herself.

2. What emotions grip the woman's accusers?

well ticked off at the woman for what she did and their feeling twards jesus was contempt

3. What would you have done if you had been part of the crowd that looked on?

just be a looker...i would be confused as to what to do and personally i wouldnt wanna make a fool of myself.

4. How do you feel when someone exposes a sin or failure in your life?

ashamed because iknow its true. but i know im better than that and know that God has forgiven me for it and im happy again...

Anonymous said...

reflevtive questions
1.it depends on the situation i have problemswith both sometimes. if i dont like the person i dont want to forgive them and if i have to seek forgiveness well i never like to do that lol
2.good but i felt bad.
responsive questions
1.embarrassed and scared cuz they wanted to stone her.
2.they were mad at the woman and they didnt like what Jesus told them.
3.well i wouldnt do anything probebly i dk ive never been in that kind of situation really.
4.embarrassed, scared.

Anonymous said...

Reflective Questions:
1. See forgiveness...it is horribly embarrassing!
2. Humbled, loved...a relief. A desire to readily forgive in the same way.

Responsive Questions
1. Embarrassed, humiliated...mad that the guy involved wasn't being exposed this way as well.
2. At first they were excited at getting the "perfect" opportunity to trap Jesus in a sticky situation. But once He put things into perspective ("Let him that is without sin cast the first stone"), they were obviously embarrassed and sheepish and wanted to get away, which they did!
3. Perhaps smirked as they skulked away. (Taylor Huff...isn't "skulked" a great word?!)
4. Ugghhh...that is not fun. But sometimes is depends on the spirit of the one bringing it to my attention. If they are mean and overly critical about it, it hurts worse than if they are truly concerned for my spiritual growth and character development.

Anonymous said...

Reflective Questions
1. Which is harder for you: to forgive or to seek forgiveness? Why?

to seek forgiveness. harder because of fear of being yelled at.

2. Think of a time when you hurt someone and that person was willing to forgive you. How did it feel to be forgiven?

a great relief on ever part of me.

Reading
John 8:1-11

Responsive Questions
1. Unlock some of the emotional background of this encounter. How do you think the woman feels when she is publicly accused?

sad, suprissed such an accusation is made. guilty.

2. What emotions grip the woman's accusers?

anger

3. What would you have done if you had been part of the crowd that looked on?

walked away. honestly.

4. How do you feel when someone exposes a sin or failure in your life?

Anonymous said...

Reflective Questions
1. both because I think they will yell at me.

2. I felt better afterwards.

Responsive Questions
1. She probably feel so bad that she doesnot care if someone stones her now.

2. I don't know

3. I would have left to because I know I was a sinner too.

4. I would fell sad

Anonymous said...

1. i realy don't know

2. it fealt good because i got a 2 chance.

responsive questions

1. felt bad for her self and mad to.

2. i think the were mad, and very angery.

3. me well i would not do anything at all.

4. i would feel very very sad.

Anonymous said...

Anwser to #1
To forgive because I hold grudge and it is just hard for me.

Anwser to #2
It felt good because I knew that friendship could go on again.

Responsive............
Anwser to #1
Very scared and wondering what everyone will think of her now.

Anwser to #2
Anger

Anwser to #3
I dont know I just cant say anything unless I was there.

Anwser to #4
Like my heart was riped out and thrown on the floor. Sorry for so grafic but that is what it feels like.

Anonymous said...

1 idk
2 i feel really bad




1 really worried she did not know what people would say
2 really mad
3 to see i really don't know
4 like somethong in me has changed

Anonymous said...

call me brooke

Anonymous said...

Reflective Questions

1)To seek forgiveness

2)I felt very happy that we could work things out

Responsive Questions

1)Upset and a bit mad

2)I were very angry

3)I really don't no

4)I would we very upset for them and I would show them I cared

Yes!! Back up to date

Anonymous said...

Reflective Questions
1. Which is harder for you: to forgive or to seek forgiveness? Why?

For me, it is harder to seek forgiveness. In seeking forgiveness I have to humble myself, admit that I was wrong, and deal with the consequences of that wrong choice. None of those are enjoyable to endure, yet they are exactly what I need to do if I am honestly seeking forgiveness.

2. Think of a time when you hurt someone and that person was willing to forgive you. How did it feel to be forgiven?

Relief, thankfulness, embarrassment, and indebted are some of the feelings I have had when experiencing forgiveness.

Reading
John 8:1-11

Responsive Questions
1. Unlock some of the emotional background of this encounter. How do you think the woman feels when she is publicly accused?

I think she went from surprise, to anger, to embarrassment, to fear.

2. What emotions grip the woman's accusers?

I believe self-righteousness, pride, and contempt for Jesus is what consumed these men. They were more concerned about trying to trip up Jesus (v. 6) than they were about dealing with this woman’s sin.

3. What would you have done if you had been part of the crowd that looked on?

I probably would have been a “gawker,” similar to the people who look back at an accident or stand around and watch some trouble that has caused a scene. I also would have been relieved that I wasn’t involved.

4. How do you feel when someone exposes a sin or failure in your life?

I feel embarrassed and get that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach, but only for a short time. I truly have a desire to live for Christ, so my feelings quickly change to thankfulness for the person who had enough courage to point out the sin so that my relationship with Christ might be unhindered.

Anonymous said...

-To seek forgiveness;It's embarrassing to know you've done wrong.
-Relieving;I knew that that person wasn't mad at me anymore, and it wasn't weighing me down.

1.Thoroughly embarrassed that everyone knew what she had done, She probably was angry and frustrated that the man she was with wasn't being charged/judged the way she was.
2.Judgement,condemnation
3.Let it go on and not do anything
4.I feel embarrassed and ashamed that I have let people down.

Anonymous said...

Reflective Questions
1. Seek forgiveness because it is kinda embarrasing and kinda awkward
2.good because I knew that we could become friends again.

Responsive Questions
1. Ashamed and maybe mad at the people.

2.Mad at what the woman was doing but contempt toward Jesus

3.probaly nothing

4.Ashamed

Anonymous said...

Reflective/////////////////////////
Answer to 1.
Its gotta be to seek forgiveness just because of the emberassment factor and it admits that we did something wrong.
Answer to 2.
you feel guilty at first but then you feel relieved a little bit.

Responsive=========================
Answer to 1.
Shes got to be really really embarassed.Everyone knowing that ur love life is a wreck.Im pretty sure she had five husbands.
Answer to 2.
At first they wanted to stone her for her immorality, but then Jesus told the crowd that whoever that was without sin should cast a stone first, and they all were convicted and went away.
Answer to 3.
I probably would have just listen to Jesus conversation with some people in the crowd.
Answer to 4.
Noone wants anyone else to expose something wrong they had done in the past. And when it does happen, its really embarassing.

Anonymous said...

Reflective Questions
1. To seek forgiveness because I have to admit that I was wrong and that is sometimes embarrassing for me.

2. Good because that is what I was asking for.

Responsive Questions
1. Embarrassed because this was a private thing that was revealed. also scared because thought that she was about to be stoned.

2. embarrassment after what Jesus said to them.

3. I wouldn't have gotten envolved.

4. Ashamed at what I did.