Global Mission Service. Interrupted for a Purpose: Joining God's Greater Story

Read Acts 16:6-10

What stands out to you from the passage? What is surprising or raises questions? Does this passage remind you of other Bible narratives, and why?

Discuss:

Steve highlighted that there was obviously nothing wrong with the plan to preach in Asia or Bythinia – we can only speculate. However, Paul and his team are not discouraged by the interruptions to their plan.

• When have you brought what seemed like a good plan to God and felt that He said “no”?
• What did you do?
• How did it work out?

If we read the rest of the chapter, we see Paul and his team responding to the vision to go to Macedonia, meeting some women, and Lydia coming to faith, then Paul and Silas being arrested and having a night in prison on the way to the conversion of the Roman jailer – this doesn’t look much like Plan A – there is no sign of any man from Macedonia as in Paul’s vision...

• When have you followed a leading or calling from God, and it didn’t look anything like what you were expecting?
• What did you do?
• How did it work out?

Most of us have some sort of plan for our day, whether it is written down, or just a routine that we have developed. And often it can feel really disruptive to our day when that plan is de-railed

• What makes us protective of our plan or routine?
• What might we worry about when we deviate from it?
• While not every interruption is necessarily a God-ordained moment, how might we respond to interruptions so that we can recognise the ones that matter?
• How do we get around feelings of irritation or defensiveness in order to be open to God speaking into the situation?
• What are your stories of times when God used interruptions in your life to do something that ended up being really significant?

Pray for God-given interruptions and the grace to be able to respond to them in ways that make a difference for God’s kingdom. Pray also for the key moments or people that you have talked about in the rest of the study, that God might continue to use them to encourage you and others.