The Sovereignty of God and the Boldness of the Church

The Sovereignty of God and the Boldness of the Church

By Dan Yacoviello

November 3, 2025

*NOTICE: The emphasis of our discussion is to see how the Written Word (Bible) and the Spoken Word (Preaching) work together to build up the believer, so when you see WORD in the questions, know it refers to the Scripture and the Sermon.

Recap: Look back for evidence of God’s word reshaping your heart and life.

1. Does anyone have a testimony to share with the group of how you applied last week’s “Respond” section?

Engage:  Look into the Word of God in light of Sunday’s preached sermon.

2. Read the passage from Acts 4:23-31 as a group and discuss your initial observations.

Reflect: Look deeper at the preached and written Word.

3. Break down verse 24 that says, ‘When they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God’ and reflect on how it should prompt you as a believer to respond to hardships. What does this reveal about their priorities, and how does it challenge our modern approach to persecution?

4. Why do you think the prayer in Acts 4 focuses so heavily on God’s sovereignty before making any requests, and how might this shape the way we pray today?

5. The sermon describes believers as either with Christ or raging against Him. How does this stark reality challenge the cultural notion of spiritual neutrality or ‘good people’ who simply don’t believe?

6. The sermon suggests that lack of unity in the American church may result from not fighting toward the common goal of preaching salvation in Jesus’ name. Do you agree, and what distractions have pulled the church away from this central mission?

Respond: Choose one or two of the following applications of Sunday’s message and commit to it/them this next week.

1. Each morning this week, begin your prayer time with “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth…” and ask God for boldness to speak the name of Jesus that day.
2. When someone shares a struggle, fear, or need with you this week, don’t just say “I’ll pray for you.” Stop and pray with them right then and there.
3. Write down the specific situations or people you’re most afraid to speak to about Jesus (work, school, family, friends). Pray specifically for boldness in those situations.
4. Like Peter and John who went immediately to their community, identify 2-3 believers you can text or call when you face spiritual battles or need prayer for boldness.
5. Commit to one specific conversation this week where you will speak about Jesus. Pray for boldness beforehand, and ask God to “stretch out His hand” in that conversation.
6. Read Psalm 2 and Psalm 121 this week. Meditate on how God’s creative power and sovereignty should affect your confidence in prayer.