God’s Blood-Bought Church

God’s Blood-Bought Church

By Caleb Crittendon

September 27, 2026

*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 Acts 20:1-17, 28 together as a group and discuss your initial observations.

Reflect: Look deeper at the preached and written Word.

3. Why do you think Luke gives us such specific details about the believers traveling with Paul and how should that affect our view of today’s church?

4. What do you notice about the balance between teaching God’s Word and caring for God’s people in Paul’s ministry?

5. The sermon draws a striking contrast between feasting on God’s word and filling up on the ‘junk food’ of worldly voices and distractions — what habits or patterns in your life might be spoiling your appetite for scripture, and how might you address them?

6. The sermon connects four trait of a healthy church back to the shed blood of Christ, suggesting the church exists to continually point one another to the Savior. What were the four and how do they reshape the way you think about why you gather each week?

7. Do you tend to see church as something you attendor as a people you belong to and serve? What needs to change?

Respond: Choose one or two of these applications from Sunday’s message to put into practice this week.

• Examine your appetite. Take an honest inventory this week of how much time you spend consuming other content versus time spent in God’s Word. Consider one specific change you could make to protect time for Scripture each day.
• Prepare for the Lord’s Supper. Before your church next observes communion, spend time in personal reflection. Consider what Christ’s body broken and blood shed actually cost him, and come to the table ready to proclaim that to those around you.
• Invest in diversity. Identify someone in your church or community whose background, ethnicity, or stage of life is meaningfully different from yours. Make a plan to have a meal or a conversation with them this month.
• Pray for your shepherds. This week, pray specifically for the elders and pastors of your church by name. Ask God to sustain them, protect them, and give them wisdom as they care for the flock.
• Commit to the gathering. If you have been inconsistent in your attendance or engagement with your local church, make a specific commitment to show up — not as a consumer, but as a contributing member of the body who needs the church and whom the church needs.