The Power of a True King

The Power of a True King

By Dillon Medlin

September 20, 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 19:21-41 together as a group and discuss your initial observations.

Reflect: Look deeper at the preached and written Word.

3. The sermon draws on Martin Luther’s idea that whatever your heart clings to and confides in is your God — what are the created things in your life that you most frequently treat as though they carry the weight of your ultimate security or identity?

4. The sermon makes the observation that the truth of the gospel exposes false gods, not just by telling us who Jesus is but by revealing everything that is not him — can you think of a time when encountering the truth of the gospel exposed an idol in your own life that you had not previously recognized?

5. Why does Luke emphasize that the riot was characterized by confusion?

6. Draw it as many contrast between Jesus and Artemis as you can. How does meditating on the distinction between the creator and created things reshape the way you approach worship in your daily life?

7. What does the city clerk’s response teach us about God’s ability to preserve His people and accomplish His purposes through ordinary authorities?

8. What would it look like this week to value Christ’s kingdom over your own interests?

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

• Identify your idol. Spend time in prayer this week asking God to show you what you are clinging to more than him. Write it down. Confess it. Ask him to reorder your heart around what is true.
• Proclaim the king to one person. Think of someone in your life who needs to hear the good news of Jesus. Commit to starting a conversation with them this week, even if you are unsure how they will respond. Remember that your job is to proclaim, not to control the outcome.
• Remain faithful in the waiting. If you are in a season where you do not understand what God is doing, identify one concrete way you will choose faithfulness this week rather than anxiety or retreat. Share it with someone in the group so they can follow up with you.
• Invest in community. Paul’s friends protected him when he could not see clearly. If you are not currently in a relationship where someone knows your heart and your life well enough to speak into it, take one step this week toward building that kind of connection.