Church Defined: Why Do We Do What We Do?
What is the Church? | Acts 2 | Chris Meade | January 25, 2026
We are being invited to examine the values we bring into life together and to allow God’s Word—not personal preferences, past experiences, or cultural expectations—to shape how we “do church.” In Acts 2, we see how the early church devoted themselves to biblical teaching, authentic fellowship, prayer, generosity, and shared life, forming a community centered on Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit. These practices were not just habits but reflections of deeply held values that sustained the church through growth, opposition, and cultural tension.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Where did the Holy Spirit speak or challenge you through God’s Word? Were there any “ah-ah” moments?
2. Heart Check: Expectations & Values
When you think about “how church should be done,” what expectations or preferences do you bring with you? Where do you think those values came from (family, past churches, hurts, culture), and how might God be inviting you to surrender or reshape them?
3. Read Acts 2:42-47:
o Acts 2 says the early believers devoted themselves to certain practices. What does your calendar, energy, and attention reveal about what you are currently most devoted to?
o What would it look like to reorder one priority this week around Biblical truth, authentic community, prayer, or generosity/stewardship?
4. Read James 2:22-24
o We heard that Scripture is not only to be taught, but received and lived out. What helps you move from listening to obeying God’s Word—and what tends to get in the way? Can you share a recent example where God’s Word challenged or changed you?
o What would help you move from obeying God’s Word—to sharing and discipling from God’s word? Who are you pouring into? Who could you be?
5. Living Between Two Kingdoms
As followers of Jesus, we live in tension between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world.
o Where are you currently feeling and seeing that tension most clearly (relationships, workplace, family, culture)?
o How does being rooted in biblical truth, authentic community, and prayer help you stand firm with grace and courage?
o Who can you invite into community with you to encourage and build up?
Church Defined: What is the Mission?
What is Church? | Matthew 28 | Chris Meade | January 18, 2026
Rooted in Jesus’ Great Commission, it challenges every believer to live with intentionality, recognizing that each breath is an opportunity to THINK, LOVE, and LIVE like Jesus and to reproduce that life in others. The message emphasizes that discipleship is not about better behavior, comfort, or comparison, but about experiencing more of Jesus through grace, obedience, and dependence on the Holy Spirit. No matter the circumstance, believers are called to represent Jesus where God has placed them, carrying His hope into a lost and dying world, one person at a time.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Where did the Holy Spirit speak or challenge you through God’s Word? Were there any “ah-ah” moments?
2. Heart Check:
When you think about “what would make the church better or more effective,” how much of your answer focuses on programs and experiences versus people being formed into disciples? o What might Jesus say needs to change first—in us, not just around us?
o If the church is not a building but the redeemed people of God, how does that change the way you see your role in the Church?
3. Read Matthew 28:18-20; Act 1:8: Mountainview states the Biblical MISSION as: “Reach the world, one person at a time as we learn to THINK, LOVE, and LIVE like Jesus, and reproduce that in the lives of others.”
o Which part of this mission feels the most challenging for you right now? Why?
o What is one intentional step you could take this week to align your life more closely with Jesus in that area?
o Making disciples means pouring into others what God is pouring into you. Who is one person God may be inviting you to intentionally invest in, and what would taking a next step toward community or discipleship look like for you right now?
4. Read Acts 7:54-8:4: Circumstances are not outcomes—every season is an opportunity for mission.
o How have you seen God redeem hardship in the past to grow you, and use you to build His Kingdom?
o What current circumstance in your life might God be using as a platform to share His hope, even if it feels difficult or unexpected?
o How can you be encouraged and founded in this truth—that circumstances will not derail your faith or your mission—but give opportunity?