The Antioch Initiative – Weekly Study Guide

Kingdom Vision: Gospel | Acts 11:19-30 | Afshin Ziafat | August 17, 2025

How To Use This Guide 

This guide is designed to take you deeper into the points of the Sunday morning message and the passage we’re studying each week. The guide is divided into two parts.

  • Read, Reflect, and Respond guides you through your own personal study of the message text, preferably before you arrive for the service on Sunday morning. This section uses the HEAR journaling method, which is an acronym for highlight, explain, apply, and respond.
  • Discuss With Others is designed to help you take the things you’ve learned in your personal study and the message and discuss them within the context of your small group.


The Passage – Acts 11:19-30

19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year, they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch, the disciples were first called Christians. 27 Now in those days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

 

Read, Reflect, and Respond Using the HEAR Method

Highlight: Begin your Bible reading time with prayer, then highlight verses that stand out to you as you read the passage. Note any words or ideas you want to dive deeper int,o and pay attention to repeated or emphasized words and phrases. This is the “observation” process – looking at the who, what, when, and where of the passage.

Explain: What is the context of the passage and the author’s intended meaning within that context? This is where you can consult a Study Bible or commentary. What did the passage mean to the original listeners? Was there something in their context that was being addressed? This step is to understand what the meaning of the passage was then, before you seek to understand what the applied principle is today.

Apply: What is the principle to live by today? This is when you turn the focus to your own life, setting, and culture. What is the principle that applies to your own context?

Respond: How will you respond to the application in your relationships and/or situations this week? This recognizes that the Bible is not just a set of truths to know, but is actually a guide to live by.

Discuss With Others

Use your community group time to have some conversation around the message. Start your discussion by inviting someone to read the passage aloud in its entirety.

  1. In the context of Acts, how did persecution serve to advance the gospel and growth of the church?
  2. What makes the gospel worth suffering for? What is it, and why is it good news? 
  3. How do you view persecution and suffering for the gospel, as an obstacle to or an opportunity for proclaiming Christ and his worth? What keeps you from viewing it this way, and how can you grow in having a more biblical perspective?
  4. In v. 23, when Barnabus saw the grace of God at work in the lives of believers, he was glad and “he exhorted them to remain faithful to the Lord with all steadfast purpose.” As a community group, how can you encourage and exhort one another to do this? If anyone is struggling, how can you come around them, encourage, and strengthen them?
  5. Discuss how the gospel of Jesus Christ is good news for you in this season of your life. How does it provide all you need?