Acts 21:1–14 | Mirroring the Master — Discussion Guide
1. Gospel-Formed Love and Community
Luke repeatedly highlights tears, farewells, families, and prayer in Paul’s travels (Acts 21:1–6).
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What do these scenes tell us about the kind of relationships the gospel creates?
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Where do you see similarities—or gaps—between this picture and our own church life?
(See also: Acts 20:36–38; John 13:34–35)
2. Prophetic Words Before Suffering
Both Jesus and Paul receive Spirit-given warnings about coming suffering (Luke 9:22; Acts 21:10–11).
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Why do you think God often reveals suffering before it happens?
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How might foreknowledge shape faith, courage, or obedience differently than surprise suffering?
3. When Love Protests God’s Will
Peter rebukes Jesus after a prophecy of suffering (Matthew 16:22), and Paul’s friends plead with him not to go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:12).
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Why do loving, faithful people sometimes resist what God is clearly doing?
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How can we tell the difference between godly concern and unintentionally opposing God’s purposes?
4. “The Lord’s Will Be Done”
Jesus in the garden (Luke 22:42) and Paul on the road to Jerusalem (Acts 21:13–14) both accept the prophetic word with resolve.
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What does faithful submission look like when God’s will includes loss or pain?
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How does Paul’s response challenge common ideas about safety, success, or God’s blessing?
5. The Motivation of Love-Driven Sacrifice
Paul says, “The love of Christ compels us” (2 Corinthians 5:14), echoing Jesus’ own self-giving love for enemies (Romans 5:8–10; 1 Peter 2:23).
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How is love—not glory, reward, or mere duty—presented as the driving force behind suffering in this sermon?
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What might it look like for us to “mirror the Master” in costly love within our everyday lives?
