1. Read Acts 9:19-31 together. Take time to notice the details of the story. Does anything stand out? What surprises you? What encourages you? What challenges you?

   2. Read Acts 7:54-60, Acts 9:1-2. From these verses, what do we learn about Saul of Tarsus?

  3. Now, re-read Acts 9:19-22. What changes do you notice? What has remained the same?

  4. In your own life, and in the lives of your family and friends who are also Christian, in what way has faith in Jesus been            life-changing? What has remained unchanging?

  5. Reflect on your unique personality. Are there positive, life-giving traits you can think of, that have the power to be                   damaging and hurtful when they are misused or misdirected?

  6. This week’s sermon talked about false needs. False needs are perceived needs that we believe are true, that are                   unreachable, and drive our unhealthy, sinful behaviour, because they lead us to try to be God for ourselves. According          to Steve Cuss (The Expectation Gap), 5 of the most common false needs are:

a. the need to be perfect

b. the need to be in control

c. the need to know everything

d. the need to meet everyone’s needs

e. the need for approval

     Which of these needs can you relate to? Reflect on how unattainable these are for humans. In what ways do these               reflect who God is?

  7. What false needs do you think Saul was reaching for when he sought to persecute the church?

  8. False needs cause us to try to be God, and keep us from being truly and fully ourselves because we are trying to be              something we were never meant to be. In what ways do you think you could be more fully who you were created to be,        if you set aside the false needs that you tend to operate out of?

  9. Letting go of our false needs requires us to recognize our true need. How do you feel about the idea of being needy?             Why is understanding our neediness important to our Christian faith?

  10. In what ways was Saul needy? What can we learn from his neediness?

  11.  Scripture points towards the idea of dying to self. (deny yourself, pick up your cross, those who lose their life will gain it,         etc.). This is ultimately about setting aside or turning away from our sinful efforts to be God for ourselves (false needs),         and instead, relaxing into God’s presence and trusting Jesus to meet our true needs. How easy, or difficult, do you find         this? What would it take for you to truly rest in the truth of Psalm 23: The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.

Pray for each other out of the items discussed. Pray for God’s wisdom to understand the ways that you are striving to be God for yourself, and pray that you would each learn to trust Jesus more deeply and allow him to meet your true needs.