"Persecution purifies the church by sifting out the chaff from the wheat. It unifies us through the shared experience of suffering. More importantly, it deploys the church by scattering it from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria.”

Discussion Questions:

• Who were some other biblical characters that were persecuted? Why were they persecuted? (Hint- check out Mark 6:14-29 and/or Acts 7.)

• How does persecution contribute to church growth?

• Why did the first century Christians embrace persecution instead of running away from it?

• Have you ever experienced persecution for the sake of Christ? How is it different from the persecution in other contexts?

• What is Jesus’ command to those who are persecuted? What does it look like to rejoice and be glad, even while suffering persecution?