June 14, 2024
“Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda” (Acts 9:32 ESV). After Paul’s conversion there was a season of peace for the church. During this time, the apostle Peter traveled throughout Judea, Samaria and Galilee visiting the new believers and strengthening them
June 11, 2024
‘Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”’ (Acts 7:58-59 ESV). I wonder how often Saul thought of Stephen. Certainly, Saul, who
June 9, 2024
“He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand” (Acts 7:25 ESV). Stephen’s defense before the Jewish council was amazing in its breadth and understanding of Jewish history. He offered a condensed version of the Old Testament story starting with Abraham and steadily
June 7, 2024
‘But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men”‘ (Acts 5:29 ESV). When the Jewish council again brought the apostles before them for preaching in Jesus’ name, ordering them to stop, Peter replied that their ultimate obedience was to God. In other words, the ruling that the council gave went contrary
June 6, 2024
“So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18 ESV). Peter and John healed a crippled man in the name of Jesus and began to preach in the Temple. A great crowd gathered to see the cripple now walking and to hear the
June 5, 2024
“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things” (Acts 3:19-21 ESV). A crowd gathered in the
June 4, 2024
“And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47 ESV). The first-century church was marked by explosive growth. Around 3,000 became believers after Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost and after that the Lord continued to add to their number every day. According to the book
June 3, 2024
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 ESV). If Matthew 28:18-20 is Christ’s Great Commission, then Acts 1:8 is His Great Commission Strategy. In the former,
July 10, 2023
“For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ So take courage! For I believe God.
July 9, 2023
“When the time came, we set sail for Italy. Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of a Roman officer named Julius, a captain of the Imperial Regiment” (Acts 27:1 NLT). Dr. Luke included himself in the Acts narrative with the use of the first person plural “we” (“it was decided that