Acts E-Book

Brian Simmons

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: The Passionate Life Bible Study Series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 64

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

The book of Acts picks up where Jesus' story left off in the gospel of Luke by exploring the continuing presence of Christ on earth: the church. This inspired account of church history will awaken your soul with transforming power and give you courage to be a witness for Christ wherever he sends you! This Bible study is designed to help you explore and discover God's heart for the world through Luke's biography of history's most unlikely movement, the church of Jesus Christ. Each uniquely-crafted lesson opens with an introduction and key verse to reveal important themes. Four sections guide readers through Acts in a way that will help you discover, explore, experience, and share the heart of God more deeply. Dive into this book heart first, to discover and experience the same fire that fueled the passion of early Christians two thousand years ago! About The Passionate Life Bible Study Series: God longs for everyone to encounter the passion of his heart. Inspired by The Passion Translation, this heart-level Bible study is ideal for both individual devotional study and small groups. Kindle a burning desire for a passion-filled life fueled by the heart of God! 

Leseprobe

BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC

Racine, Wisconsin, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

The Passionate Life Bible Study Series

ACTS: THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

© 2016 BroadStreet Publishing Group

Edited by Jeremy Bouma

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5161-3 (softcover)

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5254-2 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

All Bible text is from The Passion Translation®, including the following books: Luke and Acts: To the Lovers of God, The Psalms: Poetry on Fire, and Romans: Grace and Glory. Copyright © 2014, 2015. Used by permission of The Passion Translation and BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC, Racine, Wisconsin, USA. All rights reserved. www.thePassionTranslation.com

Cover design by Chris Garborg at www.garborgdesign.com

Typesetting by Katherine Lloyd at www.theDESKonline.com

Printed in the United States of America

16 17 18 19 20   5 4 3 2 1

Contents

Using This Passionate Life Bible Study

Introduction to the Book of Acts

Lesson 1The Church Is Born: Acts 1:1–2:47

Lesson 2Miracles and Message of Mercy: Acts 3:1–4:37

Lesson 3Suffering Disgrace for the Name of Jesus: Acts 5:1–5:42

Lesson 4A Powerful, Provocative Witness for Christ: Acts 6:1–8:1

Lesson 5As Persecution Increased, the Gospel Spread: Acts 8:1–9:31

Lesson 6God Does the Unexpected: Acts 9:32–12:25

Lesson 7An Equal Message for Everyone: Acts 13:1–15:35

Lesson 8A Legacy of Perseverance: Acts 15:36–18:23

Lesson 9Celebrating Highs, Forecasting Lows: Acts 18:24–21:14

Lesson 10It Wasn’t Fair! Yet Paul Persevered: Acts 21:15–23:35

Lesson 11Persecuted for Faith, Yet Filled with Hope: Acts 24:1–26:32

Lesson 12Paul Goes to Rome: Acts 27:1–28:31

Using This Passionate Life Bible Study

The psalmist declares, “Truth’s shining light guides me in my choices and decisions; the revelation of your Word makes my pathway clear” (Psalm 119:105).

This verse forms the foundation of the Passionate Life Bible Study series. Not only do we want to kindle within you a deep, burning passion for God and his Word, but we also want to let the Word’s light blaze a bright path before you to help you make truth-filled choices and decisions, while encountering the heart of God along the way.

God longs to have his Word expressed in a way that would unlock the passion of his heart. Inspired by The Passion Translation but usable with any Bible translation, this is a heart-level Bible study, from the passion of God’s heart to the passion of your heart. Our goal is to trigger inside you an overwhelming response to the truth of the Bible.

DISCOVER. EXPLORE. EXPERIENCE. SHARE.

Each of the following lessons is divided into four sections: Discover the Heart of God; Explore the Heart of God; Experience the Heart of God; and Share the Heart of God. They are meant to guide your study of the truth of God’s Word, while drawing you closer and deeper into his passionate heart for you and your world.

The Discover section is designed to help you make observations about the reading. Every lesson opens with the same three questions: What did you notice, perhaps for the first time? What questions do you have? And, what did you learn about the heart of God? There are no right answers here! They are meant to jump-start your journey into God’s truth by bringing to the surface your initial impressions about the passage. The other questions help draw your attention to specific points the author wrote and discover the truths God is conveying.

Explore takes you deeper into God’s Word by inviting you to think more critically and explain what the passage is saying. Often there is some extra information to highlight and clarify certain aspects of the passage, while inviting you to make connections. Don’t worry if the answers aren’t immediately apparent. Sometimes you may need to dig a little deeper or take a little more time to think. You’ll be grateful you did, because you will have tapped into God’s revelation-light in greater measure!

Experience is meant to help you do just that: experience God’s heart for you personally. It will help you live out God’s Word by applying it to your unique life situation. Each question in this section is designed to bring the Bible into your world in fresh, exciting, and relevant ways. At the end of this section, you will have a better idea of how to make choices and decisions that please God, while walking through life on clear paths bathed in the light of his revelation!

The final section is Share. God’s Word isn’t meant to be merely studied or memorized; it’s meant to be shared with other people—both through living and telling. This section helps you understand how the reading relates to growing closer to others, to enriching your fellowship and relationship with your world. It also helps you listen to the stories of those around you, so you can bridge Jesus’ story with their stories.

SUGGESTIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL STUDY

Reading and studying the Bible is an exciting journey! It’s like reading your favorite novel—where the purpose is encountering the heart and mind of the author through its characters and conflict, plot points, and prose.

This study is designed to help you encounter the heart of God and let his Word to you reach deep down into your very soul—all so you can live and enjoy the life he intends for you. And like with any journey, a number of practices will help you along the way:

1. Begin your lesson time in prayer, asking God to open up his Word to you in new ways, show areas of your heart that need teaching and healing, and correct any area in which you’re living contrary to his desires for your life.

2. Read the opening section to gain an understanding of the major themes of the reading and ideas for each lesson.

3. Read through the Scripture passage once, underlining or noting in your Bible anything that stands out to you. Reread the passage again, keeping in mind these three questions: What did you notice, perhaps for the first time? What questions do you have? What did you learn about the heart of God?

4. Write your answers to the questions in this Bible study guide or another notebook. If you do get stuck, first ask God to reveal his Word to you and guide you in his truth. And then, either wait until your small group time or ask your pastor or another respected leader for help.

5. Use the end of the lesson to focus your time of prayer, thanking and praising God for the truth of his Word, for what he has revealed to you, and for how he has impacted your daily life.

SUGGESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUP STUDY

The goal of this study is to understand God’s Word for you and your community in greater measure, while encountering his heart along the way. A number of practices will also help your group as you journey together:

1. Group studies usually go better when everyone is prepared to participate. The best way to prepare is to come having read the lesson’s Scripture reading beforehand. Following the suggestions in each individual study will enrich your time as a community as well.

2. Before you begin the study, your group should nominate a leader to guide the discussion. While this person should work through the questions beforehand, his or her main job isn’t to lecture, but to help move the conversation along by asking the lesson questions and facilitating the discussion.

3.