Thursday – Act On It – Pioneers and Power
This week we’re studying a story where Paul found himself arrested after yet another riot. It was partly for his protection, so the authorities could figure out if he was really a rabble rouser, or simply a victim of the crowds who were threatened by the Christian message. In that time, he appeals to Caesar, […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneers and Profit
This week we’ve studied a story from the Bible where some of the first Christians got into trouble after a silversmith realized his business carving silver idols of their local goddess would dry up if everyone converted. So he stirred up a riot that only got quelled when a local official stepped in and helped […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneers and Philosophers
This week we’ve explored a story of Paul, an early Christian communicator, meeting some Greek philosophers who, after an initial misunderstanding, give him a second chance to share the good news of Jesus and his resurrection from the dead. In the end, however, it says some mocked. I asked yesterday why that might be. It’s […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneers and Politics
This week we’re reading three short stories from the Book of Acts in the Bible, that show different people with different interests encountering the Christian message. This is the third and final story of Christians encountering politics as they tried to do good. We’ve seen a wealthy person welcome the message, influential people who push […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneers And Prerequisites
We’ve been exploring a story this week where the early Christians debated whether new Christians from non-Jewish backgrounds needed to first be circumcised, a sign of becoming Jewish, on their way to becoming Christians. They brought together some key leaders in one place, and decided no. God’s Spirit had moved the same way in both […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneers And Pagans
This week we’re studying a story in the Bible where Paul and Barnabas, two Christian leaders, are mistaken for gods. Yesterday we heard them pleading with the crowd and their pagan priest to stop. So what did the people of Lystra do? It says they barely restrained themselves! But Paul was interrupted. Some Jewish persecutors, […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneer Pork
We’re studying this week how Peter, one of the first Christian leaders, received instructions to meet with a non-Jew named Cornelius, even though he would make Peter unclean. God gave him a vision of many animals, including unclean ones, and told him he could eat anything now. Dietary rules weren’t going to stand between God’s […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneer Prodigy
We asked you yesterday what Ananias and the other Christians could learn from Paul’s conversion. Paul was a bit of a prodigy among the Pharisees, and was on a mission to eradicate Christianity. Now Ananias has been sent to find him, and is scared, since he’s a Christian being sent to a formidable Christian killer! […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneer Progress
This week we’ve been studying a story that illustrated nicely the growth and rapid progress of the Christian movement 2000 years ago. What started as a local upstart religious group in Judaism grew slowly, but then suddenly exploded. The story we explored this week, of Philip sharing the good news of Jesus with an African […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneer Players
We’ve been studying the story of Simon, a magician who becomes a Christian, then tries to pay for the power of the Holy Spirit, perhaps to bolster his magic act. Here’s what Peter, one of the apostles (early Christian leaders) said to him: …your heart is not right before God. [22] Repent, therefore, of this wickedness […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneer Priorities
This week we’ve been studying a story in the Bible where the early Christian leaders, the apostles, couldn’t keep balancing the work of feeding the poor and of preaching the gospel, and were dropping the ball on the food distribution. After admitting they were the problem, here’s what they did: These they set before the […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneer Proof
Yesterday, we learned about how, when the first Christians were brought before the ruling council, one Pharisee named Gamaliel suggested the council wait and see if this whole Jesus thing survived or not. We saw it was proof for the authorities and proof for the apostles. Today we’ll see it’s also proof for us. 2000 […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneer Pushback
Yesterday, we identified three main aspects of the Christian message that concerned the ruling authorities, particularly the Sadducees. The Resurrection The Power The Boldness This was astonishing for the ruling authorities. Hard for us to remember how novel this was. We’re more likely to see Christianity as something conservative and controlling, rather than as a […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneer Preaching
Yesterday we studied Peter’s speech after healing a man. At the end, he said people shouldn’t look to him, or to the healed man, for answers. Where should they have looked? He wanted them to look at Jesus. That’s where the man, and the crowd will find healing, power, and hope. Us, too! We’ll find […]
Thursday – Act On It – Pioneer Practices
This week we’ve studied four practices of the first church community. Should we copy them? Some try – indeed sell everything, gather daily, etc. just like in this book. But most don’t. Most Christians agree this sets a pattern and principles, and those principles are what is meant to be emulated, not the exact circumstances. […]