Accepted by God Acts 11:1–18 When they heard these things. . . . they glorified God. Acts 11:18 The results of Peter’s explanation and defense of his ministry to the Gentiles were all good. Verse 18 says, “When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has…

Biblical Religion Acts 9:36–43 She was full of good works and acts of charity. Acts 9:36 Christianity has a gospel of salvation from sin, and flowing from that is a practical calling to help and serve other people. Yes, Christianity calls people to turn from sin and respond to Jesus Christ in saving faith. But…

Owning Repentance Acts 8:9–25 Pray for me to the Lord. Acts 8:24 It is possible, just possible, that Simon was a believer. Nevertheless, this seems rather to be a case of one who had been exposed to strong preaching, was impressed by the miracles, and wanted to tap into the evident blessings of the gospel,…

Stephen: The First Martyr Acts 7:54–60 [Stephen] . . . gazed into heaven and saw . . . Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Acts 7:55 Jesus is standing. Why? There have been two valid suggestions. One is that Jesus stood up to receive his martyr, Stephen. Sometimes we hear stories like that of the death of…

The First Deacons Acts 6:1–7 Pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom. Acts 6:3 By electing deacons as the first administrative officers in the church other than the apostles, the church was electing people to do what above all else is most essential to true…

On Guard Acts 5:1–16 Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? Acts 5:3 In the early days of the church, Satan was outraged by what was happening in this Christian fellowship. Satan, the one who wants everything for himself—who makes people as selfish as he possibly can make them—must…

Inducements to Repent Acts 3:11–26 Repent therefore, and turn back. Acts 3:19 The inducements that Peter gave to his hearers to repent and believe on Jesus are the same offered to you. The first is forgiveness of sin. Forgiveness is what people need, and the only place anyone will ever really find forgiveness is in…

A Model Church Acts 2:42–47 Attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God. Acts 2:46–47 Consider some of the things that are said about this model church. It was a Bible-studying church. A Spirit-filled church is always going to be a Bible-studying…

That Incendiary Fellowship Acts 2:1–13 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:4 Christianity is meant to be a spreading flame. When Jesus said that he had come to pour fire on the earth, he meant a fire that was destined to sweep over all the earth. How do we know? We…

The First Forty Days Acts 1:1–11 This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. Acts 1:11 We know that the Lord Jesus Christ is returning to judge the world, because we are told about it elsewhere in the New Testament….