Sailing from Caesarea to Rome, Paul and Luke experience a violent storm, a deadly snake, a shipwreck and a miraculous deliverance. Through chains and affliction, Paul boldly proclaims the gospel of the Kingdom of God. As we conclude our study in Acts, may we be inspired by Paul's unshakeable faith in the inspiration of Scriptures. […]
When Festus proposes a trial in Jerusalem, Paul instead uses his rights as a Roman citizen to appeal his case to Caesar. We consider the teaching and examples of Jesus and the apostles on how to interact with governments under difficult circumstances. This can prepare us for times of persecution. We also look at the […]
Paul's Defense before Festus and Agrippa (Acts 25-26) View Lesson
On Paul’s second missionary journey we encounter the Bereans, who are commended for being “fair minded”. They diligently checked the Scriptures daily to see if Paul was speaking the truth! Then Paul travels alone to Athens. There, in his famous ‘Mars Hill’ sermon, Paul provides a practical example of how to present the gospel to […]
Paul Preaches in Thessalonica, Borea and Athens (Acts 17) View Lesson
After healing a lame man, Peter boldly preaches the resurrection of Jesus to the Jewish high priest and religious leaders. He explains that in rejecting Jesus, they fulfilled the prophecy of Psalm 118: “the stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone". Jesus had used the same prophecy to explain His role as the Son, […]
This lesson, the second of a two-part series on evangelism, provides practical insights on evangelism based on decades of one person in a very evangelistic, church-planting movement that emphasized repentance, commitment, and discipleship. This lesson is part of a series offered by Strength to Strength, a group committed to advancing Jesus’ kingdom by tackling thought-provoking […]
This lesson explores how we can use the Old Testament prophecies to convince nonbelievers to come to faith and become Christians. This method of evangelism is the same as was used by the New Testament Church and the early Christians. A question-and-answer period follows. This lesson was taught for Strength to Strength, a virtual, live […]
Peter reminds Christians that we have been called out of darkness into God's marvelous light. This theme of light and darkness is found throughout Scriptures. With the benefit of other insights from the New Testament, as well as unforgettable quotes from an early Christian writer, we can better appreciate the significance of Peter’s statement. This […]
Moses calls out "all those who are with the Lord," but only the Levites answer the call. Three thousand Israelites are slain by the sword at their hands, a consequence of idolatry with the golden calf. However, we also see another side of the heart of Moses. He pleads with the Lord to have mercy […]
The Book of Life and the Foundation of Evangelism (Exodus 32:21-25) View Lesson
Since the high priest of the tabernacle represents Christ (from Hebrews 8-10) his attire takes on greater significance for us. In this lesson we look at that special clothing, particularly the spectacular breastplate which featured twelve unique gemstones on its front panel. Early Christian writer Tertullian pointed to this as one of several Old Testament […]
The entire Christian faith hangs on the resurrection of Jesus on the third day. Paul told the Corinthian Christians that if it did not happen "your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins." But how can we know for sure? Jesus and the apostles pointed to the evidence of Old Testament prophecies […]
Jonah and Other Prophecies About the Resurrection of Jesus View Lesson