Christians have received grace from God. This means we have been given a gift by God which is the very opposite of what we deserve. We deserve death; He has given us life. And this gift is hugely expensive: His
Culture clash
In the early centuries after his resurrection, Jesus’ kingdom grew remarkably. The writer of Acts – Luke – shows us the foundation for that spectacular growth. Key to his tale is Paul, an apostle not from the original twelve (1Co
The battle of Iconium
Jesus was a divisive figure. One of the big factors in the negative reactions he provoked was his pointing out of others’ lifestyles and attitudes which had to change. That can really wind people up, especially when they expect the
Better call me Paul
This report of Saul’s first missionary journey has some of the elements of a typical church/mission report today: an outreach activity and an interesting conversation. On the other hand, linking the Spirit to the blinding of a man and a
Baptism in the Spirit
What is ‘Baptism in the Spirit’? Is it, as some say, a personal experience given by the Lord to a Christian, in which he/she receives the Holy Spirit in a fuller way and is thus empowered to: pray better, know
Salt in the land
The church of Acts 9 is filled with Jewish believers in Jesus. But the Lord is about to expand it radically by including Gentiles. First, however, he grants his people a period of peaceful growth. Three years or so earlier,
Moving out – part II
Through her time in Jerusalem the church of Acts 1-7 was prepared for a world-wide future (Ac 1:8). Now the day has dawned for her to move out. Some believers spread into Judea, but others go further and enter Samaria
Inspiring words
On the day of Pentecost, Jesus used miracles and preaching to challenge Jerusalem’s sins (Ac 2:14-36). Now he is doing so again, with a dramatic healing and another bold sermon from Peter (Ac 3:1-8). The effect is powerful and, this
What were you thinking?
Acts is about a vital period in history when the foundations were laid upon which Jesus’ church has been built (Ep 2:19-22). Key to this task was the apostles’ teaching (2:42). They’d spent 3 years with Jesus, watching, listening, learning.
9.00am
In Acts 2 we are right at the start of stage 1 of the birth of the Christian church. The Holy Spirit has come from heaven to forge the Jewish followers of Christ into God’s community on earth (v1-3). As