Acts 28 Day Guide
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ACTS A 28-Day Guide to Spiritual Formation & Discipleship “In the space of one generation, a little company of Jesus’ disciples with explosive force sweeps from Jerusalem to Rome and develops from a small sect into a universal church. Nothing can defeat them - not the beatings of swaggering tyrants; not the cunning of embittered religious rulers, not the internal struggles of discontented members - but like a mighty army with banners, they move out to disciple the nations in the name of their risen and reigning Lord.” Robert E. Coleman The Master Plan of Discipleship P. 02 HOW TO TRACK WITH A Catalog | Lookbook A Catalog ACTS STUDY 1 28-DAY DEVOTIONAL ON YOUR OWN TO TAKE YOU THROUGH THE ENTIRE BOOK OF ACTS 2 30 MINUTE TEACHING EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT AT 7PM ON THE BE HOPE CHURCH ONLY GROUP TO GIVE A GRASP OF THE BOOK OF ACTS AND KEY THEMES 3 DEVOTIONALS EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY ON FACEBOOK LIVE 4 DISCUSSIONS WITH YOUR TEAM HOW TO TRACK WITH US 1 JOIN THE BE HOPE CHURCH FAMILY FACEBOOK GROUP 2 GO TO BEHOPE.CHURCH/ACTS FOR AN ONLINE VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION P/42 Contents NEW LIVING TRANSLATION ACTS STUDY www.livy-living.com Day 1 | Acts 1:1-26 6-7 Day 15 | Acts 15:1-41 40-42 Day 2 | Acts 2:1-47 8-9 Day 16 | Acts 16:1-40 43-45 Day 3 | Acts 3:1-24 10-11 Day 17 | Acts 17:1-34 46-47 Day 4 | Acts 4:1-36 12-13 Day 18 | Acts 18: 1-28 48-49 Day 5 | Acts 5:1-41 14-15 Day 19 | Acts 19:1-41 50-51 Day 6 | Acts 6:1-15 16 -17 Day 20 | Acts 20:1-38 52-53 Day 7 | Acts 7:1-60 18-21 Day 21 | Acts 21:1-40 54-55 Day 8 | Acts 1-40 22-23 Day 22 | Acts 22:1-30 57-59 Day 9 | Acts 9:1-42 24-26 Day 23 | Acts 23:1-35 60-61 Day 10 | Acts 10:1-48 27-29 Day 24 | Acts 24:1-27 62-63 Day 11 | Acts 11:1-30 30-31 Day 25 | Acts 25:1-27 64-65 Day 12 | Acts 12:1-25 32-33 Day 26 | Acts 26:1-32 66-67 Day 13 | Acts 13:1-52 34-37 Day 27 | Acts 27:1-44 68-69 US Day 14 | Acts 14:38-39 38-39 Day 28 | Acts 28:1-31 70-71 Lecture & Discussion Group Notes 72-79 P. 03 P/35 A Catalog | Lookbook A Catalog P/46 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A DISCIPLE? www.livy-living.com Often, we are both confounded and confused by what discipleship looks like, especially in the 21st century. How do we know if we are approaching the concept of discipleship with the correct mindset? To gain a better understanding of what following Christ looks like today, it is most helpful to look to the original source - in this case the early church - throughout the book of Acts. By studying the works, habits and actions of the early church in Acts we can develop helpful modern practices for discipleship. As modern-day disciples, we are called to both be witnesses to the works of God and to proclaim what God is doing through the empowerment and presence of the Holy Spirit. Our call today is to be disciples in our world and proclaim what God is doing with the same fervor of the early church, pointing everyone to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. In this study we will take a serious look at how the early church operated, what they were called to do, and how they accomplished the unfathomable mission of spreading the gospel throughout the lands. By studying the mission of the church, we will pull out core tenets of discipleship that are most helpful for us today as we seek to follow God as a church and equip ourselves for the mission that God is calling us to accomplish. P. 05 ARE YOU READY? LET’S GO! P/57 Acts: 1:1-26 1In my fi rst book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. 3During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5John baptized A Catalog | Lookbook A Catalog with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” The Ascension of Jesus 6So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 7 e replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white- robed men suddenly stood among them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” Matthias Replaces Judas 12Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half 1a mile. 13When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying. Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the zealot), and Judas (son of James). 14They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. 15During this time, when about 120 believers were together in one place, Peter stood up and addressed them. 16“Brothers,” he said, “the Scriptures had to be fulfi lled concerning Judas, who guided those who arrested Jesus. This was predicted long ago by the Holy Spirit, speaking through King David. 17Judas was one of us and shared in the ministry with us.” 18 Judas had bought a fi eld with the money he received for his treachery. Falling headfi rst there, his body split open, spilling out all his intestines. 19The news of his death spread to all the people of Jerusalem, and they gave the place the Aramaic name Akeldama, which means “Field of Blood.”) 20Peter continued, “This was written in the book of Psalms, where it says, ‘Let his home become desolate, with no one living in it.’ It also says, ‘Let someone else take his position.’ 21“So now we must choose a replacement for Judas from among the men who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus—22from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.” 23So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen 25as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.” 26Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven. P/86 Acts 1 Day 1 | Devotional Guide & Prayer Day 1 | Devotional When Jesus ascended, He promised the church the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is written in Acts 1 1:8 to activate power in the lives of the believers. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have full access to the work of the Holy Spirit within you. What does this mean to you? Sit in quiet and ask God to allow you to be sensitive to His spirit. Pouring the Holy Spirit out over God’s people is said to be the second act of Jesus after his 2 providence of salvation to believers. In what ways do you sense God calling you to use the Holy Spirit and to be aware of it in your life? Take a moment to consider what God may be calling you to do – maybe it’s to evangelize the lost, to serve him more actively, or even to operate a ministry www.livy-living.com that God has given you a passion for. In Acts 1:3, Jesus references the ‘kingdom of God’. This is a spiritual kingdom which was often 3 misinterpreted at the time of the apostles to be a physical kingdom that God would bring to his people, but instead it represented the spiritual kingdom that Jesus preached about in his sermon on the mount. He demonstrated that the power of the kingdom of God was one where heaven breaks through into earth and miracles occur.