DECEMBER 2020 The Book of Acts Overview of Acts Resources December Reading Plan (Underlined text is linked to online resources.) On Sundays, take a break or catch up. The Holy Spirit empowers disciples to share (Links are to the NRSV text.) the good news with the nations of the world. Enter the Intro & Overview Acts December 1: Before ascended into heaven, where he was enthroned with God to rule over the world, NIV Study Bible Intro & Outline December 2: he instructed his followers to spread the news of Acts December 3: God’s kingdom to the world. The book of Acts December 4: details the work of his followers and the NIV Dramatized Audio Bible December 5: formation of the early Church. Acts December 7: -7 Jesus’s followers received the Holy Spirit on and became filled and equipped to The Big Picture December 8: spread the good news that would restore God’s The book of Acts is volume 2 of a set; volume December 9: kingdom over the world. Through persecution, 1 is the . Acts 1 picks up where December 10: -11 followers of Jesus were scattered, but they Luke 24 leaves off, with the December 11: continued to preach, and the church at and the promise of power from on high. Both was born. December 12: books were written by the same author, thought December 14: This church grew into the first multiethnic, to be Luke the physician, a co-worker of Paul. international Jesus community, from which Acts tells the history of the earliest days of the December 15: missionaries were sent throughout the world to church, as the missionary movement spread December 16: preach about Jesus, the Jewish Messiah and out from to the Gentile world, as far as December 17: -18 risen King of all nations. Paul even continued to . At the center of this movement is the preach despite imprisonment and wrote December 18: persecutor-turned-apostle, Paul. December 19: important letters to the churches. Key Information December 21: -22 https://thebibleproject.com/explore/acts/ December 22: Pentecost: At the end of Luke, and again at Overview videos the beginning of Acts, Jesus tells his disciples December 23: to wait in for the power from on high. December 24-27: Christmas Break Immerse: This power arrives in the form of an outpouring December 28: Acts 25 Luke-Acts I: https://youtu.be/UBOVzxI10rs of the Holy Spirit during the Jewish feast of December 29: Pentecost. This event is a reversal of Babel: Luke-Acts II: https://youtu.be/hNPt5sgTVYs December 30: people from all over hear the gospel preached The Bible Project: in their own language, and as they respond to December 31: Acts 1-12: https://youtu.be/CGbNw855ksw this message the church is born. Acts 13-28: https://youtu.be/Z-17KxpjL0Q For more daily resources, visit Jerusalem, Judea, the Ends of the Earth: In smlcfamily.org/Walk-through-the-Word Acts 1, Jesus tells his disciples that they will Resources for Paul’s Journeys take his message beyond Jerusalem to Judea Key Passages and Samaria and then to the ends of the known In the book of Acts, the apostle Paul and his (At the very least, read these texts.) world. This is the pattern their ministry follows companions go on a series of missionary travels, as persecution scatters them from Jerusalem, referred to as Paul’s first, second, and third 1:1-14: The Ascension and Waiting and then missionary journeys send them journeys. On these three trips, Paul travels a 2:1-47: Pentecost & the First Converts beyond Judea, toward Rome and Spain. While circuit around the Mediterranean that brings him 5:1-11: other missionary journeys may be implied, Acts back to Antioch or Jerusalem. On a fourth and focuses in on the travels of Paul. 6:8-8:3: Stephen’s Martyrdom final journey, Paul takes a one-way trip to Rome. 8:26-40: The The Gentiles and Acts 15: Two pivotal events 9:1-30: Saul’s Conversion • Descriptions and maps (ESV) in Acts transform the Jesus movement. First, 10:1-48: Peter and Cornelius - First Missionary Journey through a vision by Peter and God pouring out - Second Missionary Journey 12:1-19: Peter in Prison the Holy Spirit on the Gentile Cornelius and his - Third Missionary Journey 13:1-52: Paul in & Pisidian Antioch household, the new covenant is opened up to - Final Journey to Rome 15:1-35: The Jerusalem Council the nations. Second, as the Jewish Christian 16:11-17:9: Paul in & Thessalonica leaders in Jerusalem discuss whether Gentile • Paul’s Life and Journeys 17:16-18:23: Paul in & Corinth - Timeline by Scott Hahn believers should be bound by the Jewish law, the leaders decide that with a few exceptions, 20:17-38: Paul’s Speech to Ephesians • Animated maps (videos by Graphe) the Gentiles should not be constrained with this 21:17-22:5: Paul Arrested in the Temple - First Missionary Journey same burden that has weighed down the Jews. 24:1-25:12: Paul before Felix & Festus - Second Missionary Journey With these shifts, the Jewish and Gentile 27:1-44: Shipwreck on the Way to Rome - Third Missionary Journey form one body of Christ. 28:1-31: Paul in & Rome