September 2010 - March 2014
This study covers the book of Acts. The title, "Acts of the Apostles," distorts the thrust of the book. Only two apostles are the focus of the book, Peter, then Paul. John is mentioned as is James, but the others are not. The more appropriate name should be "Acts of the Holy Spirit". Because the Holy Spirit is the one performing the Acts, by empowering the early church, specifically, through Peter, then Paul, to take the message of the risen Messiah from the Upper Room in Acts 1, to Paul's private house prison room, in Acts 28.
To the uttermost parts of the earth ...
Video DVDs of these lessons can be ordered here and here.
To view all video Bible studies in the Acts series, click here (Vimeo) or here (YouTube).
Tue, Nov 20, 2012
Passage: Acts & Topical
Duration: 1 hr 4 mins 22 secs
Disciple is not always a synonym for believer. It’s also used for a committed believer and other times it’s used for the original twelve apostles. There are early, non-scriptural manuscripts that give us an idea about the apostles’ lives and their martyrdom. Andrew, the first apostle Jesus called, was Peter’s brother. After Andrew heard from John the Baptist that Jesus was the Lamb of God, he told Peter they had found the Messiah. Andrew was the quieter of the two, usually mentioned as Peter’s brother. Learn about Andrew’s travels east and possibly north, his crucifixion on an “X”-shaped cross, the disposition of his remains and his connection to Scotland. Finally, discover evidence of Bartholomew’s identification with Nathaniel, his travels to India and his martyrdom.
Tue, Nov 27, 2012
Passage: Acts & Topical
Duration: 56 mins 57 secs
An apostle is someone who is sent. Some who were commissioned as apostles were sent out by congregations. We rely on scripture, historical sources, geographical sources, tradition and legend to map their routes and follow their personal stories. Find out which sources are more reliable and why. We DO know these martyred Apostles had a faith so certain that they were willing to give their lives to testify to its truth. Sort out each James to clarify his identity and his role in scripture: James, the brother of John; James, the son of Alpheus; James, the Lesser; and James, the brother of Jesus. What is it about Matthew that would make it out of the ordinary that he was so quick to follow Jesus?
Tue, Dec 11, 2012
Passage: Acts & Topical
Duration: 1 hr 7 mins 38 secs
These Apostles fulfilled Jesus’ mandate to take the gospel to the uttermost parts of the world. The focus of our documentation of the church, after it spread from Jerusalem, was to the west. We lose access to documents from the Eastern Church, but there are ancient records with information that can be considered, but not always reliable. Follow the biographical information available for these Apostles from scripture and historical tradition. Learn what we can know of their lives, the area of their ministries, confusions that may have been caused by names, relationships and martyrdoms. Erase any doubt with the understanding that Judas Iscariot was not a believer. As church age believers, what is our mandate?
Tue, Dec 18, 2012
Passage: Acts 13 & Matthew 16:15-18
Duration: 59 mins 1 sec
Acts is a transition, a historical narrative that is descriptive, not a prescriptive pattern of what happens in the Church today. The phenomena of the church growth movement in the late 60s based church growth on sociological issues and stressed experience as a validation of the Bible. As is often the case with Satan’s plan, this method seemed to work. But understand fully the instruction Jesus gives Peter to feed His lambs while He builds the church. Jesus doesn’t tell Peter to manage an organization through techniques in church growth, but instructs him to proclaim and teach. Review Paul’s journeys and allow instruction from his many discourses to teach us how we can maximize our approach with the message of God’s Word to people in our lives with differing backgrounds.Also includes John 21:15-17
Tue, Jan 15, 2013
Passage: Acts 13:1-3
Duration: 1 hr 4 mins 19 secs
Our scene is in Antioch in a well-established, conservative congregation, about 15 years after Pentecost. Antioch thrives with commerce and the decadent culture of the times. It also has a large Jewish population, within which are Christians, viewed as a sect of Judaism. Teachers and prophets gather to minister to the Lord and fast. What does it mean to minister to the Lord? What does fasting accomplish? Today a fast can be an initiation into a weight-loss program, a systemic purge, a social protest or a mystical manipulation of God. What was fasting about as it was practiced scripture? Is it a prescribed ritual for us? Is Biblical fasting an anachronistic term in our modern culture. Should we fast?
Tue, Jan 22, 2013
Passage: Acts 13:1-25
Duration: 1 hr 2 mins 33 secs
The gift of prophesy still existed in Acts before direct revelation ceased after the Canon was complete. The Holy Spirit, in specific divine guidance, actually called out Barnabas and Saul (who certainly had this gift), to take the gospel to these destinations. Learn the meaning of Saul’s name and the significance of his new name. Travel their path; encounter their resistance and the positive response. Learn about how the synagogue functioned. See how Paul spoke to these Jews, encapsulating Jewish history and focus in few words and introducing its long-awaited fulfillment through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We learn that evangelism may be most effective when the presentation is specific to the hearer.
Tue, Jan 29, 2013
Passage: Acts 13:13-38
Duration: 1 hr 0 mins 49 secs
Paul is giving the gospel to Jews and God-fearing Gentiles in the local synagogue. Paul addresses them within the framework of their familiar as he anchors his message deeply within scripture, stressing their understanding of forgiveness of sin and justification. If it were only that easy to approach an unbeliever today, one who had such a deep knowledge of scripture. This is highly unlikely. Our approach must confront the realities of their position. The optimal starting point is for us to be profoundly familiar with the Word and to have a developed relationship with our audience. Paul will show us how to deal with a variety of circumstances so that we will have a pattern from which to launch our own approach and the assurance that rugged roadblocks aren’t necessarily terminal.
Tue, Feb 05, 2013
Passage: Acts 13:13-38
Duration: 1 hr 8 mins 3 secs
Scripture has seen many translations. The study of the origins of these translations is key to understanding their accuracy related to the inspired text. Here Paul presents Jesus to a Jewish audience, weaving Old Testament promises through his message which are fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Could a fuzzy translation compromise the fact that these verses are meant to be Messianic? Take a careful look at the clarity of promise in these Messianic passages. Develop the meaning of begotten, the shared natures of God and His Son, the timing of the Messiah’s reign on earth and the imagery in these passages which present Jesus as Messiah and clearly show His relationship to the Father.
Tue, Feb 12, 2013
Passage: Acts 13:13-39
Duration: 1 hr 1 mins 31 secs
In this section Paul continues the gospel message to these Jews by shifting to the Davidic Covenant, a promise which was very familiar to them. Review the Davidic Covenant which is an elaboration of the seed promise in the Abrahamic Covenant. Walk back through numerous Old Testament Messianic passages that address Israel’s future hope in turning to God, His restoration of the Land and promise to David of an eternal kingdom through his seed. See how directly Paul addresses these Jews on the basis of their well-known scripture and the unquestionable ways Paul presents to them, through recognition of the promise of the Davidic Covenant, that these things are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Tue, Feb 19, 2013
Passage: Acts 13:13-39
Duration: 1 hr 5 mins 26 secs
As we see Paul focus on the gospel with the Jews in Antioch in Pisidia, we should be aware of some modern evangelistic challenges seen through a comparison of Lordship Salvation and Free Grace. Those in Paul’s audience knew the scriptures, so it was effective for him to string together prophesies pointing to Christ. Review many of these Old Testament promises and see the familiar terms imputation, justification, forgiveness, propitiation, righteousness, and Christ the Servant. How does the resurrection seal the fulfillment of the Messianic prophesies? Do these Jews respond to Paul’s message?