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Week 76 Acts 24, 25 Day 1 READ Acts 24:22-23 22 At that point Felix, who was quite familiar with the Way, adjourned the hearing and said, “Wait until Lysias, the garrison commander, arrives. Then I will decide the case.” 23 He ordered an officer to keep Paul in custody but to give him some freedom and allow his friends to visit him and take care of his needs. Notice how “the Way” is used in referring to salvation. This appears only in Acts (see:19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14,

Week 77 Acts 25 Day 1 READ Acts 25:6-7 6 About eight or ten days later Festus returned to Caesarea, and on the following day he took his seat in court and ordered that Paul be brought in. 7 When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn’t prove. When Governor Festus had traveled from Caesarea to Jerusalem he met the accusers of Paul. Festus told them to come with him to make the accusations in Caesar

Week 78 Acts 25 Day 1 READ Acts 25:15-16 15 “When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and Jewish elders pressed charges against him and asked me to condemn him. 16 I pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict people without a trial. They must be given an opportunity to confront their accusers and defend themselves. Governor Festus continues to explain to King Agrippa his concern about what to do with Paul. He acknowledges that Roman law cannot convict so

Week 79 Acts 26 Day 1 READ Acts 26:1-3 1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak in your defense.” So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense: 2 “I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, 3 for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently! Paul now gets the opportunity to present his case to King Agrippa. Paul

Week 80 Acts 26 Day 1 READ Acts 26:15-16 15 “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future. Paul continued to tell King Agrippa and the others gathered about his conversion on the road to Damascus. He told about a bright light that caused his g

Week 81 Acts 26, 27 Day 1 READ Acts 26:28-29 28 Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?” 29 Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.” After Paul asked Agrippa if he believed the prophets, Agrippa answered in a way that has caused a difference of opinion. Was he accusing Paul of trying to convert him

Week 82 Acts 27 Day 1 READ Acts 27:9-10 9 We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship’s officers about it. 10 “Men,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on—shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.” Luke continues to record what the trip was like as they were on their way to Rome because of Paul’s appeal to meet with Caesar. Paul told the o

Week 83 Acts 27 Day 1 READ Acts 27:21-22 21 No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. 22 But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. The ship’s crew was all fighting for their lives. Paul reminded them he had warned them of what was coming, but they didn’t liste

Week 84 Acts 27, 28 Day 1 READ Acts 27:39-41 39 When morning dawned, they didn’t recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get to shore by running the ship aground. 40 So they cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore. 41 But they hit a shoal and ran the ship aground too soon. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was repeatedly smashed by

Week 85 Acts 28 Day 1 READ Acts 28:13-15 13 From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli. 14 There we found some believers, who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encourage

Getting Started… “The Word became human and made his home among us…” With these words John sets out the theme of his Gospel: examining the life of Jesus, God in the flesh. And being one of the twelve Disciples, John was uniquely placed as an eyewitness to the life and ministry of the Messiah. From the hills of Galilee to the streets of Jerusalem, we’ll walk with Jesus and see his compassion for the sick and the marginalized. We’ll hear his confrontations with the Pharisees,

The Word READ John 1:1-2 1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. These are some of the most important verses in the Bible. They also reveal that when you come across a term like “Word” that is difficult to understand; keep reading and it will be explained. Verse 14 does this, “So the Word became human and made his home among us.” This reveals that the “Word” in verse 1 refers to Je

Clear the Way READ John 1:19-23 19 This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” 20 He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 “Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” “No,” he replied. “Are you the Prophet we are expecting?” “No.” 22 “Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of

Andrew and Peter READ John 1:40-42 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. 41 Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). 42 Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”). Andrew stands out as an example of how believers can s

Water into Wine READ John 2:5-9 5 But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, 8 he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions. 9 When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was

Rebuilding the Temple READ John 2:20-22 20 “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” 21 But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said. This is another example that when you come across something in the Bible you do not understand, keep reading. I

Heavenly Things READ John 3:9-12 9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked. 10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?” Nicodemus was a wise religious teacher, but he did not un

Our Appointed Work READ John 3:26-28 26 So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.” 27 John replied, “God in heaven appoints each man’s work. 28 My work is to prepare the way for that man so that everyone will go to him. You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am

A Stop in Samaria READ John 4:4-6 4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. The Samaritans were despised by the Judeans because they were a mixed race. This resulted when the Northern Kingdom was taken captive in 722 B.C. by the Assyrians who repopulated th

Places of Worship READ John 4:19-21 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” 21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.” The woman revealed a religious background by even kn

Ripe for Harvest READ John 4:35-36 35 “You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. 36 The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!” These verses are often referred to, but little is said about the larger context. Could it be that the harvest Jesus was referring to

The Official's Son READ John 4:46-47 46 As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die. Having done a miracle in Cana, there would be curiosity seekers wanting to see Jesus do more. And no matter where He went

Thirty-Eight Years READ John 5:5-7 5 One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” 7 “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” This account in John 5 of the person Jesus met at the pool provides valuable information. It tells much about the

The Son Gives Life READ John 5:20-21 20 “For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. 21 For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants.” Jesus further explains His intimate relationship with the heavenly Father. Notice that nothing the Father does is hidden from the S