Accused of blasphemy by the religious leaders, Stephen begins his defense in Acts 7:2-8 with a history lesson on God’s promise to give Abraham’s descendants the land of Israel. Starting with Stephen’s statement, we trace Israel’s history to the present day to explore who should possess the land and why, the current narrative in the Middle East, and how these controversies are leading to God’s ultimate plans for the Jews in the End Times.

The early church is growing and doing great things in Acts 6, but complaining begins to creep in as organizational challenges arise. As we study their problem, we see how church leadership addressed the issue and how their solution continues to influence the organization of the church even today.

While Stephen is preaching about Jesus in Acts 6:8-15, a group of men come against him by spreading lies and accusing him of sharing misinformation. And unfortunately, twisting the truth is the oldest trick in the book and is still in play today. As we study how truth is distorted, we learn how to combat these attacks by knowing what Scripture actually says and how we can become people full of faith and power, like Stephen.

The early church is flourishing in Acts 5 as many come to know the Lord, miracles abound, and the Gospel is boldly proclaimed. However, Satan attempts to stop the growing power of the church with attacks from both within and without, and the opposition becomes increasingly hostile.

Ananias and Sapphira appear to be outstanding members of the early church in Acts 5:1-11, but an act of hypocrisy and deceit leads to their dramatic destruction. By examining why God made an example of them—and others throughout Scripture—we uncover why hypocrisy in the church is so serious, the importance of fleeing from unrighteousness, and how God’s grace and mercy cover us when we are overtaken by our faults.

The religious leaders are furious with Peter and John in Acts 4 for preaching the name of Jesus Christ and respond by arresting them and forbidding them to do so. Despite this mounting persecution, Peter and John are ultimately released, and the church gathers to pray for boldness, asking the Holy Spirit to fill them with the courage to continue declaring the truth and power of Jesus Christ to everyone – including those opposing them.

After healing a crippled man and preaching about Jesus to the astonished crowd, Peter and John find themselves in big trouble with the religious leaders. As Peter defends their actions in Acts 4:1-14, he boldly declares who Jesus is and that salvation can only come through Him.

After healing a crippled man, Peter addresses a marveling crowd in Acts 3, telling them about the promised Messiah whom they rejected and crucified and how He fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. As we study his powerful message about Jesus, we learn about the power of faith, the necessity of repentance, and how Jesus’ death ultimately blessed the entire world.

In Acts 3:1-11 we meet a crippled man begging near the Temple gates. As Peter and John come across him, they offer him something far greater than silver or gold. As we see the man healed and enter the Temple with rejoicing, we uncover valuable lessons about salvation, listening to the Holy Spirit, and what our praise should look like.

The disciples and their fellow believers were gathered together on Pentecost in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit rushes upon them as a mighty wind. As we watch the aftermath of this event unfold, we begin to explore what speaking in tongues and prophesying means and hear Peter preach a powerful Scripture-based sermon that would lead many to Christ and launch the early church.

What should a church look like? Are the things a church chooses to focus on really important? How can we know if a church is doing what God desires? Fortunately, Acts 2:41-47 helps us answer these questions by giving us a clear model of what churches should be doing and what matters when it comes to how we worship, teach, and engage with each other.

Luke begins his account in Acts 1 by recounting the events following Jesus' resurrection, His ascension, and the actions of the disciples afterward. As we dive into this study, we explore how Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit sets the course for the book, what the disciples did while they waited, and how Jesus' ascension helps us understand the rapture, end times events, and His Second Coming.

We begin our study of the Book of Acts by exploring Luke's prologue in Acts 1:1-3 as an introduction, followed by a high-level overview of what the rest of the book holds. Join us as we examine God's model for the church and learn the incredible history of how Christianity took root and spread across the world.

As we conclude our study of the Gospels in John 21, we witness two poignant scenes between Jesus and His disciples on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Through these final object lessons, Jesus prepares them for what lies ahead, and we see the foundation of the church take shape as the disciples are reminded of their calling to be fishers of men and shepherds of the flock.

After fishing all night and catching nothing, the disciples encounter Jesus, who bids them to come ashore and eat with Him in John 21:3-12. And this isn’t the first time Jesus has extended a similar invitation. As we study, we learn what Jesus offers us and what we can gain when we follow His call to come.

In John 20:19-31, the disciples are assembled in fear when Jesus suddenly appears in their midst and transforms their cowardice into courage and fear into faith. As we study, we discover what Jesus did to bring about this change and how we can receive this peace as well.

How do we know the account in John 20:1-10 of Mary Magdalene, John, and Peter finding the empty tomb and Jesus risen from the dead is actually true? As we study, we discover that Jesus' resurrection is one of the most well-supported events in history, backed by evidence from a variety of sources.

Mary Magdalene, John, and Peter arrive at Jesus' tomb early Sunday morning, only to find the stone rolled away, the grave clothes left behind, and Jesus' body missing. As we watch the scene unfold in John 20:1-18, we observe each person's reaction, explore the symbolism within the empty grave, and celebrate that Jesus Christ is risen!

In John 20, we hear the account of Jesus’ empty tomb and His resurrection—the most important event in all of history. But just why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ such a significant event? As we study, we look at seven things the resurrection accomplished that we can be thankful for and learn how we can obtain hope and eternal life because of it.

The time for Jesus’ crucifixion has finally arrived in John 19:17-42 as He is taken to Golgotha and placed on a cross between two criminals. In John’s brief but poignant eyewitness account, we see the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, Jesus’ deep care for others, and the hypocrisy of the religious leaders.

In John 19:14-22, the Jews reject Jesus as their king and insist that He be put to death. And unfortunately, we see a similar pattern of this demanding behavior throughout their history. As we study, we see how else they rejected God, why He sometimes gives us what we want, and how, even when things go awry because we think we know better, God can still redeem the situation to fulfill His plan.

A brutal scene unfolds in John 19:1-17 as Jesus is mocked and beaten, while an indecisive Pilate worsens the situation, resulting in a riled-up crowd calling for Jesus’ death. Yet, as we study, we see how this had to happen to fulfill prophecy perfectly and bring healing and salvation to all.

As Jesus hangs on the cross in John 19:25-30, He speaks some of His final words about His mother and the end of His earthly ministry. The other Gospels complete the account of His last sayings. As we examine Jesus’ seven final statements, we see how each fulfills a specific purpose, revealing what He was accomplishing and how we should respond.

Judas’ betrayal is complete in John 18 as a mob comes to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, kicking off a series of sham trials before both Jewish and Roman courts. Meanwhile, Simon Peter provides an example of what not to do as he recklessly wields his sword to defend Jesus, only to deny Him three times shortly after.