The twelfth chapter of Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth is known for its role in encouraging the church body toward unity. Steering us away from division and partiality, this passage reminds us that we each have a role to play in Christ’s mission of sharing the gospel. Our differences can serve to strengthen...

Acts 12 tells the story of God’s divine and miraculous rescue of His apostle Peter. While King Herod sought to make an example of Peter, it was God alone who was able to showcase His power and might amidst the persecution of the church. This passage highlights the power of prayer amidst hardship and how...

Acts 11 recounts the first time people were called “Christians” because they were recognized as followers of Jesus. In this passage, Peter was criticized by some of the believing Jews for going into the house of Cornelius and eating with Gentiles; however, these same critics later realized that God’s power was at work even among...

The story of Peter’s revelation in Acts 10 reveals a core tenet in the gospel of Jesus Christ: God saves all who come to faith in His Son, regardless of their past, cultural differences, or their upbringing. The gospel is for all people, and it took Peter—just as it will require us today—great humility to...

In Philippians 2, the apostle Paul expounds upon Christ’s humility and its implications for how we live and interact with others. Though we may struggle with the paradox of His infinite power and meekness, Christ’s humility serves as the truest example for us to follow as we adopt His attitude so that the world may...

The story of the Ethiopian official’s baptism began with an angel giving a command to Philip, an apostle of Jesus Christ. Philip’s on-the-spot obedience led him to clarify the Scriptures and point the Ethiopian official to Christ. As a result of Philip’s desire to live on mission, the Lord provided an opportunity for the gospel...

Acts 6 and 7 detail the story of Stephen, the first follower of Jesus martyred for his unwavering boldness in proclaiming Jesus as Lord. Despite the rejection Stephen faced, he remained firm in his gospel witness to those in the Sanhedrin. Recounting the stories of the Old Testament, Stephen declared God’s faithfulness to bring the...

Acts 6 relays a time when a complaint within the church led to an opportunity for delegation and good deeds. As the apostles continued spreading the word of Jesus and His resurrection, more people began to believe the good news and the church grew in number. Amid this growth, the task of caring for the...

In Acts 5, we find the apostles performing many signs and wonders through the power and grace they received from the Holy Spirit. The healing power of the Holy Spirit displayed through Peter, in particular, was so compelling that people laid the sick in the path of his shadow. United in purpose, the apostles also...

Paul’s letter to believers in Rome serves as one of the Bible’s clearest examples of evangelism. The words of Romans 10 bring us back to the essence of gospel truth: we must place our faith in Jesus to receive salvation from sin. However, in order to receive the gospel, we must first hear its words....

One of Scripture’s most prominent warnings against false motives comes to us in Acts 5: the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Amid the church’s unity and generosity in the previous chapter, the husband and wife’s scheme stands in stark contrast. Though this couple sought to appear generous before others, the Holy Spirit unveiled their treachery...

In Acts 4, we encounter Peter’s Spirit-led boldness and the religious leaders’ inability to stop the gospel’s power at work. Despite the danger they faced, the church remained steadfast in their prayers and proclamations, being filled with the courage and conviction that would become their legacy.  What truths did the early church cling to amidst...

Peter’s healing and preaching in Acts 3 revealed the Holy Spirit’s power at work. Through both word and deed, Peter and John committed themselves to the all-encompassing mission of the gospel—that all they said and did would point back to the truth of Christ as Messiah.  What deeper meaning can we glean from this healing...

The latter portions of Acts 2 relay the Holy Spirit’s transformational work within not only the apostle Peter’s life but also in the lives of thousands of new believers in Jerusalem. In what could have been a somber retelling of herd mentality gone wrong, we instead read of the power of the Holy Spirit at...

Today’s passage from Galatians illustrates the Holy Spirit’s power in Christ followers’ lives. Written by the apostle Paul to the non-Jewish congregation in Galatia, this letter outlines the importance of pursuing righteousness by faith as opposed to the works of the flesh.  How are believers today at risk of pursuing legalism or lawlessness rather than...

In Acts 2, we find the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise from Acts 1:8. Jesus’ followers devoted themselves to one another and to His mission, and we can observe their unity in the first verse of this passage. They experienced the power of the Holy Spirit together as a church body unified by more than mere...

In the latter half of Acts 1, Jesus’ eleven disciples were at a turning point in their ministry. Jesus had ascended to heaven, and His followers recognized the gap Judas left. They came together, united in mission and motive as they waited for the promised Holy Spirit.  How did the disciples take their next step...

Today’s passage is found in the first chapter of the book of Acts. Although Jesus’ time on earth was coming to an end, He promised to leave for His followers a special Helper and Guide. God fulfilled His promise to remain with us, and through the gift of the Holy Spirit, He also provided the...

Today’s passage from Matthew 28 is referred to as “The Great Commission.” We see here that the resurrected Jesus purposely brought His eleven disciples together to receive the invitation and instruction they would need to fulfill the Father’s will. God’s overall plan for His creation has always been that they would know Him and lead...

In the beginning of John 21, we read of the resurrected Christ’s third appearance to His disciples. Although Peter had seen Jesus, perhaps he had not yet come to terms with his three-fold denial of Jesus. Through a series of three questions and commands, Jesus demonstrated His mercy and forgiveness toward Peter’s denial as well...

Toward the end of John 20, we find the disciples gathered, only a week after the discovery of the empty tomb. Word of His resurrection had already begun circulating, and Jesus even made Himself known to some followers. At this point in the story, we read of Thomas’ response when faced with the news of...

In the final chapter of Luke’s Gospel account, we receive insight into how Christ made His resurrection power known. The manner He chose to reveal His newly resurrected body teaches us how we can share and receive His gospel truths in the present day. Since Christians today represent the body of Christ in action, we...

One of the most magnificent titles given to Christ is that of the complete and perfect King. Paul reflected on both the might and majesty of the risen Jesus as he detailed the immensity of the hope we find in His name. Though we are prone to falter and fail, Christ in His completeness remains...

Amidst the darkness of the crucifixion story, the promise of new life in Jesus sprang forth. Here in these passages, the truth of Christ’s victory became known first to His closest followers and then was spread throughout the rest of the world.  With what power was Jesus raised from the grave? How did these events...