Acts
We have provided additional resources below to help equip you as you study the Book of Acts. Pick up your Acts Scripture Journals at the Welcome Center and invite a friend to go on this journey with you.
Choose a resource below.
Acts Reading Plan
At Grace Church Medina East Campus, we will be embarking on a sermon series (or collection of sermon series) based entirely out of the Book of Acts. This series will span the Fall/Winter of 2022-2023, with a break in December for our Christmas Series.
Within the series, we will be providing a 16-week reading plan through Acts in chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse segments. Throughout this series, the weekend sermons will be addressed thematically in three separate series. As a means to approach the message and teaching of Acts in a complementary way to the series, we’ve created a reading plan that will progress through the contents of the book from start to finish (chapter-by-chapter and verse-by-verse).
Our aim is to not only rightly interpret and understand the meaning of Acts in a way that deepens our personal relationship with Jesus, but to explore and experience the value of community and disciple-making relationships as we follow Jesus together. The following questions are simply some ways to launch a discussion around the passage(s) you read in Acts. These need not be followed meticulously but can be a helpful aid to get a dialogue going. The questions are phrased in such a way that you could realistically ask them of any passage! And you can choose to ask all, some or none of these questions—it’s entirely up to you.
• Reflect on something God has been teaching you through the reading(s) this week.
• What might be some practical ways to respond to what He is teaching you?
• Describe how one or more of these passages reveal God’s grace. How is the Holy Spirit prompting you to respond to God’s kindness and love expressed in Jesus?
• Does the reading raise any questions you want to go back and study? If so, what are those questions and how might we pursue further insight together?
The following videos are produced by the Bible Project and are a complement to the book overview video links we have provided in the Resources on Biblical Literature and Bible Study portion of our resource page. These videos can be used as helpful “pit stops” on the journey through Acts, as they cover multiple chapters and very much help to set the scene for how to read specific sections of this book well. You’ll also notice that these theme videos begin with the Gospel of Luke, as that New Testament book is considered to be the first installment in a two-volume work the early disciple of Christ, Luke, produced that shows the origins of Jesus and the gospel message of the kingdom of God provided a key foundation for the life of the early church.
Principles of Effective Bible Study
E4 is a Grace Church-produced resource designed to assist disciple-making relationships with meaningful content that can be used as a springboard for conversation and deeper spiritual growth. How to the Study the Bible is a six (6) part study that conveys key principles for effective Bible interpretation and study—to help viewers interpret Scripture wisely and responsibly by learning to appreciate and rightly understand both its divine and human aspects. In short, this is a kind of “crash course” in helping readers understand the message of Scripture and how that message is communicated.
Understanding Biblical Literature
The folks at the Bible Project have produced a number of helpful video-based resources that guide students of the Bible to better comprehend the message of Scripture as well as the unique manner in which that message comes to us as 21st century readers. In this particular video, the Bible Project team pairs voice-over narration with visual artistic presentation that helps convey the unique features of biblical narrative (i.e. parts of the Bible that are written in story form) in ways that are especially applicable to readers of the Gospels (the four accounts of Jesus’s life and ministry).
The Story of the Bible
This seven (7) minute video is from a Q&A-type conversation from two (2) reputable Bible scholars (Ray Ortlund and Sam Storms) who discuss a helpful Bible Study discipline known as Biblical Theology. “Biblical Theology” is a way of understanding the larger story (often called the “metanarrative”) the Bible looks to communicate and ascertain how the individual books found within the Bible contribute to God’s broader, history-spanning rescue plan that culminates in Jesus.
The Function of the New Testament in the Bible
In this video from the Bible Project, viewers are exposed to the function and contribution of the New Testament within the larger narrative of the whole Bible. Though it focuses on the New Testament, it still very much provides a useful and comprehensive look at the one, unified story of all Scripture that leads to Jesus. It is especially illuminating for those who might look to study a particular New Testament book or portion, particularly with the way it ties together that book or portion’s themes with the broader teaching Scripture.
Overview of Contents in Acts (Chapters 1-12)
This eight (8) minute video provides a chapter-by-chapter summary of the contents of Acts, paying special attention to key moments, events and teaching that appear within its pages. In specific, it covers the first twelve (12) chapters of Acts.
Overview of Contents in Acts (Chapters 13-28)
This eight (8) minute video provides a chapter-by-chapter summary of the contents of Acts, paying special attention to key moments, events and teaching that appear within its pages. In specific, it covers the final sixteen (16) chapters of Acts.
Thematic Emphases in Acts
Scholars and Bible teachers have recognized that Acts is a presentation of the life and teachings of Jesus as continued through the beliefs, proclamation and activity of the early church. The linked article is a collection and summary of some of the unique contributions and various thematic emphases Acts makes to the teaching and message of the New Testament.
“How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth”
by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
Drawn from the landmark work on effective Bible Study, this book excerpt contains the entirety of Chapter 6 in How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth and focuses on ways to effectively read and interpret a New Testament Gospel.
ESV Study Bible Introduction to Acts
This book excerpt reprints the introductory overview of the Book of Acts from the ESV Study Bible.
Acts for Everyone, Part 1 – Chapters 1-12
by N.T. Wright
This is a highly accessible and introductory commentary on Acts. Wright’s emphasis is on contemporary, practical application as disciples of Jesus look to live out the way of Christ today. Along the way, he carefully uncovers key features of the 1st century historical-cultural context and makes effective use of analogy and illustration to make difficult concepts readily understandable.
(available for purchase on Amazon)
Acts for Everyone, Part 2 – Chapters 13-28
by N.T. Wright
Part Two of N.T. Wright’s commentary on the Book of Acts.
(available for purchase on Amazon)
Acts for You – Chapters 1-12
by Albert Mohler
This is Part One (Chapters 1-12) of an easy-to-read-and-understand commentary on the Acts of the Apostles. Mohler dispenses with much of the often-confusing highly academic overviews of Acts in favor of a devotional approach that looks to further passion for relating with Christ and living in community with his followers.
(available for purchase on Amazon)
Acts for You – Chapters 13-28
by Albert Mohler
Part Two of Albert Mohler’s commentary on Acts.
(available for purchase on Amazon)
