Through the Bible for Skeptics and Seekers

With John Lee from Gateway South Austin The church is being persecuted. Saul is putting Christians in prison. God’s people are scattering. Yet, God is still moving powerfully and using his people to spread the good news of Jesus to a new part of the world. Philip goes to Samaria where God does incredible things through him. He drives out evil spirits, heals people, and proclaims Jesus. And people...

With Andrea Wiggins, a Gateway Austin overseer In the book of Acts, many people are choosing to follow Jesus including several of the Jewish priests. The religious leaders make false accusations against Stephen and bring him in front of the Sanhedrin falsely accusing him of blasphemy. In Acts 7, Stephen gives his response walking through the way God worked throughout the history of Israel from Abr...

With Lisa Jacob from Gateway Pflugerville The disciples discover that the Greek widows had been overlooked in the daily distribution of food. Though the Hebraic widows receive their daily portion, the Grecian widows do not, furthering the disparity between the two communities and further marginalizing the Grecian community. Because of the grave injustice, the disciples step in. Instead of addressi...

With Aman Quadri, Board of Director, Gateway in South Austin In Acts 5, the early church is known for its generosity, and as a result they are highly regarded by the people and persecuted by the religious authorities. The people bring out their sick family members and friends to be healed by the disciples. After being arrested and then freed by an angel, Peter and the other apostles tell the relig...

With Amber Andrade of Gateway South Austin When people look at your life, who do they say you spend time with? In Acts 4 we read about two men who were known to have hung out with Jesus. In fact, they had spent so much time being with Jesus that their lives reflected that of Him in how they talked AND how they walked. Because the religious leaders want nothing to do with Jesus, they try to stop Pe...

With Ricky Echeona of Gateway Austin In Acts 3 we see Peter and John encounter a man lame from birth. Peter miraculously calls this man up and God heals him. Everyone around the temple is amazed and it gathers a crowd. Peter proceeds to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. Your life is telling a story. If you’re following Jesus and He is transforming you that is the miracle. Share the story of wh...

With Kelsie Rogers from Gateway Buda. As long as we are on earth we will always have a sense of longing for what we don’t yet have. People of faith SHOULD long for things and feel that tension! Let it bond you to God through prayerful dependency. Stay Engaged through prayer. Stay prayerful both personally to keep our union with God strong AND corporately with other believers… community builds our...

The promised Holy Spirit comes with fire much like the burning bush or the pillar of fire of God’s presence during the Exodus. Miraculously the disciples can communicate in the languages of the Jews who came from all across the world for the Jewish holiday of Pentecost. Peter explains the disciples are not drunk as some suspected, they are filled with the Holy Spirit. He then shares with the crowd...

The BLESS Challenge includes connecting with God through the Book of Acts and looking for ways to love, serve, and BLESS others. 1. Read through Acts Pray: “God, show me what you have for me today.” Read the chapter. Listen to the Spirit of God as you read. You may have thoughts that are from him on ways to apply what you are reading or questions to dive into more. Watch the video devotional from...

Jesus appears at the Sea of Galilee while the disciples are fishing. He calls out telling them to put their nets in again. They had not caught anything all night so they were resistant to the idea. They did it anyway, and they caught 153 fish! Jesus reinstates Peter into leadership giving him the opportunity to affirm his love three times just as he had denied Jesus three times the night of Jesus’...

Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb early in the morning and notices that the stone has been rolled away. She runs to let the disciples know. Peter and John race to the tomb and find it empty. There is no body, and they believe. Mary sees two angels and talks with Jesus, but she doesn't recognize him until he calls her by name. She is sent out to tell the others. Jesus shows up among the disciples...

Jesus endures a mockery of a trial and is sentenced to death by crucifixion. The Roman soldiers beat him and mock him by putting on him a purple robe, a crown of thorns, and a sign on the cross that says: “King of the Jews.” The soldiers nail Jesus to the cross. His cross is between two thieves. Eventually, Jesus cries out “It is finished” loud enough for John and the others there to hear. Jesus h...

After Jesus spends time praying with the disciples, it is in the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas brings the authorities to arrest Jesus. Peter attacks one of the guards and cuts off his ear (perhaps while attempting to cut off his head). Jesus heals the man. Later Peter denies he even knows Jesus. Jesus acknowledges his Kingdom is from another place and all with him follow the Spirit of Truth. Pi...

Of all the things that Jesus could pray for his disciples before his departure, he prays for unity. He doesn’t pray for power, or for protection. Jesus says that our unity is proof to the world that Jesus came from God. He prayed for those already following him, and all those who would follow him in the future – that’s you and me! #newtestament #faith #jesus #postchristianworld #spirituality #chr...

Jesus’ death and resurrection defeats “the prince of this world.” As he leaves the Spirit will come and guide the disciples into truth. Jesus encourages them with the following: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” #newtestament #jesus #faith #spirituality #postchristianworld #christianity...

Jesus refers to himself as the vine and that we are the branches who can be pruned by the Father so that we might bear fruit. Bearing fruit in the Scriptures means being transformed and bringing transformation to others. Jesus promises that if we remain in him, stay rooted in him, we will bear fruit just as naturally as a branch would bear fruit. He reminds us that apart from him we can do nothing...

Jesus tells his disciples he is going to prepare a place for them because his Father's house has many rooms. Confused, they ask where he is going because they want to follow him. Then Jesus says: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Truth is a person, and His name is Jesus. Jesus is the Source of Life. Jesus is the Way. Jesus then...

Jesus says that others will know his disciples by the way they love each other. He says this in the same chapter he tells Judas he knows he will betray him. Jesus tells Peter that he knows that he will deny him. Jesus demonstrates the servant hearted love he’s calling us to demonstrate by washing his disciples feet. #newtestament #faith #jesus #spirituality #postchristianworld #christianity #chris...

Jesus points out a spiritual principle we intrinsically know. We cannot become the hero we were created to be unless we are willing to sacrifice for the good of others. Like a seed that is buried only to grow a new plant, Jesus says he will be buried but rise with new life. Before this Jesus is anointed for burial and rides into Jerusalem on a donkey with the crowd cheering for him. Even a few Gre...

Jesus hears that his good friend Lazarus is sick. Rather than go to him to heal him, Jesus waits. Jesus says to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Jesus weeps with those who are weeping before he goes to the tomb and calls Lazarus to come out! Then Lazaru...

Jesus compares himself to a gate through which sheep can enter a pasture where they are safe and protected. He then compares himself to a shepherd and people to sheep and shared how his sheep can hear his voice. Finally, he says he is one with the Father leading some to try to stone him to death and others to believe in him. #newtestament #faith #jesus #faith #postchristianworld #christianity #chr...

In Jesus’ day people believed that someone who was born with disabilities must have sinned or his or her parents sinned. Jesus dispels that notion saying that the man was not blind due to sin but that through his life he might glorify God. The religious leaders try to get the healed man and his parents in trouble, but the healed man says: “I don’t know who healed me. All I know is, I once was blin...

To the sinful (those who don’t think they are worthy of God’s love) Jesus begins with grace and then once the person knows they are loved, seen, and heard then he points towards the truth as we see with the woman caught in the act of adultery. For those who don’t think of themselves as sinners, Jesus begins with the truth before he gets to the grace as he does this with the religious leaders. Jesu...

The religious leaders want to kill Jesus. His brothers don’t believe. Some think he’s a good man. Some think he’s deceiving the people. After Jesus begins teaching, the people are amazed at what he had to say. Some think he is the Prophet. Some think he is the Messiah. Some want to arrest him and kill him. The people are divided on who they think Jesus is. #newtestament #jesus #faith #spirituality...

Jesus feeds over 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish and there were 12 baskets leftover. The crowd wants to make him king by force so Jesus withdraws to a mountain. That night Jesus walks on water and catches up to the other disciples! So many people there had their own agenda for Jesus. Jesus then says things like “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life...