Through the Bible for Skeptics and Seekers

Acts 26 - Are You Nervous to Talk About Your Faith? With Peter Shenk from Gateway South AustinPaul stands before King Agrippa, passionately defending his faith and ministry. Paul recounts his encounter with Jesus, explains the alignment of his teachings with Jewish Scriptures, and emphasizes the hope of resurrection. The chapter showcases Paul’s unwavering commitment to sharing the message of Jesu...

Acts 25 - Can You See God at Work in the Midst of Injustice? With Eric Bryant of Gateway South Austin The Apostle Paul has been imprisoned in Caesarea. Festus, the new governor, learns about Paul’s case and travels to Jerusalem. Paul stands before Festus, and his accusers present their case against him. Paul defends himself against the accusations, stating that he has done nothing wrong according...

Acts 24 - Are You Willing to Speak Up? With Jim Croswell from Gateway South AustinPaul stands trial before the Roman Governor Felix and defends himself against the false accusations. Felix and his wife Drusilla listen to Paul talk about faith in Christ, righteousness, and the coming judgment; however, Felix becomes afraid and ends the conversation without making a decision keeping Paul in custody....

Acts 23 - Are We Willing to Stand With Courage? With Kimo Lai from Gateway South AustinIn Acts, Paul is resting on a general promise of a better life with Jesus. He also has a specific promise he’s been holding onto. In Acts 9:15, Paul is promised that he would one day share the message of Jesus to Kings. God’s promises are not like ours. They aren’t hopes or dreams. They are guarantees. In Acts 2...

Acts 22 - Are You Willing to Tell Your Story? With Zachary Kulkin from Gateway South Austin The apostle Paul risks everything to share the story of how he came to receive the Good News of God’s grace, forgiveness, and love. As Paul speaks to the violent crowd, he tries to meet them where they are. They are with him until he mentions including the Gentiles, and then they turn on him. If you are a f...

Acts 21 - Are You Willing to Follow Jesus In Spite of the Risks? With Ashley Shenk from Gateway South Austin Paul and his traveling companions leave Ephesus in order to go to Jerusalem. His friends warn him not to go. Just as Jesus made his way to Jerusalem in spite of the danger, Paul had the same attitude. He was willing to die for his faith if necessary. The leaders in Jerusalem celebrate with...

Acts 20 - At what Are You Aiming Your Heart and Life? With Peter Shenk from Gateway South Austin The writer of Acts also wrote the book of Luke, and in Acts 20, we see elements and events that mirror certain events in the book of Luke. Paul was on his way to Jerusalem just as Jesus had done. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Paul prays and Eutychus comes back to life! As Paul bids farewell to th...

Acts 19 - Do You Really Know Jesus? With Kenzie Wrzesinski from Gateway South AustinActs 19 tells the story of Paul's ministry in the city of Ephesus. Paul arrives in Ephesus and encounters some disciples who had only received the baptism of John the Baptist and were not yet aware of the Holy Spirit. Paul explains to them the full message of Jesus and baptizes them in the name of Jesus. As the...

Acts 18 - What Do You Do When You Are Asked to Stay? With Jeff Stapleton of Gateway North Austin Paul follows a pattern - teach - change a few lives - make the rest of the town angry - get beaten - jailed - released then sent somewhere new. He lives in this powerful but beautifully chaotic rhythm. In Corinth the rhythm changes, God asks Paul to stay, and he finds community and invests in his commu...

Acts 17 - Are You Willing to Share God’s Love in Any Cultural Context? with Matt McHugh from Gateway North Austin Paul’s life is in danger after sharing the message of Jesus in Thessalonica. Paul finds a much more receptive group in Berea. He then travels to Athens where the philosophers are asking Paul to share about this “new teaching.” Paul notices that everyone worships lots of gods in the cit...

Acts 16 - How Do You Respond When Your Plans Fall Apart? with Carlos Oritz, Jrs., senior pastor at Gateway Church in Austin Acts 16 continues Paul and his companion Silas travel to Asia, but the Spirit of God stops them. Paul has an open heart and open mind eventually sensing God guiding them to Macedonia. They come to a city called Philippi, where they meet a woman named Lydia, who is a worshiper...

Acts 15 - How Do You Face Tension? With Adrien Ropert from Gateway Buda A significant meeting takes place among early Christian leaders. Some are teaching that non-Jewish believers need to follow Jewish customs, such as circumcision, in order to be saved. This causes confusion and controversy within the early Christian community. The apostles and elders gather in Jerusalem to address this issue. D...

Acts 14 - How Do You Love People When They’re Hard to Love? with Phil Wright, a former Gateway Austin spiritual overseer Paul and Barnabas are in Iconium teaching about Jesus. Great numbers believe Paul’s compelling message, but some reject it. Not satisfied to simply disagree, they spread poisonous rumors and plot to harm Paul and Barnabas. Thankfully they escape unharmed and continue to teach ab...

Acts 13 - Are You Willing to Go? With Lee Higgins from Gateway South AustinPaul and Barnabas are set aside for the first missionary journey. In one stop, there is a false prophet spreading lies and saying he is the truth. In this dynamic moment and with an almost cinematic showdown, Paul rebukes him and says he is full of deceit and lies. The sorcerer is blinded and one of the political leaders is...

Acts 12 - Are You Ready for God to do the Impossible? With Ashley Shenk from Gateway South Austin Acts 12 starts by informing us that the disciple James, the brother of John, has been killed by the sword, presumably for sharing the good news about Jesus. When King Herod sees how his death pleased the Jews, he has Peter arrested and imprisoned with the intention of trying him publicly after Passove...

Acts 11 - Are You Willing to Go Wherever the Spirit Leads? In Acts 11, the more devout Jewish men who followed Jesus want to know why Peter would go into the home of a Gentile family to eat with them. Peter explains the visions and the Gentiles being filled with the Spirit, and they were no longer resistant. Persecution of the church leads to the church spreading to a new part of the world and the...

Acts 10 - Are You Obedient? with Jim Croswell from Gateway South Austin A God-fearing Gentile and Roman Centurion named Cornelius has a vision to reach out to a man named Simon Peter. At the same time, Peter has a vision three times that what had been considered unclean was no longer unlcean. All of this leads to Peter leading Cornelius and his household to follow Jesus, and they experience the pr...

With Zachary Kulkin from Gateway South AustinSaul is on his way to persecute followed of Jesus when he is blinded on the road to Damascus and hears the voice of Jesus! Ananias reluctantly follows the lead of the Holy Spirit to pray for the one coming to persecute them. Miraculously, Saul is healed and begins proclaiming Jesus is the Son of God! Soon he’s being persecuted for his new faith. As Pete...

Acts 8 - Do You Know God is Moving? with John Lee, church planter at Aesthetic 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,...

Acts 7 - Do You Miss What God is Doing? 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 t...

Acts 6 - Are You Willing To Learn From Those Who May Be Different Than You? With Tracy Asamoah from Gateway South Austin 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 commun...

Acts 5 - Do You Fear God More Than You Fear People? With Aman Quadri, Former 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 fre...

Acts 4 - Are You Willing to Be Bold? Peter and John are under arrest and face the same religious leaders who rallied the people and negotiated with the Roman leaders to execute Jesus. Even though they were quick to abandon Jesus when he was arrested and being crucified, these men are not the same. They have seen Jesus alive and now have the Holy Spirit! The religious leaders cannot deny the miracl...

Acts 3 - Who Needs to Hear Your Story? with Ricky Echeona, Campus Pastor of Gateway Buda 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 transfo...

Acts 2 - Are You Experiencing Life-Giving Community? 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 fille...