Considering some big ideas in the Bible: (1) That it is a continuous story from Adam to the apostles (and not simply a bunch of disconnected events); (2) it centers on the coming and arrived messiah; and (3) that there will be - and is now - a kingdom that will last forever.
The Bible frequently compares God's relationship with Israel to a marriage (both are called covenants, for example), and chapter 16 of Ezekiel really runs with that metaphor. In the chapter, Jerusalem is metaphorically described as an abandoned newborn baby who is rescued by God, then grows into womanhood. She is protected until marriage age, and then given as a bride to God. After that she becomes tremendously adulterous and lives her life in shame.
Instructions to older men (generally; not just those in the office of an Elder). Part of a series in the book of Titus.
King Herod (one of many Herods in the Bible) has the apostle James killed and tries to kill Peter also. But Peter escaped from prison due to an angel's help - and prayers of the church. At the end of the story, Herod does get what's coming to him. The last in a series in chapters 8-12 of Acts.
"The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" (v. 26). The church in Antioch does seem to be a model to look toward in many ways. They had five preachers at one point, many converts, and were able to send charity to Christians elsewhere. Part of a series in chapters 8-12 of Acts.
The apostle Peter has a literal revelation: non-Jews are equal to Jews and worthy to be saved also. Part of a series in chapters 8-12 of Acts.
The apostle Paul comes down hard on people that are poisoning the church - and wants Titus to do the same where he is. Part of a series in the book of Titus.
The apostle Peter heals two people in two different but nearby cities (Lydda and Joppa). In both cases, it seems that the church has spread there already and Peter is visiting existing converts. Part of a series in chapters 8-12 of Acts.
As Paul warned the elders of Ephesus in Acts, we must be alert to the reality that Satan seeks to destroy our faith through deception. In this lesson, we consider three critical ways a person can allow themselves to drift down a path to a hardened heart