New Testament Bible Reading Challenge4 March 2013 to 28th February 2014
Week 21: Bible Reading Plan and Discussion Starters
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Welcome to The Salvation Army's Challenge to read the New Testament from beginning to end within one year, reading just 5 chapters per week.
We are now starting week 21 of the Bible challenge…
...and this week we see the transformation of Paul,
from Persecutor of Christians to Ambassador of Christ!
Great Expectations: Expect
God to speak through the Scriptures, expect to learn new things about
Him, and about ourselves, and expect to read and absorb some familiar
stories and passages.
Top Tip!To get the most out of this challenge, start each daily reading with a short, simple, sincere prayer asking God to guide your thinking as you read. Then open the Bible and read slowly, with the aim of learning something new. After the reading, consider how it may affect your life and relationship with Jesus, and allow your increased knowledge of the Scriptures to shape your character and strengthen your trust in God.Take your time - enjoy this opportunity - and may God bless you as you embark upon this New Testament Bible Challenge.
Captain Phil Layton
Monday, July 22, 2013 --- Acts 12 --- The Apostle James is killed, and Peter makes a miraculous escape from prison!-
v1-19, The believers rejoiced at Peter's miraculous escape, but would
have still been mourning the death of James who had been executed. This
is quite a contrast of outcomes for these 2 apostles...what can we learn
from this to apply to our own lives?
- v14, This must have been highly frustrating for Peter at the time...but with hindsight is fairly amusing!
Tuesday, July 23, 2013 --- Acts 13 --- Saul is called Paul and together with Barnabas they set of on a missionary journey- v16-41, As we saw with Stephen earlier, so we read that Paul begins his witness with a summary of what his hearers would have already known. Why do you think he did this?
- v45, Can jealousy still overpower the desire for truth in today's world?
Wednesday, July 24, 2013 --- Acts 14 --- Paul & Barnabas proclaim the Gospel and perform miracles as proof of Jesus’ power- v8-20, A great example of how fickle people can be!...Could this still be true for today? Can you think of any examples?
- v21, Despite being nearly killed in Lystra, Paul and Barnabas return there to encourage the new believers. Is there someone we could be encouraging who might be facing hard times?
Thursday, July 25, 2013 --- Acts 15 --- Christian leaders meet to discuss the terms for Gentile membership- At first Christianity was a Jewish sect. For a Jew to become a Christian did not mean that they stopped being Jews...but merely that they'd acknowledged and accepted the work and teaching of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus. The trouble some Christians had, then, was for Gentiles to become Christians without also subscribing to everything that the Jews subscribed to, including the law and, of course, circumcision. Would you agree, then, that the problem was not the acceptance of Gentiles...but the terms on which they might join the fellowship of believers?
- What would the implications have been - then and now - if the final decision had gone in favour of the Judaisers?
- Are there any areas today within Christianity in which, we too, are overly legalistic?...Perhaps obliging new believers to subscribe to various rituals or practices before being fully welcomed into the Church?
- By contrast, do we fully appreciate the Jewish roots of our faith?
Friday, July 26, 2013 --- Acts 16 --- Some stories about Paul’s missionary journeys with Silas and Timothy.- v10, for the first time the author of Acts includes himself in the travels of Paul (saying 'we', and 'us' instead of 'they')...did he join the journey at Troas perhaps?
- v31-34, the simplicity, joy, and peace of the Gospel. How joyful are we? Does this story remind us of the need to continually ‘restore the joy of our salvation’ (Psalm 51:12)?
- v14, This must have been highly frustrating for Peter at the time...but with hindsight is fairly amusing!
Tuesday, July 23, 2013 --- Acts 13 --- Saul is called Paul and together with Barnabas they set of on a missionary journey- v16-41, As we saw with Stephen earlier, so we read that Paul begins his witness with a summary of what his hearers would have already known. Why do you think he did this?
- v45, Can jealousy still overpower the desire for truth in today's world?
Wednesday, July 24, 2013 --- Acts 14 --- Paul & Barnabas proclaim the Gospel and perform miracles as proof of Jesus’ power- v8-20, A great example of how fickle people can be!...Could this still be true for today? Can you think of any examples?
- v21, Despite being nearly killed in Lystra, Paul and Barnabas return there to encourage the new believers. Is there someone we could be encouraging who might be facing hard times?
Thursday, July 25, 2013 --- Acts 15 --- Christian leaders meet to discuss the terms for Gentile membership- At first Christianity was a Jewish sect. For a Jew to become a Christian did not mean that they stopped being Jews...but merely that they'd acknowledged and accepted the work and teaching of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus. The trouble some Christians had, then, was for Gentiles to become Christians without also subscribing to everything that the Jews subscribed to, including the law and, of course, circumcision. Would you agree, then, that the problem was not the acceptance of Gentiles...but the terms on which they might join the fellowship of believers?
- What would the implications have been - then and now - if the final decision had gone in favour of the Judaisers?
- Are there any areas today within Christianity in which, we too, are overly legalistic?...Perhaps obliging new believers to subscribe to various rituals or practices before being fully welcomed into the Church?
- By contrast, do we fully appreciate the Jewish roots of our faith?
Friday, July 26, 2013 --- Acts 16 --- Some stories about Paul’s missionary journeys with Silas and Timothy.- v10, for the first time the author of Acts includes himself in the travels of Paul (saying 'we', and 'us' instead of 'they')...did he join the journey at Troas perhaps?
- v31-34, the simplicity, joy, and peace of the Gospel. How joyful are we? Does this story remind us of the need to continually ‘restore the joy of our salvation’ (Psalm 51:12)?
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