Daily Study Guide
Acts shows the first followers learning to live a life that represented Jesus with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Click here for a basic introduction to Acts.
Acts 1
Scripture | Acts 1
Read Daniel 7:13-14. How does this give us context for the image in Acts 1?
How did the disciples go about deciding that someone should take Judas’ place? Is this a practice we should apply today?
Pray through Acts 1:8. Who is your metaphorical Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and Ends of the Earth? Will you go to them?
Acts 2
Scripture | Acts 2
The disciples prayerfully waited in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit was given to them. Why do you think this is?
What relationship do you see between the Holy Spirit and God’s mission? Does that relationship still exist today? What does Peter say about the Holy Spirit?
What do we learn about the formation and growth of the church?
Acts 3
Scripture | Acts 3
Read John 14:12. How do you see the dynamic that Jesus described playing out in Peters life?
How does Peter respond to people clinging to him? How could you do the same?
Peter ties together prominent promises
Acts 4
Scripture | Acts 4
Peter and John were characterized by being common, uneducated, and bold. What was the source of their wisdom and boldness?
Read verses 19-20. What have you seen and heard? Do you seek to please God so much that you are “unable” to stop sharing?
How would you describe he way the disciples prayed? Pray in the same way now.
Acts 5
Scripture | Acts 5
Explanation of Ananias and Sapphira
Do you have fear of the Lord? In what ways are you tempted to steal from God or lie to God?
Vs. 15 & 16 are amazing! Read John 14:11-14. Why did God give the apostles such spiritual power? Does God still work in this way today?
What do you think the “Words of this life” are? Read John 6:68-69
What are rules or charges that if followed cause one to obey men rather than God?
What does it mean that the Holy Spirit is a witness in vs. 32?
Are your endeavors “of man” (38) or “of God” (39) ? Should you suspect them to succeed?
Acts 6
Scripture | Acts 6
What was the main role of the twelve? Do you find anything unexpected in their role?
How are leaders selected? What are their qualifications?
What does Verse 7 imply about the previous sections? Are they related?
Vs. 15 reflects Exodus 34:29-35. How does this help us understand what is going on? Is there any irony here?
Acts 7
Scripture | Acts 7
Read Psalm 27 and compare to Stephens Story. What do you notice?
Is it odd to you the similarities of David, Stephen, and Jesus’ persecution? Why?
As you read through, underline the sections you think specifically point to Jesus in Stephen’s sermon.
What is Stephens main point?
Acts 8
Scripture | Acts 8
Acts 8:1 indicates that it is persecution that began to scatter the disciples into Judea and Samaria. Reflect on Acts 1:8. What comment does this make on how God accomplishes his mission?
What do verses 21-24 show us about repentance? What does Simon do? What do Peter/John do? What does God do?
In what ways can we try to buy or in other ways manipulate God’s gifts? Read Isaiah 55:1-3.
Have you ever had an experience like Philip in vs. 29? Did you listen?
Pray about whom you could help guide in the scriptures.
Acts 9
Scripture | Acts 9
Read vs. 4-5. What stands our to you?
Have you ever intentionally or unintentionally persecuted Jesus? Pray and ask for forgiveness.
What metaphors or key words stand out to you in this passage?
2 Corinthians 11:30-12:10 references verse 25. What glimpse does this give us for a reason “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name”?
Vs. 31 alters the refrain of the church multiplying with the addition of the phrase, “walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit”. How does this frame how we should think about God’s mission to grow his church?
What might you have to suffer to be a disciple of Jesus?
Acts 10
Scripture | Acts 10
Cornelius is not a Jew, but rather a “God fearer”. What good attributes of his can we seek to emulate?
Food and gentiles, clean and unclean, holy and common. There are a lot of complex associations here. Some help can come from these references.
What defiles a person? Matthew 15:10-20
Definitions - “In Old Testament thinking, there was the holy and the common. The holy was made common when it came into contact with something common, and could only be made holy again through a ritual cleansing. When something was made holy it was called consecration; when it was made common it was called desecration.” (David Guzik)
Food Laws - Leviticus 20:22-26, Deuteronomy 14:21
How this works today - Colossians 2:13-17
What is the role hospitality in missions? In what ways was radical hospitality shown?
What is the role of prayer in mission?
What is the relationship between the Holy Spirit and purity?
Acts 11
Scripture | Acts 11
How did Peter try to justify himself before the Lord? Does the Lord tempt us with sin? Read James 1:13
Peter remembers what Jesus said in vs. 16 and it gave him the confidence to baptize the gentiles. Read John 14:26. Have you ever had an experience like this? What did you hear?
This chapter shows the beginning of Paul’s ministry and transitions attention from the disciples to Paul. What did his early ministry look like?
What effect do you think a famine would have on the early church? Why is this important?
Acts 12
Scripture | Acts 12
James and Peter were called pillars of the church in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:9) and yet James was killed and Peter saved. What does this tell us about God?
Peter was told of the way he would die in John 21:18-20, Do you see any of these elements in vs. 6-10? What do you think gave Peter the peace to sleep before his trial?
What do you think the church was praying for at Mary’s house? What do you think this shows us about when and how we should pray?
Herod didn’t give praise to God. Spend some time praising God.
This is reminiscent of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar. Compare Herod’s response to Daniels (Daniel 2:22-27, 46-48) and King Nebuchadnezzar’s (Daniel 4:30-34).
Acts 13
Scripture | Acts 13
How did the early church go about sending people off? How can we do the same?
What can we learn about spiritual warfare from this chapter?
Diagram the sermon of Paul. What are the main points?
Read John 12:46-48. How does this compare with Paul’s rebuke in vs. 27?
Paul Quotes Habakkuk 1:5 in vs. 41. What is the context in Habakkuk? How is it similar or different?
What gave the disciples Joy in vs. 52 in the midst of opposition?
Acts 14
Scripture | Acts 14
What are the different ways you have seen the Gospel opposed so far in Acts?
Why is faith necessary in vs. 9? What is the relationship between miracles and faith?
Read Psalm 67. How does Paul use these ideas to persuade people to repent in vs. 17-18?
Read Vs. 22. How have you seen tribulations in Acts? Why are they necessary? What are trials in your life that would come if you were completely dedicated to following Jesus?
Acts 15
Scripture | Acts 15
The events recorded here are also found in Galatians 2:1-10. How are these similar? Read the rest of Galatians 2. These events took place after Acts 15.
Why do you think the requirements of Vs. 29 were chosen?
In vs. 35 we see Paul and Barnabas stay in Antioch to preach and teach and in 36 a desire to check up on other cities churches. Why do you think they prioritized strengthening these groups?
Acts 16
Scripture | Acts 16
In Vs. 3 Paul circumcised Timothy. This seems in contradiction to the last chapter. What do you think is the difference in these two circumstances?
Paul wanted to go to Asia but was sent to Macedonia. How does this inform how we should discern where to go on mission? What were Paul’s actions?
What was the fruit of Paul and company, obeying God’s call to Macedonia?
How did Paul and Silas handle their trials? What characteristics can we model?
What does this chapter tell us about baptism?
Acts 17
Scripture | Acts 17
How is Paul’s sermon in this chapter different than the one in Acts 15 or Peter’s in Acts 2? Why do you think this is?
How did Paul use cultural information to communicate the Gospel?
What did Paul commend from the Athenians? What did he condemn? What should we commend of condemn in our culture?
How did different people respond to Paul’s preaching? https://e3partners.org/4-responses-to-the-gospel/
Acts 19
Scripture | Acts 19
Acts 20
Scripture | Acts 20
Acts 21
Scripture | Acts 21
Acts 22
Scripture | Acts 22
Acts 23
Scripture | Acts 23
Acts 24
Scripture | Acts 24
Acts 25
Scripture | Acts 25
Acts 26
Scripture | Acts 26
Acts 27
Scripture | Acts 27
Acts 28
Scripture | Acts 28
Schedule
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