August 2010

ACTS STUDY WK1 Connect Group & Personal Study

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF ACTS:

In this study we will be looking at the writer of Acts (Luke) and the background and context of
when it was written, as well as the significance of it for us at Cross Central.
The Value of Perspective: he takes no pleasure in serving
Perspective, like punctuation, the Lord he is uncommonly
makes a vast difference in active in spreading hatred
meaning. Read through the among his friends he takes no
paragraph below without pride in helping to promote the
punctuation, and then put the cause of Christianity he has
appropriate full stops and never been careless in trying to
commas to change the mood of tear down the church he makes
the passage. no effort to overcome his evil
he is a young man yet passions he strives hard to build
experienced in vice and up Satan's kingdom he lends no
wickedness he is never found in aid to the support of the Gospel ~T.S. Eliot
opposing the works of sin he among heathen people he Someone said, "The dead
writers are remote from us
takes delight in the downfall of contributes largely to the devil because we know so much
his neighbors he never rejoices he will never go to heaven he more than they did." 
must go where he will receive Precisely, and they are
in the prosperity of his friends that which we know.
he is always ready to help in his just reward
destroying the peace of society
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 Just as punctuation is know what his purposes connect group that you
important to make sense of were. Knowing his aims can pray for during the
a story, so it is important to makes us better able to week.
understand the understand Acts.
background of any writing My Prayer:
to appreciate it's full 1. Why would Luke need to
meaning. write and orderly account?

TEXT: 2. What is the importance
Read Lk 1:1-4 & Acts of the book of Acts?
1:1-2
3. What are some things to
DISCUSSION think about when reading the
Luke began his book, book of Acts?
which we call the Acts, by
continuing his story where 4. What information did
he ended it in the Gospel. Luke want to convey to his Group Prayer:
His Gospel had described readers?
Jesus' work in Galilee,
Judea and especially REFLECTIONS THIS
Jerusalem. It ended, as WEEK: The importance of
did the other three having background and
Gospels, with Jesus' context when reading and
death and resurrection. studying God's Word. How
Acts continues the has this study helped you
story. It describes the in better understanding
growth of the church and the book of Acts as we
the spread of the gospel begin our "Unstoppable"
from Jerusalem to series?
important cities of the
Roman Empire, and then PRAYER FOR THE WEEK:
Rome itself. Luke was one Write a personal prayer
of the few writers to from this study, as well as
explain why he wrote his any prayer requests from
works, and this helps us to other members of the

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