Reflect on the fact that James, a disciple of Jesus and brother of John, was executed at the hand of King Herod, while Peter, another disciple, would miraculously be set free. Did God display greater love to Peter than to James? Many believers find it easier to acknowledge God’s sovereignty when His will aligns with...

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Neither angels nor an empty tomb were enough for Mary. She still assumed that Jesus’ body had been stolen (vv. 2,13). Dead or alive, she wanted to be near her Savior but did not know where His body lay. Though she was slow to believe in the resurrection, her allegiance to Jesus was nevertheless steadfast....

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Known as the “Hall of Faith,” Hebrews 11 reminds us of men and women throughout Old Testament history who walked with God in faith. In particular, the chapter speaks of their faith being evident in what these heroes did on the basis of what they believed. Their actions demonstrated their faith. Abraham is one of...

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Some years ago, the television show Touched by an Angel was quite popular. The show featured an angel in human form who visited people and offered them hope, healing, and other blessings and lessons. Its popularity evidenced our craving for hope in a hurting world, but it also reflected our fascination with heavenly messengers. The...

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Jesus promised that the world would hate us because it hated Him (John 15:18-20). Paul told Timothy that “all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). The early Christians in Jerusalem experienced this kind of suffering firsthand. After Stephen’s martyrdom, most of the Christians left Jerusalem...

The post “The Church United”: Weekly Leader Training—Unit 31, Session 2: The Church Is Sent to Encourage New Believers appeared first on The Gospel Project.

After reading Acts 11, you may wonder why Luke would retell the same account of Peter at Cornelius’s house from the previous chapter. Peter recounted his vision, and later the Gentiles’ conversion and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them, to the Jews in Jerusalem because they did not expect God to save the...

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Paul loved the Corinthian church. He had invested a year and a half in Corinth to preach and teach them the gospel. He labored like a father to provide for their spiritual needs so they would grow in faith and godliness. But then they turned on him. They chose to listen to some smooth-talkers who...

The post “The Mission Begins”: Weekly Leader Training—Unit 30, Session 4: Holding Fast to the Gospel of Jesus appeared first on The Gospel Project.

Jesus taught His disciples that where your treasure is, there is your heart also (Matt. 6:21). He said this in the Sermon on the Mount as He taught about how disciples should not worry but trust the Lord to provide for their needs. Rather than worry about food or clothing, seek first God’s kingdom and...

The post “The Mission Begins”: Weekly Leader Training—Unit 30, Session 3: Experiencing New Identity in the Gospel of Jesus appeared first on The Gospel Project.

God can change you. I know what you’re thinking: You don’t know me. You have no idea how far from God I am. That may be true. I probably don’t know you. What I do know is that no one is beyond the reach of our Lord. Your rebellion should one day fall exhausted at...

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Imagine Philip’s surprise at finding a seemingly random stranger on a desert road reading from a scroll of Isaiah about a prophecy of the coming Messiah. Yet God orchestrated this meeting and its particulars just as they are described in Acts 8:26-40. God has given His Word to this world, and He sends it out...

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