Today With Jesus

Acts 16 introduces us to three individuals, one of whom was shown to Paul in a vision and two whom Paul met in his life. What they all had in common was that they had a need that only Jesus could meet.

When the Christians who were Pharisees adopted a “Jesus plus” approach to how one will be saved, the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem learned that Jesus is all one needs to be forgiven of sins. Today, Jesus continues to be the focus of our faith and the key to our confidence!

Acts fourteen reveals a lot about Paul’s character and motivation. As Dan and Robert walk through the chapter, they notice how Jesus made Paul who he was meant to be.

For season 7, we will continue our emphasis on “The Jesus They Knew” (begun in season 6), focusing on the movements of the early church in Acts, particularly the apostles. Consider that men like Peter (on whom the first twelve chapters of Acts focuses) personally knew Jesus! That observation gives us incredible insight as we carefully read Peter’s sermons (and the messages preached by others).   Coming to Acts 13, the focus shifts away from Peter and onto Saul (who, from this chapter forward is called Paul). So what did Jesus mean to Paul? Just how much of an impact did Jesus have on the life of a man who used to persecute those who followed Jesus?   This will be the emphasis of the majority of our upcoming season, but we begin to grasp the answer in Paul’s first recorded sermon here in Acts 13. Paul thought of Jesus as God’s promise to him and to us!

Two miraculous experiences involving angels captivate our attention as we read Acts chapter twelve, yet the focus is on Jesus, who dispatched those angels! What do we learn about “the Jesus they knew” from this passage? Find out as Dan and Robert discuss Acts 12:20-25 in the season 6 finale of “Today With Jesus.”

In Acts 12 the first of the Twelve is martyred: James, the son of Zebedee (John’s brother). Peter is imprisoned, presumably to be killed, as well. But outside the prison, in the home of Mary the mother of John Mark, the church is gathered to pray. The answer to their prayer tells us something about “the Jesus they knew” — He is the the Commander of God’s heavenly host!

The grace of God through Jesus motivates God’s people to cheerfully give to others. This is an observation we can make from Acts 11:27-30 that can be further fleshed out by a study of 2 Corinthians 8-9.

When Barnabas arrived in Antioch, he “saw the grace of God” in the new Christians there. This is the impact of their being converted to Jesus, who himself is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Join Dan and Robert as they dive into the look of grace on this episode of Today With Jesus.

Most of Acts chapter ten leads up to the conversion of Cornelius and his household. The inspired narrative walks us through Peter’s maturing understanding that the gospel has a worldwide appeal. By application we see that Jesus truly is Lord of all!

Acts chapter nine describes three relatively obscure individuals from three obscure locations. Look at what Jesus meant to them!