These two chapters track a roundtrip journey of 1400 miles in which God causes the -good news- -13-32- 14-15- to spread internationally. Acts 13-14 teach us that the first international advance of the church was all by God's grace. Luke stresses that it was all about grace three times and in three different ways.

Joe explains that Acts 12-24 emphasizes the main point of this chapter as well as the entire history that Luke recorded. This chapter especially highlights that because God is the great king who possesses glory and power, believers should pray, rest, and trust. And unbelievers should turn from seeking their own glory and power.

After demonstrating that everyone is a theologian, Greg seeks to help everyone in the church see that -you need good theology because your every-day life depends on it.- Greg explores eight of the wonderful riches that belong to all true Christians, whether they realize it or not.

The main point of this account is that Cornelius got saved. God saved a Gentile who personally trusted the Jewish Messiah, and that Gentile didn-t have to become a Jew. What Peter emphasized in 10-34 is that God shows no favoritism-no partiality or prejudice. Joe applies this truth in two ways-first, to Christians personally- second, to the church corporately.

Luke-s point is that Christ is using everything to advance the church, whether it-s Saul-s cruelty or Saul-s conversion. The gospel will advance. But the distinctive point of Acts 9 is that the gospel will invincibly advance because it has power to change-to convert-its hardest opponent. In exploring Saul-s conversion, Joe answers five questions- -1- Was Saul actually converted- -2- Why did Saul need to be converted- -3- Should everyone be converted like Saul- -4- How did Saul convert- -5- What changed after his conversion-

Luke's intention in Acts 8 is to show that the gospel breaks barriers of ethnic prejudice -8-9-25- and barriers of religious exclusion -8-26-40-. Joe applies the message to both non-Christians and Christians.

From Stephen's defense in Acts 7, Joe explains in detail why the gospel spread from Jerusalem and why it had to spread from Jerusalem.

From this text, Joe demonstrates that Jesus values personal integrity in his church--that integrity -genuine and pure love- is more important than giving, than reputation, than marriage, and even than life itself. Further, integrity is attractive to non-Christians.

Joe teaches how to endure in following Christ by putting off hindrances and by looking to Jesus as the Christian's Example of faith, Object of faith, and Reward of faith.

Every human images God both in who we are and what we do. We were created to image God, we're broken image-bearers -but image-bearers nonetheless- since the Fall, and Jesus is progressively restoring humans that follow him to be perfect and sinless image bearers once again--a work that will be completed when we stand before him. Joe ends by teaching the biblical foundation for accurate self-esteem.