Swat Bible Study

This week, we see how God anchors us through the storms of life with 1) His Presence in our Life, 2) His Purpose for our Life, 3) His Provision for our Life, and finally, His Proven Reliability through His Fulfilled Word. We saw God use Paul, as a prisoner, to lead over 276 people to have hope, in a hopeless situation. Over a 2 and ½ month period, God changed the minds of the people on the ship from disregarding Paul to respecting and honoring him. They all escaped safely despite an awful situation- 276 people jumped into the water, in a hurricane, from a shipwreck, and ALL made it safely to shore. God’s Word was fulfilled. God used and uses predictive prophecy to establish Divine Authority. God says it’ll happen, then it happens, and proves that God is who He claims to be and His Word can be trusted!!

In this week's study, we will look at Ch. 26 vs 19-32 and will see how God refocuses Paul’s passion from personal ambition to Kingdom service. He illustrates in Paul that an authentic response to the Gospel produces a changed life and a life that doesn’t make sense to those outside of the Kingdom. Paul no longer follows His version of God's Truth, but Yahweh's Truth

God again shares Paul's testimony of how a life can be changed. This is the third time Paul's conversion experience is shared, this time in front of King Agrippa and Bernice.

In Acts 25 and we see a Contrast in Worldviews and how God contrasts the selfish pursuits of Festus and Agrippa with the selfless sacrifice of the Apostle Paul.

God reveals in great detail His care for us with His commitment to 1) The Declaration of the Gospel, and 2) The Development of Godly Character. Paul makes his defense before Felix and Luke points out that there was no evidence that Paul did anything except preach Jesus was resurrected!!

After Paul is brought before the Sanhedrin and taken back to the barracks, again protected by the Romans, Jesus appears to Paul and tells him to not worry, be strong, he will testify about Him in Rome. The next day, A plot to kill Paul is exposed and the Romans escort Paul under heavy guard to Caeserea to stand trial before Felix, the Governor. Again, we also see a God who cares by orchestrating all the details to protect His servant and continue to fulfill HIs plan to use Paul for His glory!!

Paul is brought before an informal gathering of the Sanhedrin, the spiritual and civil ruling body in Israel. He is struck in the mouth at the order of the High Priest and loses his temper, but quickly repents. We see his humanity on display as he continues to be a witness for the resurrection and God's ambassador in chains. We also see a God who cares by strengthening him after a discouraging few days.

Paul is arrested because the Jews from Asia who were in Jerusalem for Pentecost stirred up a riot to try and hurt Paul. They wanted to kill him. However, God used the Roman soldiers to protect Paul and give him a chance to share why HE WAS DIFFERENT now! Paul continues sharing his story and how his life was different after meeting Jesus.

Paul is arrested because the Jews from Asia who were in Jerusalem for Pentecost stirred up a riot to try and hurt Paul. They wanted to kill him. However, God used the Roman soldiers to protect Paul and give him a chance to share why HE WAS DIFFERENT now! Paul shares his life before knowing Jesus and how Jesus rescued him.

Paul arrives in Jerusalem for his last celebration of Pentecost as a free man. He is greeted by James and the elders of the church there and gives a report about all that God has done among the Gentiles. Unbelieving Jews from Ephesus stir up the crowd with lies and Paul is arrested, but through it all, he shows a trust in God's unfolding plan and a humility that comes from a man surrendered to the one true living God!

Paul is enroute to Jerusalem for Pentecost, knowing this will be the last time he sees many of his fellow believers as he stops along the way. He also knows suffering and persecution await him, yet HE PRESSES ON!

Paul's ministry in Ephesus winding down. He is traveling back to Jerusalem and stops in Miletus, calls the elders from Ephesus for some final words of encouragement and challenges them to be the leaders God has called them to be! God uses Paul to raise up a new generation of leaders and the Gospel continues to have impact and spread Westward!

Paul's ministry in Ephesus is starting to wind down. He is traveling back to Jerusalem and stops in Miletus, calls the elders from Ephesus for some final words of encouragement and challenges them to be the leaders God has called them to be! God uses Paul to raise up a new generation of leaders and the Gospel continues to have impact and spread Westward!

Paul's ministry in Ephesus is starting to wind down. He is traveling back to Jerusalem and stops in Miletus, calls the elders from Ephesus for some final words of encouragement and challenges them to be the leaders God has called them to be! God uses Paul to raise up a new generation of leaders and the Gospel continues to have impact and spread Westward!

After a Christmas break, we jump back into Acts and see Paul's ministry in Ephesus starting to wind down. He says his goodbyes, grabs some young disciples, and heads to Troas to meet with believers there and also perform his last miracle. God authenticates His messenger and the Gospel continues to have impact and spread Westward!

This week, we see Paul's ministry in Ephesus having a significant impact. So much so, that the idol makers persecuted Paul and his companions because of their loss of profits. People turned from idols to the living God! We also see God use the town clerk to intervene for Paul and his companions and break up the mob. The Gospel continues to have impact and spread Westward!

This week, Paul goes into Ephesus and has 12 disciples of John the Baptist that have never heard of the Holy Spirit. They were not believers in Jesus even though John pointed his followers to Jesus. We see Paul digging down deep with these men and spending a lot of time in Ephesus to make sure the Gospel continues to penetrate the Western culture. Also, we see what happens when you try and invoke Jesus name without His authority. Join us to see what this text can teach us about discipleship.

This week, we are introduced to Apollos, the first post-Apostolic itinerant preacher. We also see how as the Gospel spread Westward, there were gaps that needed to be addressed. David Gray fills in for Doug this week and the Gospel continues to have an impact in the heavily Greek influenced Europe as God continues to unfold His plan! Join us to see what principles we can learn from this great text.

This week, we see the enemy try to stop the Gospel from impacting the people in Corinth by having Paul brought up on charges in from tof Gallio, but God intervenes again and Gallio actually authenticates Paul's work and tells the accusers to leave. We also see Sosthenes, Crispus' replacement at the synagogue get beaten and ultimately come to faith in Jesus! The Gospel continues to have an impact in the heavily Greek influenced Europe as God continues to unfold His plan! Join us to see what principles we can learn from this great text.

This week, we see Paul heading to Corinth, a cesspool of sexual perversion. He leaves Athens alone after seeing only a couple of converts and now goes into Corinth discouraged and troubled. But God...intervenes and brings him encouragement through Divine appointments, affirmations, alternatives, and displaying His Divine Authority. The Gospel continues to have an impact in the heavily Greek influenced Europe as God continues to unfold His plan! Join us to see what principles we can learn from this great text.