Horizon Church September Bible Reading Plan: You Will Receive Power - the Book of ActsSample

The Book of Acts, which continues the narrative that Luke began in his gospel, is especially important because it is the only biblical book that chronicles the church's history immediately after Jesus’s ascension. As such, it provides a valuable account of how the church grew and spread out from Jerusalem into the rest of the Roman Empire. In only three decades, a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, ending on a high note with Paul on the verge of taking the gospel to the highest government official in the land—the Emperor of Rome.

Acts can be neatly divided into two sections, the first dealing primarily with the ministry of Peter in Jerusalem and Samaria (Acts 1-12) and the second following Paul on his missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire (Acts 13-28). Acts is significant for chronicling the spread of the gospel, not only geographically but also culturally. It records the transition from taking the gospel to an exclusively Jewish audience—with Peter preaching to a small group in the Upper Room—to the gospel going out among the Gentiles, primarily under the ministry of the apostle Paul. The transition is best illustrated by Peter’s vision, in which he hears a voice telling him, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy” (10:15). This leads Peter to share the gospel with many Gentiles. The lesson? God wants His message of hope and salvation to extend to all people—“in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (1:8).

Why not grab a few friends or your Life Group and journey through this plan together?

To learn the context of Acts 1-12, watch this short video by the Bible Project below. It will help you gain a deeper understanding of what is happening in this book of the Bible.

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Scripture is God-breathed and true. When we memorise it, we carry the Word of God with us wherever we go. Over the course of this Bible study, we are memorising Acts 1:8.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

If you’ve never memorised Scripture before, reading it aloud several times can be good, breaking it down into smaller chunks. Write it down and carry it with you, repeating it throughout the day. Visualise the words, attaching meaning to them. Incorporate the verse into your prayers, letting it resonate in your spirit. Over time, these words will become buried in your heart, guiding and reminding you of His truth in moments of need.