Dig In:
Passage: Acts 4
Dig Deeper:
Chapter Summary
v1-4 - Peter's sermon in ch. 3 resulted in about 2,000 more people who believed in Jesus, in addition to the 3,000 who believed as a result of the sermon in ch. 2. This large group of people, along with the recent miraculous healing, gets the attention of the establishment. Sensing the threat, they throw Peter & John in prison.
v5-14 - Peter answers the accusations boldy because he's empowered by the Holy Spirit (v8). Peter's closing statement makes an awesome memory verse: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to man by which we must be saved (v12). The establishment is amazed that Peter & John are just ordinary guys, but 'they took note that these men had been with Jesus (v13).' Do you think people take note of that in your life?
v15-22 - The establishment attempts to cancel Peter & John by prohibiting them from preaching Christ. Peter replies that he'll be listening to God, not the establishment.
v23-31 - The new believers get together to pray, and guess what? They pray a short, AAA prayer (Acknowledge who God is / Align your life with His will / Ask for what you need) like we've been learning to!
v32-37 - The tight knit community of the early Church is described.
Old Testament References - Add even more value to your daily Bible reading by reading a related passage from the Old Testament
Psalm 2 - notice all of the ways this Psalm points forward to Jesus
Discuss:
Use the comment box below to discuss one or more of these questions. For every comment or reply you post, you will receive an entry for this month's prize.
What does it mean when we close our prayers with the phrase "In Jesus' name I pray...?" (v7, 10, 12)
Describe how the prayer in v24-30 fits the AAA pattern. Is there anything else about this prayer that stands out to you?
Follow the AAA Prayer Pattern:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our sovereign Lord, who raised Jesus from the dead (v24, 10)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for God's strength so that you can listen to Him, and not the establishment (v19)
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
End your prayer with the phrase "In Jesus' name, Amen."
Watch the week 2 video - The REAL God sermon series
