ACTS FACT SHEET
Author: Luke

Cultural Context: The events described in Acts take place in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the surrounding occupied lands of the Greco-Roman empire as well as Asia minor during the 1st century between 30-60 CE. Acts was likely composed between 60 and 90 CE.

Book Structure:
Part 1 – Acts 1: Jesus’ commission
Part 2 – Acts 2-7: Pentecost and the birth of the Church
Part 3 – Acts 8-12: Life within the Jesus movement
Part 4 – Acts 13-20: Recount the mission of the ChurchPart 5 – Acts 31-28: Paul’s arrest
Part 5 – Acts 31-28: Paul’s arrest

Summary: The book of Acts is considered to be volume two of a two-part work known today as Luke-Acts. In the Bible, both the book of Luke and the book of Acts were written by Luke, an apostle of Jesus. Acts gives an account of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the early church, and how the message of Jesus began to spread around the world.

Acts begins with Jesus’ last 40 days on earth after His resurrection. His focus was to teach the disciples about the Kingdom of God on earth. He commissioned them to spread His message to Jerusalem, neighboring regions Judea and Samaria, and then to the rest of the nations. While Jesus’ time on earth was about to come to an end, He reminded them that the Holy Spirit would be with them soon.

On the day of Pentecost, 10 days after Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples. Acts 2:2-4 says, “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” After receiving the Holy Spirit, they were empowered to preach the message of Jesus with boldness and many people were saved. This marks the birth of the early church – the gathering of believers. Even today, when we choose to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It’s through the Holy Spirit that Jesus guides, empowers, and transforms us.

Through the rest of the book of Acts, Jesus’ disciples do exactly what Jesus instructed. They began preaching and teaching in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, and then to the rest of the nations and the ends of the earth. The book of Acts recounts the disciples’ experiences and the persecution they faced, the characteristics and growth of the early church, and the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies. While church today looks different than the early church, there are key themes from the book of Acts that hold true for us in modern culture.
Acts: The Way of Life
More than a building, the church is the group of believers who are committed to following the way of Jesus. We stand on the shoulders of the early church, walking the path they established long ago. This collection journeys through the Book of Acts, unpacking what it means to share the Good News, establish community, and follow the way of Jesus in modern culture.

Learn

Dive into weekly sermons and take time to reflect on what you're learning.

SERMON: MATURE CHURCH

When You Love Jesus, But Not The Church

The Church was not our idea, it is God’s plan.

The church is not a building — it’s the body of believers who are committed to following Jesus and sharing His message. Not only does God call us to maturity as individuals, but to maturity as the church. What does a mature church look like? Instead of walking in the dark, we can be sure of our next step, walking convinced, connected, and commissioned. Tune in as we kick off a new collection of talks called "Mature Church" with Pastor Dakota Duron's message, "When You Love Jesus but Not the Church."

SERMON: MATURE CHURCH

Today Could Be The Day

A mature church understands that both life and God move suddenly.

We often believe that God is slow, but when God is ready to move, He moves quickly. A mature church understands that waiting for God means we obey, prepare, and pursue Jesus. Tune in as Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. continues this collection with his message, "Today Could Be the Day."

SERMON: MATURE CHURCH

Sustaining the Spirit

If we're going to mature, we have to be devoted. The early church's devotion to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer is the same devotion we should hold today.

Lean in as we continue our collection of talks "Mature Church" with Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr.'s message, "Sustaining the Spirit."

SERMON: MATURE CHURCH

Out of The Upper Room

One of the boldest prayers we can pray is for God to lead us out of the upper room and into the world. As culture tells us to go against God’s word, we are charged to stand firm and speak boldly. If the world is loud about sin, hate, and revenge, the Church must be loud about salvation, love, and forgiveness. The world is in need of what we have – all we need to do is extend our hands and expect a miracle.

SERMON: MATURE CHURCH

Divine Subtraction

It’s wise to learn from experiences; it’s wiser to learn from the experiences of others. As we continue to study the early church, we discover that God removes what we think we need so He can reveal what we actually need. Divine subtraction makes way for correction, protection, and reflection in our lives.

SERMON: MATURE CHURCH

Take A Stand

All throughout our lives, there are moments in life when we take a stand. When our favorite team scores, when we sing along with our favorite artist at a concert, when our political views are shared – we often stand in agreement to show our support. As we continue to study the book of Acts, Stephen’s life is a picture of what it looks like to take a stand. As the first Christian martyr, he was willing to lay down his life for the Gospel. As followers of Jesus, there are moments when we, too, take a stand all alone for His sake.

SERMON: MATURE CHURCH

What You Got Going Big?

Do you ever feel small and insignificant? In a world that views success as bigger and better, it’s easy to feel like we don’t measure up. But God’s measure of success isn’t more — it’s obedience. Tune in to Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr.'s latest message, "What You Got Going Big?" as we study the early church. For Philip and the eunuch, one small moment of obedience on a desert road led to the Gospel spreading through an entire continent. The people who are willing to do something small are often the ones who accomplish something big.

SERMON: MATURE CHURCH

The Evidence of an Encounter

Have you ever experienced a moment that changed your life? On the road to Damascus, a man named Saul, who was known for persecuting Christians, had a radical encounter with Jesus. He said, “...as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me.” In one moment, Saul’s life was changed and he became Paul. He went from a murderer to a powerful preacher and wrote nearly half of the New Testament. His life became evidence of his encounter with light.

SERMON: MATURE CHURCH

Unexpected Favor

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Maybe it was a surprise party, a thoughtful note, or an exciting trip. Whatever comes to mind, the gift was likely an unexpected and undeserved surprise. The same is true about God’s grace. Grace means unmerited favor — we don’t deserve it, and we can’t earn it, but God freely gives it. Grace is not a principle, it’s a person, and His name is Jesus.

SERMON: MATURE CHURCH

When Things Don't Make Sense

It goes without saying that life is full of highs and lows. If we aren’t careful, navigating challenges can leave us feeling like life is unfair. But in the middle of the chaos is always a silver lining — just because our circumstances might be bad doesn’t mean God is not good. Every challenge is an opportunity to walk by faith and not by sight.

SERMON: MATURE CHURCH

The Heart of the Father

Success isn't measured by if we fall, it's measured by if we get up. Tune in for a special Father’s Day message as Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. sits down with his dad, Pastor Rich Wilkerson Sr., for a conversation around life, faith, and lessons along the way.

SERMON: MATURE CHURCH

Worship Works

Worship is a weapon in our hands, but any weapon is rendered useless if we don’t access the power it carries. In an instant, worship can usher God’s presence and power into our lives, breaking our chains and setting us free. We don’t have to stay bound to our problems – our freedom might just be on the other side of our praise.

SERMON: MATURE CHURCH

How Do We Overcome?

When we walk through a challenging situation, it’s easy to wonder how we’ll ever overcome it. The truth is that our testimony is powerful proof that we’ve already overcome. In our last talk of the Mature Church collection, Pastor Nick Del Vento explores the question, “How Do We Overcome?”

Study

READING

Breakdown of Acts

Acts 1

Jesus Commissions His Disciples and Ascends to Heaven

Jesus’ final 40 days

What was his promise to us?

What were the last words of Jesus to his followers? What are his words to us?

Acts 2-7

Pentecost in Jerusalem and the Birth of the Church

How to hear from the Holy Spirit

How to live by the Spirit

The new covenant

Acts 8-12

The Jesus Community Becomes an International Movement

Making disciples

How to evangelize/share our faith

What does it mean to be part of the capital C church?

Acts 13-20

Mission to Israel and Clashes with Roman Culture

Living in exile (we are part of a different kingdom)

On earth as it is in heaven. What does it look like to suffer well / represent the kingdom of heaven in this world?

Acts 21-28

Paul Arrested in Jerusalem and Imprisoned in Rome

Living for eternity

Standing firm

Finding peace in chaos through the Holy Spirit

How to pray for our world

How To Study The Bible

Schedule your reading

Set aside a time and a place to meditate on God’s word. Create a distraction free environment to dive deeper into the scripture.

Pray before you read

Ask God to reveal his truths as you read. Pray for discernment and understanding.

Read with a friend

Read with someone that will hold you accountable to your daily reading. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."

Read with a Bible concordance + commentary

A Bible concordance is a list of Biblical words sorted alphabetically, with any scriptures that include that word. Commentary Bibles allow us to gain a Bible scholar’s perspective on the scripture you are reading.

Excercise

SOAP Method

Scripture

Open your Bible to your reading for the day. Take time to read and allow God to speak to you. When you are done, look for a verse that stood out to you and write it in your journal.

Observation

What do you feel God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you.

Application

Personalize what you have read by asking how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it’s instruction, encouragement, a new promise, or correction for a particular area of your life.

Prayer

Ask God to help you understand this scripture and how to apply it to your life. Ask for greater insight into what God might be revealing to you. Remember that prayer is a two-way conversation with God, so take time to listen to what God wants to say to you. Write down what you hear and experience.

Scripture

Psalm 23:4

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Scripture

Psalm 34:18

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

Scripture

Isaiah 1:18

“ ‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ ” says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool’ ”

Scripture

Romans 8:1

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit”

Scripture

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Scripture

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Scripture

Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

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A Guided Prayer Journey