B-Team Bible Study

It's the Wild West, y'all, and Paul asks for a double helping. Also an antidote for micro-management.

Scholars get it wrong, flyover country gets it right, and Sir William Ramsey gets an education. *** NIV Application Commentary on Acts by Ajith Fernando

God makes good on ancient promises in Paul's first (and longest) speech in Acts.  

Does God have a “love language?” Also, don't forget to call your mother on her birthday. And maybe do one better. ***** Map of Paul's First Missionary Journey: https://www.conformingtojesus.com/images/webpages/pauls_first_missionary_journey1.jpg How to pronounce "Salamis" in case you're wondering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttwl_ZGFsFc

God's power and divine discretion. Why are some prayers answered and not others? Plus "pro tips" for mentors.

The good guys win! Listen in as the church bends its understanding toward truth once again, the kind of truth that delights the heart. Also we talk about private parts.

Peter crosses a threshold and the world changes. Who is your Peter? What threshold might you be willing to cross to share the thrill of hope in Jesus?

Law and dis-order as God stretches Peter's imagination to what is possible. *** Rachel Held Evans, "A Year of Biblical Womanhood" https://rachelheldevans.com/biblical-womanhood

Supporting characters carrying the narrative, and other things millennials can learn to get behind.

Because we can't get enough miracles: Philip and a traveler have a total "God moment" on a desert road, shame gremlins are kicked to the curb, and the Gospel goes global.

What do Harry Potter and Acts 8 have in common? Magic, mud bloods, and miracles.

It's all about the narrative, then and now. Stephen rehashes the history of Israel before the Sanhedrin and pays for it.

Racism, power dynamics, and leadership lessons. Is this the 1st or 21st century? Check out how the early church models a way forward.

Peter manages to wholly offend in just three sentences, Gamaliel drops some wisdom on the council, the apostles get a whoopin,' and modern readers' jaws hit the floor as Jesus flips the idea of honor upside-down.

Why keeping up with the Joneses can elicit a spontaneous execution, why this might (??) be an act of grace, and how God's love and healing power continues to show up for the “nobodies.” *** Please forgive the mic glitches; still learning a lot on this whole recording/production thing!

Big time prayers, God going first, Barnabas making it rain dolla billz, and three ideas for elevating bible time in our week. *** Cornerstone Biblical Commentary on Luke-Acts: https://www.logos.com/product/6265/cornerstone-biblical-commentary-luke-acts The Bible App: https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/ Blue Letter Bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org (also available as an app)

Listen in on an ancient closed-door meeting as the keepers of power wrestle with how to respond to a (perceived) major threat.  How is this dead guy, Jesus, still healing people?! *** Killing a Messiah by Dr. Adam Winn Dustin Hatfield's blog: The Scattered Mystic Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, thank you! 

A man born crippled gets to walk for the first time. Peter drops some knowledge, again. The crowd is beyond curious. Just a day in the life of an apostle. Where has your poverty been a springboard for sharing the Good News?

The church begins and it's a total honeymoon. Is this a roadmap for the church in all times and places? Or descriptive of how things got started? Which of these practices stirs your heart, or turns you off? What might that reaction mean? Armchair therapy brought to you by the B-Team Bible Study.

The first evangelistic sermon of the New Testament and the church grows 2,500% in one day. Also, the radical risk of withholding forgiveness.

The long-anticipated gift arrives: Holy Spirit is unleashed at perhaps the most opportune moment. Can we trust the God of perfect timing? The God of abundance? Can we be a people who do our work, yes, but also rest in the experience of being beloved?

Hello, Mr. Christ. Walk on water lately?

Wait, what?! Peter already has the Holy Spirit (!) so we get a preview of what is to come: inspired reading, devotion to prayer, fulfillment of prophecy, and God's guidance as the early church holds its first board meeting.

The trinity, original sin, praying to avoid pain and suffering and who is the Holy Spirit to you?

Learn about the different kinds of translations out there, their pros and cons, and why having a few different ones is a great idea.

Consider the cosmic consequences of the radical act of repentance. ***** Link to: The Science of Crucifixion Link to: Jesus Fulfills the Prophecies Link to: Join an Acts discussion group

Meet the host of B-Team Bible Study and dig into the first two verses of Acts. ***** Bible rec: NIV Life Application Study Bible on Amazon Bible rec: HCBS Study Bible at Half-Price Books “Introduction to Acts.” The Gospel of Luke & Acts, by William J. Larkin, Tyndale House Publishers, 2006, p. 351. Article by Dr. James Boice re: Emmaus travelers