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Because Christ is the True Shepherd, He can convert people like Saul. 1. Christ changed Saul from sinner to believer. (v.1-9) 2. Christ commanded the welcome of Saul. (v.10-16) 3. Christ did more than convert Saul, but then also called him as apostle. (v.17-19) What is God able to do? What can God show a person? Psalm 16:11 How much is God capable of accomplishing? Eph. 3:20 What is the OT vision of the NT church? Isaiah 11:6

By praying "Your will be done," we are aligning ourselves to become settled and pleased with whatever manner our loving Father has decided that it is best to bless us, and we desire to attain full acceptance and genuine thankfulness. 1. Jesus taught that our Father guides us through prayer – so that prayer is a large part of discovering God's will for us. (v.10b) 2. Jesus showed us by His own example that our Father guides us through both prayer and through His Word. (v.10b) 3. What helps us to keep on accepting God's will, whenever it is difficult for us to embrace, is to keep on speaking to our Father about it, and to keep aligning our attitudes to become more grateful and more welcoming toward the wisdom of our Father's will and His timing. (v.10b) How can we unpack and understand this petition? What did OT saint see only dimly and far off, and we profess? Rm. 8:15. Why are prayer and Bible reading to be kept together? Dt. 29:29 Where did Jesus learn about the will of His Father? Dt. 8:3, 6:16, 6:13

We are called to follow the strategy of God – to spread the news of Christ like wildfire. Step one: Revealing. Christ begins calling a person to faith, and sends someone to proclaim the gospel to him. Step two: Reviving. Christ is proclaimed to that person, he believes, comes alive, and is baptized. Step three: Rejoicing. The new Christian rejoices, while God calls the evangelist to keep working. Where do we fit in? Who sets out the strategy for our lives? Genesis 12:1,4. Which persons are excluded? Isaiah 56:3-7. How are we all linked in? Matthew 5:16 and 28:18-20.

Jesus taught us to pray for God's reign over all things. 1. The history of two kingdoms clashing. 2. The uniqueness of God's kingdom reign. a. The plan for God's reign. b. The purpose for God's reign. c. The increase of God's reign. 3. We remember three things as we pray "Thy Kingdom Come." a. This is a request that we are to make, not an action we can do. b. Kingdom reigning and ruling belongs to God. c. There is an aspect of the reign of God that has not yet come! What does this petition truly mean? 1. How did Jesus rebuke the Pharisees? Matthew 12:28 2. What two kings appear in Matthew's 2nd chapter? Mt. 2:1-11 3. Where else is the kingdom of God? Luke 17:21, Isaiah 57:15

Christ paid the price to give us the free gifts of joy and power. 1. Christ's free gift of great joy. (v.1-8) 2. Christ's free gift of Spiritual power cannot be bought. (v.9-20) 3. Without Christ's gift: a heart not right, full of bitterness, captive to sin (v.21-25). Receiving Christ's Gifts: What is the explanation for such joy? Philippians 4:7 How can we test for true spiritual power? 1 John 4:1-6 From what were we lifted? Colossians 1:13-14

1. Know that God is Light. (v.5) 2. Don't pretend, live honestly before God. (vv.6-7) 3. Don't deny, deal honestly with sin. (vv. 8-10)

1. Life Begins with Jesus. (v.1-2) 2. Our Message Begins with Jesus. (v.2-3) 3. Fellowship Begins with Jesus. (v.3) 4. Joy Begins with Jesus (v.4)

Jesus taught us what to pray first. 1. We make God's name central. 2. We consider the honoring of God's name to be our priority. 3. We remember that we bear God's name – Christian. To know the Son is to know the Father. (Baptized into the name of…) What is to be our priority prayer? 1. What is central to our lives; the main thing? Philippians 4:8 2. What is first in our prayers; how do we begin? Psalm 143:8 3. How should we live, since we bear the name of God? John 14:13

The Son of Man revealed His glory in the witnessing of Stephen. 1. Christ revealed His glorious judgment in Stephen's cutting evaluation of the crowds. (v.54-55) 2. Christ revealed His glorious reign by filling Stephen with His Spirit to enable him to see God and to die well. (v.56-59) 3. Christ revealed His glorious mercy through Stephen's prayer for his killers to be forgiven. (v.60) Applying to Christians: What impact did this event have on Saul/Paul? Acts 22:20 What promise stands before us (and Stephen)? 1 Thess. 4:14 How does the Son of Man affect our prayers? Daniel 7:13-14