God Gives Hope

06/17/2026

THE FINAL JOURNEY
A JOURNEY THROUGH ACTS
PART 4
Day 5

Armored Transport
Some men take a vow of starvation, stating they won’t eat or drink until they have killed Paul. They must have grown quite hungry as they waited for him, who instead was whisked away to another town after word of the vow leaked.

Read: Acts 23:12-35(NLT)

Explore the Theme: Paul is stuck in a situation where a religious dispute has landed him at the mercy of the local government authorities. He uses wisdom and tact to avoid an ambush. Is there anything God has brought to your attention lately that is calling for wisdom and tact? In what ways does God provide for Paul during this experience?

Ask God: Paul lived a life that garnered favor with both God and men. Take a moment to ask God what aspects of your life he is pleased with. Also examine any areas in your life that God is asking you to work on. What did God reveal?

Live it Out: From the exploration above, what practical steps can you take to grow in the areas God revealed? Write these down, and talk with a close friend or someone from your community group who can help encourage you along this growth path.

BIBLE VERSES:
Acts 23:12-35

06/17/2026

06/15/2026

THE FINAL JOURNEY
A JOURNEY THROUGH ACTS
PART 4
Day 3

Paul Utters the G-Word
Paul addresses his accusers in their own language, validating his position as an educated Jewish man. All seems to be going well until he utters a single cultural reference, inciting the crowd even further.

Read: Acts 21:35-22:23(NLT)

Explore the Theme: Paul was brought into the barracks right after he was beaten and persecuted. As he was taken away in chains, he asked the tribune if he could speak to the people. In order to get them to listen, he begins speaking to them in Hebrew, their native tongue. As the people listen, Paul begins sharing his testimony with them. How would you feel if someone whom you knew was so far from God was then being persecuted for God’s name? What does Paul’s testimony tell you about the power of Jesus?

Ask God: Is there an area of your life that you feel you are being persecuted for? What about an area of injustice? In the midst of persecution and injustice, how can you use that as an opportunity to point people to Jesus? Ask God to show you how you can use your circumstances to bring him Glory.

Live it Out: If the opportunity was presented for you to share your testimony, would you be prepared? Spend some time writing it out, or even better, share it with someone close to you so you can practice. Then, start praying for an opportunity to share what God has done in your life.

BIBLE VERSES:
ACTS 21:35-40
Acts 22:1-23

06/14/2026

THE FINAL JOURNEY
A JOURNEY THROUGH ACTS
Part 4
Day 2

Unfairly Accused
Paul and the leaders of the Church come to a mutual understanding about his ministry - specifically that he is not preaching against the traditional Jewish law, as early leadership feared. Paul takes steps to publicly show his alignment with Jewish customs, but not everyone is buying it, resulting in a violent mob.

Read: Acts 21:15-34 (NLT)

Explore the Theme: Jesus had come to fulfill the law and release the Jewish people from slavery to the letter of the law. But, the Jewish believers still seem to be hung up on the law and to ignore the fact that Jesus had erased the need for these customs and religious laws. What might have made these believers cling so tightly to the Law?

Paul knew it was no longer traditions and rules but it was grace and love that brought us near to God. What was it that made him give up his need for the law and to embrace the grace that Jesus brought?

Ask God: Where does your heart tend to gravitate? Where do you find that to be a struggle in your own God story? Do you place him in a box of religious acts that need to be performed in order to honor him or represent your ‘religion’? Or do you take advantage of his grace? Take a moment now to imagine yourself before Jesus. Share your answer with him. What would it look like to lean more on his grace as you approach him? What would it look like to take his grace more seriously? Ask him to help you navigate these spaces, as he once helped the early church.

Live it Out: Where do you stand when it comes to truths about rightly representing Jesus and the gospel? Large groups (and mobs!) can be intimidating - it can be easy to feel outnumbered and cave under the pressure of the crowd. Ask God to give you the boldness to stand with the right crowds and to give you wisdom as to how you can best honor him in what you are standing up for.

BIBLE VERSES:
ACTS 21:15-34

06/13/2026

THE FINAL JOURNEY
A JOURNEY THROUGH ACTS
PART 4
Day 1

The Final Journey.

As we’ve read through the book of Acts to this point, we’ve seen the birth of the early church, its scattering, and subsequent growth as a result.

The climax of this story may surprise you: Paul’s final journey - to house arrest in Rome.

As has been pointed out previously, the book of Acts reveals two story arcs: the human perspective and the God perspective. These two storylines run in parallel to one another and yet are strikingly different, revealing a tension that cannot be ignored: how do we interpret current circumstances within the lens of God’s perspective?

How is Paul ending up in prison the exciting climax of this story?

You’ll have to read to find out. And as you do, may the God-perspective reveal itself more and more as you read on.

May Paul’s final journey inspire you to use any and all circumstances for God’s glory, and may you find the incredible joy that comes as a result,

- Sandals Church

BIBLE VERSES:
ACTS 21:15

06/12/2026

GROWTH
A JOURNEY THROUGH ACTS
PART 3
Day 17

As you’ve read about the growth of the church, we trust you’ve observed some of the following themes: God asks us to be agile, to welcome surprises, and to live our faith out with boldness. We do this by establishing a strong community, learning grace and love for others, and trusting in God’s power as he works among his faithful.

This is but a small list of the themes in this section; undoubtedly you have experienced additional messages as you’ve journeyed through these passages.

We would encourage you to devote some time to writing down the main points that God has revealed to you during this “Growth” stage. What did he reveal about himself? About his church? Did anything stand out to you personally -- perhaps there were recurring action items that showed up in your “Live it Out” sections.

The best time to capture these “God-messages” is now -- while the passages are fresh in your mind. Commit to spending time in the next day or two to journal through these themes. Hang on to this journal, as we will add to it at the conclusion of each of the next three sections of this Bible Engagement Plan.

BIBLE VERSES:
ACTS 15:36