A healthy practice for believers is to regularly read the Book of Acts (along with the rest of Scripture)! With 28 chapters, Acts could be read monthly at a pace of one chapter a day. Or it could be read quarterly by reading 2-3 chapters a week, or almost twice a year by reading a chapter a week. You get the idea!
I say this is a healthy practice because Acts keeps before us the reality that our Lord Jesus Christ is STILL ACTIVE in building His church! Even now – by His Word, through His Spirit, with the participation of His people, and amid the pains of His providence – Jesus Christ is sovereignly working to gather, shepherd, and multiply His flock.
The question the Book of Acts continually holds before us is this: are we doing our part in the work Christ has for us today? Specifically, as we saw exemplified in Paul’s life and ministry last Lord’s Day (which is the focus of 17 of the 28 chapters of Acts), are we increasingly confident in the hope of the gospel, ambitious in the spread of the gospel, strengthened in the riches of the gospel, and faithful in the proclamation of the gospel?
The significance of these questions trickles down to the particular circumstances and opportunities of our daily lives. Men, women, young, old, single, married, etc. – we’re all in different situations. So particular points of application will look different for each of us. And this is part of God’s wise design in our life together as a local church, that we might encourage, provoke, pray for, and learn from one another as we seek to be faithful in the work of Christ among us.
Beloved, may you and I ever more fully embrace Paul’s resolved mindset:
“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24)
Because Christ lives, and is returning,
Greg