Those Were The Days: The Book Of Acts: Recent Episodes
Calvary Hanford
A study through the New Testament book of Acts with Gene Pensiero Jr. of Calvary Hanford. In this series titled "Those Were The Days" we learn about the beginning of the Church and how God continues to lead His people in powerful ways throughout the world today.
From the first day of the church of Philippi’s existence, they partnered together in the Gospel and worked out their salvation as a family of faith.
Acts 16:11-15, 40
Gene Pensiero Jr.
Find audio, video, and text of this study in the New Testament book of Acts at calvaryhanford.com/wecanworkitout
Find dozens of other Calvary Hanford podcasts at calvaryhanford.com/podcasts
In Acts 20, Paul meets with the Ephesian disciples to encourage them and say goodbye before he leaves for Macedonia.
Gene Pensiero Jr.
Find audio, video, and text of this whole series in the New Testament book of Ephesians at https://calvaryhanford.com/theplanallalong
Find dozens of other Calvary Hanford podcasts at calvaryhanford.com/podcasts
In the final scene of Acts, Paul teaches a sermon to a group of assembled Jews about salvation, the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of His Kingdom. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Luke ends the incredible saga of Acts with some very routine, regular accounts of Paul’s time in Rome. How does that encourage those of us who are continuing the story of God’s work through His church? (Gene Pensiero Jr)
God sends Paul and his friends to Malta, where Paul is bit by a snake. Should we become snake handlers? How do we live as servants in the will of God? (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Brought along on a doomed crossing, Paul and his friends prove to be the most useful passengers on the ship. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
From the human perspective, Paul’s sea voyage to Rome seems like a huge waste of time. In reality, it is full of great spiritual benefit and opportunity. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul shares his testimony, the Gospel of grace and the resurrection, prompting Festus to accuse him of being crazy. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
We get an insider look into the talk and mindset of Festus and Herod Agrippa, two lost sinners who God was going to send Paul to evangelize. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
The chief priests want a favor, Festus wants to give it. Meanwhile, Paul gets to enjoy the much better favor of God. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Felix and Drusilla have a private audience with Paul, but instead of turning to God for salvation decide to put off their decision and wait. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul squares off against Tertullus, a slick lawyer brought in to prosecute him. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
After Jesus makes a great promise to Paul, God works out amazing providence to protect him and deliver him toward the goal of preaching in Rome. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul finally stands before the Sanhedrin, but those in attendance have no interest in listening to his message of salvation. Instead, their anger against him and each other boils over. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)
Commander Lysias decides to have Paul scourged, but his plan backfires, showing us a picture of the Christian’s spiritual reality and the unbeliever’s unsuspected emergency. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul shares his origin story of how he started going God’s way rather than his own. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul endures injustice but shows composure, respect and compassion for his enemies. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul arrives in Jerusalem and is subjected to a legalistic plan to win the approval of Law-loving believers. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
As Paul moves closer to Jerusalem at the urging of the Holy Spirit, the Christians around him break his heart by trying to convince him to prioritize his own safety and security. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul has a meeting with the elders of the church at Ephesus, testifying that he had carried out his duty and charging them to carry out theirs. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul and his friends make their way toward Jerusalem. Along the way, Eutychus falls out of a window and is restored to life. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Just before Paul leaves town, a riot breaks out in Ephesus and he is restrained from going in to address the mob. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
We tend to want to feel God’s power in our lives or in our cities. Are Christians supposed to “unlock” that power? How can we experience the amazing work of God in our lives? (Gene Pensiero Jr.)
Being a Christian means understanding certain truths and experiencing the outpouring of God’s supernatural power. We see this reality at work in Paul’s ministry in Ephesus. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
As the light of the Gospel continues to spread, we see the birth of a new star in the darkness: Apollos. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul moves on to Corinth, which would become a major part of his story, but he enters the city alone, afraid and in deep discouragement. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul’s discussion on Mars Hill is one of the most memorable, but also one of the more relatable stories in the book of Acts. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
The Christians, from city to city, demonstrate quiet courage in the face of uncertainty, persecution and do so while constantly appealing to God’s word. (Assistant Pastor Geno)
Paul and Silas stay right where they are, 3 times, in this unusual miraculous jailbreak, leading to significant collateral deliverance. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul and company encounter a demon possessed girl and continue their gracious, Christ-centered ministry in Philippi. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
In this lesson on providence and prevenient grace, God forbids Paul from preaching in the north or south, but presses him west toward Greece and adds a 4th member to the team. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul brings Timothy onto his team but first this remarkable young man is told he must be circumcised. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul and Barnabas clash over bringing John Mark on their second missionary journey, leading to the breakup of their partnership (Gene Pensiero Jr)
The Jerusalem church sends a posse to help the hurting family of Christians in Gentile Syria, resolving once and for all that salvation is by grace, through faith (Gene Pensiero Jr)
The church has its first council in Jerusalem to decide the issue over whether Gentiles must obey the Mosaic law in order to truly be Christians or even be saved. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Instead of taking the short trip home, Paul turns around and goes back to revisit the places where he had been attacked and persecuted, but where young churches needed strengthening. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul and Barnabas find themselves in the midst of crowds, mobs, turmoil and sometimes violent unrest, but maintain their grace and preaching of the Gospel. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul and Barnabas are met with opposition from members of the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch in a passage that teaches us about envy, election and how to fight the good fight for the Gospel. (Gene Pensiero Jr.)
Paul shares a sermon in Pisidian Antioch about the unending grace of God, even when met with human resistance and rebellion (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Paul and Barnabas are launched into their first overseas missions trip at the specific leading of the Holy Spirit. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Herod Agrippa gives a speech and the people praise him as a god, causing an angel to strike down the impostor king, who serves as a type of Antichrist. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
A series of shocking events hit the church, with a new wave of persecution breaking out, threatening both the apostles and the rest of the believers. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
The Gospel spreads to the city of Antioch and a new church is planted, as many people stream from all over the empire to become a part of this new work of God. (Gene Pensiero Jr.)
Peter returns to Jerusalem to face an impromptu court martial for crossing the great divide between Jews and Gentiles, giving us a lesson on handling division in the church. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
God’s mission is to send His people out, filled with the Spirit, bringing the Gospel to others near and far who need to hear about salvation in Jesus Christ. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
God works in the life of Peter to bring him out of legalism and into a greater experience of grace while also building a bridge to the Gentile world. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Cornelius is introduced as a man whose spiritual devotion is pleasing to God. (Gene Pensiero Jr)
Peter goes ministering and teaches us about the power of God to get us up and going as Christians. (Gene Pensiero Jr.)
Saul begins his walk with Christ but immediately hits the ground running by serving the Lord and preaching the Gospel. (Assistant Pastor Geno)
Ananias, an ordinary disciple, shows us how to faithfully follow God and be used to change the world for all eternity. (Assistant Pastor Geno)
The awesome, personal power of God’s word is on full display as Philip is sent on a mission by God to save the Ethiopian Eunuch. (Assistant Pastor Geno)
Philip heads into a Samaritan city to preach the Gospel and encounters a man named Simon who wants everyone to know how great he is. (Assistant Pastor Geno)
Stephen’s death kicks off a new era of Church history and the launching of the Good News into the lands outside of Jerusalem. (Assistant Pastor Geno)
Stephen retells some of Israel’s most famous stories, revealing to the Sanhedrin that they were part of the long history of resistance against God’s work and chosen deliverers (Assistant Pastor Geno)
Stephen, one of the most remarkable Christians in the books of Acts, is suddenly hurtled toward martyrdom, despite his incredible potential and God’s great grace in his life. (Assistant Pastor Geno)
A big conflict threatens to split the church and the Apostles response is: This isn’t our area. You handle it yourselves. (Assistant Pastor Geno)
The Sanhedrin demands that the apostles stop teaching in the name of Jesus, but they respond with supernatural boldness and meekness (Assistant Pastor Geno)
As God’s dramatic work continues to unfold, the apostles demonstrate the importance of being focused on your calling while flexible to the Holy Spirit (Assistant Pastor Geno)
We are introduced to 3 new characters: Barnabas, Ananias and Sapphira. They have very similar beginnings, but very different endings and legacies. (Assistant Pastor Geno)
After being released from custody, Peter and John together with the church go to prayer and volunteer to serve the Lord, no matter the difficulties ahead (Assistant Pastor Geno)
The Sanhedrin marvel at Peter and John, who are ‘amateurs’ in their minds, yet preach with power and authority (Assistant Pastor Geno)
Peter and John and brought to trial before the Sanhedrin, but the tables turn as Peter convicts them of crucifying the Lord Christ (Assistant Pastor Geno)
Peter preaches a sermon in Solomon’s Colonnade declaring that Jesus is the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament (Assistant Pastor Geno)
Peter and John head to a prayer meeting and give us the first recorded outreach of the church age. What does it teach us about compassion and evangelism today? (Assistant Pastor Geno)
The Church is established and takes on a communal form. Is this the blueprint for what every local church should be? (Assistant Pastor Geno)
Peter gives testimony as an eyewitness to Christ’s resurrection and an expert witness concerning Old Testament prophecy (Assistant Pastor Geno)
Peter delivers the Church age’s very first sermon ever, rooted in Scripture (Assistant Pastor Geno)
The Day of Pentecost means the birth of the Church and the arrival of the Holy Spirit in a dynamic new way, showing the tender, personal love of God (Assistant Pastor Geno)
The disciples watch the Lord ascend, wait for the Holy Spirit and turn to Scripture to solve the issue of replacing Judas with a new apostle (Assistant Pastor Geno)
The book of Acts tells us where we came from and how we should move forward as Christ’s Body on the earth (Assistant Pastor Geno)