Greetings, listeners. I was talking with someone last week who said to me, I'm really trying to follow God. But honestly, things feel harder now, not easier. The conversation stuff with me. Because that tension, following God is still feeling pressure. That's exactly where the early church finds itself. In the book of Acts, chapters 3 through 12. This part of Acts shows us something honest and unexpected. Faith doesn't grow in comfort. It grows when following Jesus starts to constantly. And here's the surprising part. Every time that pressure increases, the message spreads even further. That's the story we're stepping into today. Well, welcome everyone. I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast, where every two weeks we break down the basics of the Bible into understandable bite-sized chunks. Let's start looking at this first section of the book of Acts. We're going to start with chapters three and four. If you've listened to part one, you know that Acts tells the story of how the Christian church began and grew, from Jesus returning to heaven to the message eventually reaching the heart of the Roman world. Part one ends on a high note. Up to this point, most of what we see happens among believers. They're gathered together, learning together, worshiping together. But Acts chapter 3 shifts the scene. Peter and John are walking towards the temple when they meet a man they probably have passed many times before. He's been disabled since birth. He sits near the gates called beautiful. He's close to the temple, close to faith, but never fully included. Peter heals that man in the name of Jesus. The man stands, he walks, he praises God. People notice. A crowd gathers. Now, this could have stayed a feel-good moment. Instead, it turns uncomfortable. Now Peter seized this opportunity to preach. He directed the crowd's attention away from both the healed man and the apostles themselves. He turned their attention to Jesus, the resurrected Savior. He confronted them with their sin and appealed for their repentance. This time, their response is different. Luke tells us that the religious leaders are deeply disturbed by Peter and John's message because it directly challenges their denial of the resurrection, of Jesus' resurrection. Peter and John are arrested. They're ordered to stop speaking about Jesus, but they refuse. After their release, Luke shows us what they do next. They don't isolate, they don't retaliate, they don't retreat. They go straight back to their own people. They report everything that happened. And together they turn to God in prayer. Now, by Acts chapter 4, the church is learning what Jesus meant when he warned them that following him would bring opposition. We can find that back in the book of John, chapter 15, verse 20. Yet, even as threats increase, the message of Jesus Christ continues to spread, and more people are added to their number. Now let's look at chapters 5 through 8. As the church grows, resistance grows with it. Some of that pressure comes from outside, some of it shows up inside the community. In Acts chapter 6, a real problem surfaces. Greek-speaking widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. This isn't a small issue. These women depend on the church for care. What matters is how the apostles respond. They don't ignore the problem, they don't panic, and they don't abandon their calling. They make a decision to appoint trusted people to care for those who are in need. One of those leaders is Stephen. Chapter 6, verse 5 says, He was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. Verse 8 reveals he performed great wonders and signs among the people. Stephen knows Israel's story and he tells it in a way that points straight to Jesus. And we see that in chapter 7, verses 1 through 53. Now the response isn't reflection, it's rage. The issue of Jesus wouldn't go away. So Stephen is accused. From a human point of view, this feels like the worst possible outcome. And standing there, approving of his death, is a man named Saul. We'll come back to him. What looks like the end becomes a turning point. The believers flee, they scatter, but not in silence, but with the message. They carry the message wherever they go. So what looks like loss becomes a movement. Now let's go to chapter nine. Back to Saul, the man overseeing Stephen's killing. Saul wasn't an outsider, he's a deeply religious and highly educated Jewish man and completely convinced he's serving God. From his point of view, persecuting Christians, that's what he should be doing. He felt the Jesus movement was dangerous. So he acted. He arrested believers, he pulled them from their homes, tries to shut down the movement entirely. But then, as he was traveling on the road to Damascus, everything changes. A light blinds him, a voice speaks. Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And in that moment, Saul realizes something unsettling. He's been confident and wrong. Saul is left blind and dependent on others. After he's healed and baptized, he begins speaking about the very Jesus he once tried to erase. The church's fiercest opponent becomes one of its most passionate messengers. And the story makes a quiet but powerful point. God isn't limited by a person's past, not even the worst version of them. Now, let's look at the rest of that section, chapters eight through twelve. As those believers scattered, that message kept moving. Philip travels to Samaria, a place Jews avoided whenever possible. But people listen, they believe, and the Holy Spirit confirms that this work is real. Then Philip is sent to a desert road. There he meets an Ethiopian official, a Gentile, not a Jew, a Gentile, a eunuch, a man searching for understanding of the scriptures. Philip explains how the scripture he's reading, which is Isaiah 53, 7 through 8, he explains to him how it points to Jesus. The man believes, he's baptized, and he returns home changed. That's Acts chapter 8, verses 39 to 40. Then comes another moment that reshapes everything. Peter enters the home of Cornelius, a Roman officer, another Gentile. This is in chapter 10, verses 24 through 48. This crosses a line Peter was taught never to cross. But as Peter speaks, the Holy Spirit comes upon everyone listening. And Peter realizes what this means. He had to recognize that God had truly accepted a Gentile into his church. God shows no favoritism. God welcomes people they never expected. And God's family, it's larger than they imagined. This moment forces a question that still matters today. Are there people we quietly assume God won't work through or won't welcome? By this point in Acts, a pattern is clear. Again and again, different forces try to stop the message and they fail. Threats don't stop it. Violence doesn't stop it. Disagreement doesn't stop it. Cultural difference doesn't stop it. Political power doesn't stop it. Each time resistance rises, the message continues. One leader put it plainly in chapter 5, verses 38 through 39. If this movement is from God, it cannot be stopped. And Acts keeps marking that movement for us. The word of God spreads. Chapter 6, verse 7. Quote, so the word of God spread, the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly. End quote. The church grows. Chapter 9, verse 31. Then the church through Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. The message moves outward through the working of the Holy Spirit in believers. We see that in chapter 12, verse 24. Quote, but the word of God continued to spread and flourish. Wow. The foundation set. What comes next will move far beyond Jerusalem. So what is Acts teaching us? As the story unfolds, Acts keeps returning to five core truths. First, Jesus is the promised Messiah. The apostles aren't starting something new, they're showing how Jesus fulfills God's long-standing promise. Second, the scriptures point to Jesus. Peter, Stephen, Philip, and later Paul all show how Israel's story leads to Jesus. Third, the mission moves forward because the Holy Spirit leads. The Spirit guides conversation, directs decisions, and sends people where they wouldn't choose to go on their own. Fourth, the church grows when believers obey, even when obedience feels uncomfortable or risky. And finally, God works through people who are willing, not perfect. So why does all this matter? Well, Acts doesn't pretend that faith is easy. The early believers don't always understand what God is doing. They don't see the full picture, they simply take the next faithful step. And over time, God makes the direction clear. That's why Acts matters. If faith has ever felt uncertain, if obedience has felt costly, if following Jesus has raised more questions than answers, Acts reminds us that God often guides people while they're moving, not before. This isn't a book about the early church. It's a story about how God works with real people in real moments. And that same God, through the Holy Spirit, is still at work today. That's why Acts isn't just a book to understand, it's a book to step into. Next time we'll follow the gospel beyond Jerusalem and into the wider world through one unlikely messenger formerly known as Saul, now known as Paul. And if you know someone who feels unsure about reading the Bible, consider sharing this episode with them. Until next time, keep reading, keep seeking, and keep growing in your faith.