Ascension and Witness Plan
Preach the risen Lord's ascension and the church's Spirit-empowered witness as one movement.
Whole-book Plan for Acts
Preach the risen Lord's ascension and the church's Spirit-empowered witness as one movement.
- Series Type
- Whole-book Plan preaching approach
- Sermons
- 5 planned movements
- Outlines
- 5 preparation guides
- Formation
- 5 pastoral aims
Formation Thread
- Sermon 1 Acts 1:1-2:47
Ascension, Spirit, and Church Birth
Begin with the certainty that Jesus is risen and alive, not merely remembered.
- Sermon 2 Acts 3:1-7:60
Temple Witness, Opposition, and Stephen
See human need honestly, including long-standing weakness that human resources cannot finally repair.
- Sermon 3 Acts 8:1-12:25
Scattered Witness and the Word Spreads
Trust that God can use painful scattering and disruption to advance his mission.
- Sermon 4 Acts 13:1-20:38
Mission to the Nations
Let mission be born out of worship, fasting, prayer, and submission to the Holy Spirit.
- Sermon 5 Acts 21:1-28:31
Chains, Trials, and the Unhindered Gospel
Follow the Lord’s will even when obedience leads toward suffering.
Sermon Sequence
- 1Sermon 1 Acts 1:1-2:47
Ascension, Spirit, and Church Birth
Acts begins with Jesus' ascension, the Spirit's arrival, and the birth of the church in witness.
FormationBegin with the certainty that Jesus is risen and alive, not merely remembered.
Prayer for this passage
Lord, forgive me for the times I have sought to advance Your kingdom through my own timing and strategies rather than waiting for the Spirit's power and following where You send me. As I have witnessed in this passage, You have already ascended and established Your reign—not through political force but through Spirit-empowered witnesses scattered to the ends of the earth. Grant me the faith to trust that Your kingdom is advancing through ordinary believers like me, from my Jerusalem to the uttermost parts, and the patience to look for Your return while faithfully testifying to what I have seen and heard. I surrender my plans to Your mission and commit myself to be a witness wherever Your Spirit leads, confident that You are faithful to complete what You have promised.
- 2Sermon 2 Acts 3:1-7:60
Temple Witness, Opposition, and Stephen
Healing, proclamation, persecution, and Stephen's witness show the gospel advancing through opposition.
FormationSee human need honestly, including long-standing weakness that human resources cannot finally repair.
Prayer for this passage
Father, we stand amazed at how You continued to work through Your apostles in the name of the risen Jesus, transforming an ordinary moment of worship into a powerful testimony that drew many to hear Your gospel. Grant us eyes to recognize that the same Christ who lifted that lame beggar to his feet still moves with authority today, and that our simple acts of faith spoken in His name carry the power of heaven. We surrender our weakness and helplessness to You, trusting that the exalted Jesus works through us to restore what sin has broken and to draw the lost into His transforming presence.
- 3Sermon 3 Acts 8:1-12:25
Scattered Witness and the Word Spreads
Persecution scatters the church, but the Word moves outward as the Spirit opens new peoples and places.
FormationTrust that God can use painful scattering and disruption to advance his mission.
Prayer for this passage
Father, when my circumstances feel like scattering and my plans like persecution, teach me to see your hand advancing your kingdom where I cannot see. Give me boldness like those early believers to proclaim Christ even in displacement, trusting that you work through my weakness to spread the gospel to places I never intended to reach. I surrender my comfort and my understanding of how you should work, and I commit to speaking your name faithfully wherever you scatter me, believing that great joy follows the faithful witness of your people.
- 4Sermon 4 Acts 13:1-20:38
Mission to the Nations
Paul's journeys, sermons, and sufferings show the church carrying the risen Christ to the nations.
FormationLet mission be born out of worship, fasting, prayer, and submission to the Holy Spirit.
Prayer for this passage
Father, just as You set apart Barnabas and Saul by Your Holy Spirit for the work of proclaiming Your name among the Gentiles, open our eyes to see where You are calling us to go and give us courage to obey. Grant us wisdom to recognize spiritual opposition when we encounter it, and confidence that the authority of the gospel overcomes every force that stands against You. We surrender ourselves to Your Spirit's leading, trusting that You will accomplish Your purpose through us despite all resistance, just as the proconsul came to believe when Your word proved mightier than deception.
- 5Sermon 5 Acts 21:1-28:31
Chains, Trials, and the Unhindered Gospel
Paul's final journeys and trials show that the gospel cannot be chained even when the messenger is.
FormationFollow the Lord’s will even when obedience leads toward suffering.
Prayer for this passage
Father, give us courage like Paul's to follow where you call us, even when those we love speak warnings and our path leads toward sorrow. When the Spirit's leading conflicts with the counsel of good people around us, strengthen our resolve to obey you rather than our fear. Help us to say goodbye with grace and faith, trusting that your purposes are fulfilled not in comfort but in faithful surrender to your will.
About This Series
Preach the risen Lord's ascension and the church's Spirit-empowered witness as one movement.