Reading Luke/Acts Together

This Sunday we begin a brand new season in the life of our church.

Over the summer we'll be journeying through Luke's Gospel together as part of a new sermon series, and I want to invite every single person at The Beacon Church to read it along with us.

Many of you will know that in September we are launching Bible Conversations Teesside, a mission that will see thousands of copies of Luke's Gospel and the book of Acts, distributed across our area. People from across Teesside will be invited to read Luke's Gospel and have bible conversations about Jesus with ordinary Christians like you.

But before we invite our region to read Luke's Gospel with us, we're going to read it ourselves.

Read Luke/Acts Together

Starting Monday 8th June, we're inviting the whole church to take part in our Read Luke/Acts Together Challenge.

Over June, July and August we'll read through the whole of Luke and Acts together, following a simple five-day-a-week reading plan. We'll finish just as Bible Conversations Teesside begins in September.

I am super excited about what God might do in us through this.

One of the big things for us as a church is that we don't simply become people who know more information about the Bible and try to become super theologians. We need to become people who are having our lives formed by Scripture, not just informed by Scripture.

People who don't simply read about Jesus, but learn to read daily with Jesus.

The Bible is far more than an ancient book full of interesting ideas. Through the Scriptures God speaks, shapes, encourages, challenges and leads us. As we open our Bibles, we discover more of who Jesus is, and we learn what it means to follow him in everyday life.

So let's take this seriously.

Let's read Luke and Acts together as a Church and together with Jesus.

Read with Your Head, Heart and Hands

As you read each day, I want to encourage you to use three simple questions:

Head - What do I notice? What questions do I have? What can I learn?

Heart - What is God saying to me? What is stirring in me as I read? What is the Holy Spirit drawing my attention to?

Hands - What is my response? What do I need to do with what I've read? What small step of obedience could I take?

You don't need to have all the answers. You don't need to be a Bible expert.

You simply need to show up and read with an open Bible and an open heart and an invitation to the Holy Spirit to speak and form you. .

Bring Your Bible

Over these next three months I'd love to encourage you to bring your own Bible to church every Sunday. Bring a pen. Underline things. Circle words. Write questions in the margins. Highlight verses that speak to you. Take notes.

Let's become people who actively engage with the Scriptures rather than simply listening from a distance.

If you're someone who enjoys making notes, you might even want to invest in a wide-margin Bible or a journalling Bible for this series. I love having a Bible that is full of notes, prayers, questions and reminders of things God has spoken to me over the last few months.

Getting Ready for Mission

We have three months to prepare ourselves for Bible Conversations Teesside.

My prayer is that by September we will be a church full of people who are confident in opening the Scriptures, listening to God's voice and naturally sharing what they are discovering with others. I'm praying that God will use these next three months to deepen our love for Scripture, strengthen our faith and prepare us for what lies ahead.

A Simple Way to Explore the Bible

Here is a simple way to do your bible reading each day.

Read slowly, stay curious and be open to what God might say through the Scriptures.

PRAY

Before you begin, pause for a moment and ask God to speak through the Bible.

"Jesus, would you speak to me through these words today?"

READ

Read todays chapter.

REFLECT

HEAD

• What stands out to you?

• What does this passage teach us about God?

• What questions does it raise?

HEART

• How does this challenge or encourage you?

• What does it reveal about people or about yourself?

• What might God be saying to you personally?

HANDS

• What could you do differently this week because of this passage?

• Is there one small step you could take?

RESPOND

Take a moment to pray, reflect or talk together about what you've discovered.

Here is the Reading Plan

Week 1 (Beginning 8 June)

□ Day 1 – Luke 1

□ Day 2 – Luke 2

□ Day 3 – Luke 3

□ Day 4 – Luke 4

□ Day 5 – Luke 5

Week 2 (Beginning 15 June)

□ Day 1 – Luke 6

□ Day 2 – Luke 7

□ Day 3 – Luke 8

□ Day 4 – Luke 9

□ Day 5 – Luke 10

Week 3 (Beginning 22 June)

□ Day 1 – Luke 11

□ Day 2 – Luke 12

□ Day 3 – Luke 13

□ Day 4 – Luke 14

□ Day 5 – Luke 15

Week 4 (Beginning 29 June)

□ Day 1 – Luke 16

□ Day 2 – Luke 17

□ Day 3 – Luke 18

□ Day 4 – Luke 19

□ Day 5 – Luke 20

Week 5 (Beginning 6 July)

□ Day 1 – Luke 21

□ Day 2 – Luke 22:1–38

□ Day 3 – Luke 22:39–71

□ Day 4 – Luke 23

□ Day 5 – Luke 24

Week 6 (Beginning 13 July)

□ Day 1 – Acts 1

□ Day 2 – Acts 2

□ Day 3 – Acts 3

□ Day 4 – Acts 4

□ Day 5 – Acts 5

Week 7 (Beginning 20 July)

□ Day 1 – Acts 6

□ Day 2 – Acts 7:1–29

□ Day 3 – Acts 7:30–60

□ Day 4 – Acts 8

□ Day 5 – Acts 9

Week 8 (Beginning 27 July)

□ Day 1 – Acts 10

□ Day 2 – Acts 11

□ Day 3 – Acts 12

□ Day 4 – Acts 13

□ Day 5 – Acts 14

Week 9 (Beginning 3 August)

□ Day 1 – Acts 15

□ Day 2 – Acts 16

□ Day 3 – Acts 17

□ Day 4 – Acts 18

□ Day 5 – Acts 19

Week 10 (Beginning 10 August)

□ Day 1 – Acts 20

□ Day 2 – Acts 21

□ Day 3 – Acts 22

□ Day 4 – Acts 23

□ Day 5 – Acts 24

Week 11 (Beginning 17 August)

□ Day 1 – Acts 25

□ Day 2 – Acts 26

□ Day 3 – Acts 27

□ Day 4 – Acts 28

□ Day 5 – Reflection: What has God been saying to me through Luke and Acts?

Week 12 (Beginning 24 August)

Pray for Bible Conversations Teesside and keep reading Luke/Acts