 waiting for the recording to get started. Okay, recording is started. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to today's session. Today, we are going to study on the book of Acts or the Acts of the Apostles. So even before we could start, can I request one of us to please lead us in prayer? Blessings, would you be able to lead us in prayer? Or Anita, Aradhana, Paul, can you lead us in prayer? I think there's some problem with the mic with the others. Paul, can you hear me? Am I audible? Yes, ma'am, you are audible. Yes, I can hear you, ma'am. Yes, so Paul, you will lead us in prayer, please. Okay, let's humble ourselves and pray. Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for yet another day in our life. We thank you for this classroom. As we gather together, let your Holy Spirit come and be amidst us, come and guide us, come and give us wisdom and understanding of the teaching of today. We dedicate the class and the pastor into your hand. We pray all this in Jesus Christ's name, our Lord. Amen. Amen, amen. Thank you, Paul. That was a wonderful prayer. Thank you. So today, we're going to study on the book of Acts of the Apostles and... So I just wanted to check with our class, like how much do we know about the Acts of the Apostles? Or what is that we know about this book? As I try to present a short presentation that I prepared, anyone in the class can unmute and answer. What is that we know about the book of the Acts of the Apostles? I hope we go through our notes even before we could come to our class. I encourage each one of you to please go through your notes so that we would be prepared. Yes. I see a message, okay, a chat, okay, from Subashish saying, yes, Acts of the Apostles is also known as Acts of the Holy Spirit. Yes, Subashish, thank you. That would be a very good start to start the class with. So I would request and encourage each of us, please go through your notes even before we could come to the class so that we are well-prepared. And whatever's been shared, discussed in the class, we can understand it better. Well, the book of Acts is also known as the Book of the Holy Spirit. The Book of Apostles is a very valuable history of the early church, which has been recorded in this book, much of what we know about the early years of how the Christianity came into existence. We learn is from this book. So without the Book of Acts, it would be impossible for us to find the connection between the gospels and the epistles in the New Testament. So this book, the Book of Acts, acts like a bridge connecting the gospels and the epistles together. So it is the outcome of the gospel. And we see in the Book of Acts, how many chapters are there? You could always refer to your Bible. Please keep your Bible's hand. About 28 chapters. Yes, there are about 28 chapters. Let's move on to the next slide. Give me a minute as I navigate this. Okay. So in the Book of Acts, we have about 28 chapters and there are divisions in each. So the first chapter one to chapter 12, it focuses on the foundation of the church. And chapter 13 to chapter 28, it focuses on the founder of churches. So who are the founders? We have most of the Book of Acts. Yes, it talks about the other apostles, but majorly on the two apostles that is on Peter and Paul. And we see in Acts chapter one to seven, it talks about two the Jews. And then from chapter eight to 12, it talks to the Samaritans and chapter 13 till 28. It talks to the Gentiles, where Paul is ministering to the Gentiles. So what do we see? The key verse, the key verse, that is Acts chapter one verse eight. We will study on it later. Okay, which talks about the gospel spreading in different places, that is in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria and to the utmost parts of the earth. So we see chapter one to seven, we see how the gospel spread in Jerusalem. In eight to 12, we see how the gospel spread in Judea and Samaria. And then from 13 to 28, how it reached to the utmost parts of the earth. And the time period varies some say about 30 years. The whole of Book of Acts covers about 30 years and some say 33 years. So again, keeping the timeline in mind, it is not a curate, but then it's all an approximate years that has been recorded. Well, who's the author of this book? The only Greek writer of the Bible, the physician, the professor himself, look. Yes, yes. Thank you so much. Yes, it is Dr. Luke, the author of Gospel of Luke. And then this Book of Acts is the continuation from the Gospel of Luke. With that, we will move on to the next slide. Well, so the Book of Acts is a bridge connecting the gospels and the epistles. So what do we see? It is the outcome of the gospel. So in the gospel, we see that Jesus is seen as a corn of wheat who falls on the ground and dies to himself. Can I request one of us to please turn to John chapter 12, verse 24? John chapter 12, verse 24. John, Acts chapter, ma'am, John or Acts? John chapter 12, verse 24. John chapter 12, verses 24. Yeah. I tell you the truth. Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. So we see the fulfillment of this scripture in the Book of Acts, where it says, most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain. We see self-sacrifice of the apostles, that which Jesus demonstrated. We see the apostles follow that in their life in the Book of Acts. We also see the Book of Acts gives us the result of Jesus' willingness to lay down his life. Like yesterday, when we studied, even in the Garden of Gethsemane, when the soldiers came to Edess, Jesus, we see that, you know, when Jesus said, I am, they all fell to the ground. But then Jesus waited for them to get up, come and arrest him and take him. Jesus gave himself, even at the cross. When we see that Jesus embraced the cross willingly. And even when we meditate the seven words of Jesus on the cross, you see, it is the willingness of Jesus. He was so prepared, even in his earthly ministry, Jesus focused on what the Father will was. And he knows the end. He knew that he need to die for us on the cross, keeping this in mind. Willingly, he offered himself. When he was on the cross, he just said, Father, I commend my spirit into your hands. Jesus committed, he gave his spirit willingly into Father's hand and with worship, with an act of worship, he bowed his head down and he gave himself. And also the scripture says, as per the Old Testament prophecy, that not one bone of Jesus was broken on the cross. Usually for the Romans where, when we go through the scripture, I wanted to cover this yesterday in the class, but then due to time, I could not share this. When we read about the history, the Romans usually, it is a usual practice for the Romans to crucify people on the cross, but when they crucified Jesus, it's usually like this. They take a wooden plank and they break the leg of the person who was being crucified on the cross, the victim. They break the leg so that they die faster. They gasp out of breath and they die faster. And when they do that, as they're gasping, the victim bangs his head over the wood or the tree on which they have been crucified. And then there will be a crack on their skull. And with that, they die. But then when it came to Jesus, they never did that. By then, Jesus gave up his spirit. He surrendered. He worshiped God and he gave up his spirit willingly. So we see that Jesus embraced the cross willingly. Willingly, he lay down his life for us to bear much fruit that is brought forth. We also see the conclusion in the gospel that Jesus purchased the church with his blood. So in the book of Acts, we see that the church rises to the actual existence. And in the gospel, we see that Jesus gives us famous prophecy stating, which is stated in Matthew chapter 16 verse 18. Matthew chapter 16 verse 18, I'll just give you it. I'll just say the verse. It says, I will build my church. Jesus prophesied saying that I will build my church. So in the book of Acts, we see the fulfillment of that prophecy. And we also see in the gospel, Jesus issued the command to his followers to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. That's the great commission which Jesus gave. We see that in Matthew chapter 28. And we also see in all the gospels, the great commission, take the gospel, go to the utmost parts of the earth. And we see that in the book of Acts, we get a glimpse of how the apostles responded to that through the guidance and the direction of the Holy Spirit. Now, when we say that, were they fearful? Were they scared? Did they go back to their own work, to the business, what they were into? Yes, they were fearful. They hid themselves, they bit rate. They started the old business or work, whatever they were from. But then what happened? We see in Acts chapter one and two, on the day of Pentecost. When all 120 of them along with Mary, the mother of Jesus, they were present in the upper room when they were fearful and what they did, they prayed, when they prayed, the tongues of fire, the Holy Spirit descended upon each one of them, the form of tongues of fire. And the whole room was filled and each tongues of fire sat upon the head. That's what has been recorded in the scripture. And in chapter two verse four, it says, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. And as we read that, we see how Peter ministered to 3000 people and at a time 3000 people were saved, received. The gospel started spreading. It spread much more than what was expected. We see that. So the book of Acts, okay, I will not go detail into it because in your third year, in your third year, we have the whole subject on the book of Acts where we will be starting in detail, chapter wise in detail. So I'll just be, this is just the survey of the book so that I can complete the survey within the given time of 15 minutes. Well, the book of Acts acts as an introduction to the epistles. So it gives us the background on what occasion for how much or what will follow them. And it also helps us to understand the epistles in the historical context as we saw in the chart before. So the book of Acts is a book of practical theology. The book of Acts, the second point, is a book of practical theology. So what do we see here? This book establishes for us the foundational truth and the principles of the church. How? In its word and in its deed. We also see the demonstration for us in living form. All of the teaching of Christ in the gospel. So in the book of Acts, we also see some things that have been birthed such as evangelism. We see how the apostles take the word, take the gospel message and go to the utmost parts of the earth. We also see the ministry in the spirit has been birthed. Missions are birthed. Church planting, church government. We also see team ministry or the prayer life of the church, the character of a biblical Christian. And we also see the disciplining and raising up of leaders. But that we will move on to the third point. The book of Acts is also a book of beginnings. Just like how we have Genesis in the Old Testament is the book of beginnings. And it is very important to know the creation of the existence. The same way we need the book of Acts. It also acts like a book of beginning to us to know how the ministry has been birthed. How the Holy Spirit work of evangelism started. How did the apostles carry the preaching? How did they preach? How did they carry the gospel to the utmost parts of the earth? Complete new dimension of the Holy Spirit. How the Holy Spirit can minister to each of us individually? We can see the power of the spirit move among the people. The church has been birthed. We see the first time Christianity has been called in the place of Antioch. The world wild evangelism has been seen here. Salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ has been preached to each and everyone by the apostles. And with that we will move on to the fourth point. Sorry, it is not the book of beginnings. I think it is carried over. Now it's right, thanks. So the book of Acts is a book of inspiration in days of restoration. So it provides us a record of an early reign outpouring of the spirit. And we also see how God is restoring the church back, restoring the individual back. He also provides us a glimpse and a glimpse where we can find the stir of faith in each one where we can see in the gospel where the same apostle who were in fearful and they betrayed Jesus but here in the acts of apostle we see that faith in them that they are ready to die. They're ready to give their life for the sake of the gospel. There's fearlessness in them because they know what happened. They know that Jesus is alive. He is the true Son of God. And now they're able to connect the dots like whatever Jesus taught them. What Jesus taught them and he was on the earthly ministry of which the disciples did not understand when Jesus was with them. But now they're able to recollect able to recollect and understand how because they have the Holy Spirit, the comforter of whom Jesus promised in John chapter 14, 16 we read yesterday that I will send a comforter who will abide with you. Now this comforter, Holy Spirit does not only abide with us or guide us but he also teaches us. He also gives us the understanding. He also reminds us of the situation, the words that Jesus shared with them. We see that happening with the apostles. They're able to understand the teaching of Jesus. And now they are able to share that good news with boldness and with power with everyone around. But that we will move on to the next point that is the book of Acts is the only unfinished book in the... How do we say that? It is this is the only book that has no amen in it. In the end, when you read Acts 28 verse 30, 31 can I request one of us to please read? 30, 31. Acts chapter 28 verses 31. 30 and 31, sorry. 30 and 31. Yes. For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Oldly and without hindrance, he preached the kingdom of God and talked about the Lord Jesus Christ. Okay. My version says that preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. It's a continuation. There is no amen in the end. It continues to the episodes. It continues with preaching the kingdom of God and our lives are to help complete the book throughout the ages. It just didn't continue with the apostles to share the good news, to carry the gospel to the utmost parts of the earth, but then it is also giving us the commission. Now it's your turn. You need to take the pattern. You need to share the gospel to the world that you are impacting. So, have any of us thought at any time, why was this book titled as Acts of the Apostles and not with a different title or it can be Acts of the Holy Spirit or Acts of the Believers or Acts of Paul and Peter because mainly it has been written about them or Acts of Luke or because Luke is the author, it can also be named after the author. Why not? Have anyone thought or anyone would like to answer this? Because it is still continuing. Yes, it's still continuing. This title, the Acts of the Apostles, although many scholars would have suggested a different title, but this one suits, this one goes ahead. I think the Holy Spirit inspired the leaders back then with this name, Acts of the Apostles. It's not about just one person, it's about each one and it is also about us. We need to carry that pattern. We need to carry the gospel. I see someone raised hand or it was a chat. Chat. I'm not able to see because the presentation is on. Did anyone raise your hand? Yes, yes, Brother Lubita, please go ahead. I think it is called the Acts of the Apostles because in this dispensation of the Holy Spirit that we are in, it puts you, me and all my brotherings in the class into the picture that we are still supposed to continue doing the Acts with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Yes, yes, that's right, that's right. Brother Lubita, thank you so much for sharing. You're right. Yes, the story needs to continue. It needs to continue through us. We need to carry the word and reach the world. So, and also throughout the book, we see the key word called Apostle about 30 times. It's used about 30 times. And so who is the author? Has we already shared? Who is the author of this book? Luke. Luke was the author. And this book was written in 60 to 62 AD. And we also see that Paul was still in the prison. And before his trial, this book was written. And Acts covers approximately about 33 years from the ascension of Jesus to the time when Paul had been in prison in Rome for two years. And with that, we will move on to the purpose of this book. What was the purpose for which this book was written? Anyone from the class? To reveal how God practically works through his people. Yes, yes, correct. So there may be many possible reasons we can suggest that why this book of Acts was written. But then maybe one thing what I also feel is to preserve the historical records of the origin of the early church. So Luke Bean and well-educated man is concerned about the things that has been birthing in the church. And all these needs to be recorded so that it can reach the future generation. So that's the main reason of why the apostles started writing. They started recording of all that has been happening. Yes, the other is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as well, just with the help and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But they started writing. They started recording the things that was happening. And it all has the fact that there's a witness there. It has been written by the eyewitness of the people and the historical events that has been recorded. So it's all true. And this book also demonstrates the continued work of Christ through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, which we see in Acts chapter one verse one itself. And we also see how the church was built, how Christ built the church through his people. It just didn't end after the death of Jesus. Everything was not over. It was only then the church was birthed. It also provides us a defense to Christianity in time. And we also see the persecution, how the apostles were persecuted, but then that did not stop. It moved on, it carried on. That fire that was there in the apostles, it's the same fire that is there in each one of us who have Jesus as the Lord and Savior within us, burning within us. And that is one of the reason why each of us are here, part of our college, studying the word to know more about him. Why? Because there is a fire that is unquenchable. It has made each one of us to take a step to know more why, to do much more for the Lord who have chosen us. And being aware of everything around us, it's not gonna be easy of sharing the gospel to others. Knowing everything, there is a strength within us. There is a boldness, there's a confidence. Despite our weakness, we are able to step into what the Lord wanted us to do. Because knowing that the Lord who were with the apostles who strengthened them in their weakness, the same God can do much more things in and through us when we surrender ourselves to him. That we also see, this book also gives us a defense and to present Paul's trial to explain his arrest and the charges that were against him. And we see how he defended himself with many leaders and how he argued, defended his case with them. And we see how the Holy Spirit were leading them from place to place. We also see the different missionary journeys that Paul took and how the Holy Spirit ministered to them. How he spoke to them through words, vision, through people, through prayer, through the leaders. We see how the Holy Spirit led. The same way the Holy Spirit is with us and even lead us. So with that, we will move on to the key verse. Can I request one of us to please turn to Acts chapter one, verse eight, please? And read. I've also presented. Acts chapter one, verse eight says, I'm reading in the New King James Version, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses of me in Jerusalem and in all Judah and in Samaria and to the end of the world, of the earth. Amen. Amen. Thank you. I just put this from the chart that we viewed before. We see, as per this verse, you shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit as come upon you and you shall be a witness where in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth. That means what? Is it particularly only with Jerusalem? No, we can translate it to us. Yes, in the book of Acts, it shows literally how the gospel spread from a small town, from Jerusalem city to Judea, to Samaria and then to the other parts of the earth. So we see the scriptures. I see that in Acts eight, we see in Jerusalem how the gospel minister to the people in Jerusalem and then in Acts chapter two and then eight, 10, 11, 19, then 15, we see how it spread to Judea. And in Acts chapter eight to 10, it reached Samaria through Philip and then to the utmost parts of the earth through Paul. He carried the gospel and he went on the missionary journey along with partners and then with Silas. So when we read the book of Acts, we see the demonstration of this verse. Now today, how we can apply it in our life. When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, when we are filled, we become his witness and we start carrying this gospel and ministering to our people in our own home, in our church and then in our city, then in other states and then to the utmost parts of the earth, to the nation and to the nations. And I've listed some of the keys to the kingdom that operate in the book of Acts. The very, I've just listed four keys, there may be many, but then what I learned from this book, I've recorded here for us to learn and understand. So the four keys of the kingdom in the book of Acts is the first one, the word of God, which is this word of the Spirit. So we see in the book of Acts, we see the apostles solely carried the word of God and shared it in faith and life to all the people who were willing to hear the gospel, they carried it with them. So the word of God was the central message in their teaching and preaching wherever they went. And also we see that the apostles just did not preach with just the word, but they also demonstrated the power of God. It was just not with the word of preaching, but then they also demonstrated with the power of God. So when they were taught, they taught the word with exhortation, they taught the word of salvation and they also demonstrated the grace, the good news of the Lord. And they also taught the truth, which is there in the word. But we also see the word of God was a sword of the Spirit that they wielded skillfully. They spoke boldly with confidence. They taught the word to everyone. They also allowed them, they encouraged them to share this good news with everyone, though they were a lot of persecution and they were having these underground churches, but then they encouraged each one to carry the word to the other. So there were no New Testament book or the Bible that like what we have, but then they passed on the word just by the word of mouth. They carried the gospel through the word of mouth and it spread much more than what it is today with all the technologies. We also see that the word of God affected, it fetched great result, it demonstrated power because the Holy Spirit was present and the Holy Spirit moved among them powerfully. We also see the second point, we see the Holy Spirit. The church cannot function or fulfill without the great commission. How? We need to have the relationship with the Holy Spirit to carry the word. We see the apostles having a great relationship with the Holy Spirit. They seek God for everything, for every decisions they make, they seek, they sense the power of the Holy Spirit with them. They felt the awareness of His presence within which motivated them, which empowered them and with that, under that authority, administered to people and they saw the signs, funders and miracles happen, we see people were healed with the shadow of the apostles. We see just by touching the kerchief, the kerchief were prayed and passed over, we see the healing and deliverance been happening. How? The more of the Holy Spirit was so powerful then. We see the ninefold role of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts as the commander-in-chief, the inspire of the prophecy. We also see the fulfillment of the prophecies or the promise of the Father, the gift of God or the comforter of the church. We also see Him as the confirmer of the Word and He was also the bringer of joy and the scripture also says that the rain from heaven. And we also see how the apostles had a relationship with the Holy Spirit. We see in Acts chapter one verse five, for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. So we see that they were empowered or baptized with the Holy Spirit and that's why they could do what they could do. We also see the prompting of the Holy Spirit. They see the appointing of the leaders through the Holy Spirit. And we also see how Paul and Barnabas were separated on different work by the Spirit. They were led and guided and directed by the Holy Spirit. We see how Philip was transported through the eunuch on the chariot transported by the Spirit. We also see in Acts chapter two verse four, we just read it says they were filled with the Holy Spirit. We also see in Acts chapter five verse 32, we see that they were co-witnesses of the Spirit. We see how the Holy Spirit moved, it partnered with the apostles and how it moved. But that we will move on to the third point, the name of Jesus, the authority of the believer. The apostles were totally, totally dependent on the name of the Lord to see the result and the empowerment of their ministry. His name was everything for them. His name was equal to the person Jesus who was alive with them. His name gave them the authority and that's how his name, that we need his name. That's how we pray in the name of Jesus. The book of Acts, we see the name, the very name of the Lord bringing healing, deliverance or forgiveness of sins or healing the sick, delivering them. We see the signs, wonders and miracles happen in the name of Jesus. So what we see from this book is we see the apostles completely rely on the very name of the Lord. So they had faith on the name of Jesus. So what they did, they started teaching and preaching on the name of Jesus. They magnified this name. They bore the name of Jesus. They suffered for that name and they were willing to die for his name's sake. We also see with the last point, this prayer was the pipeline of the spirit. We see the apostles were all together. They were bonded together is only with the prayer. I remember someone has once said that you can measure your dependence on God by the amount of time that you spend in prayer. I repeat it. We can measure the dependence on God by the amount of time that we spend in prayer. So we need to be dependent on God. We need to pray. We see Jesus himself took time and prayed in the gospels. And here in the book of apostles, we see how apostles prayed. They prayed at any time, at any occasion. They were fearful, they prayed. They saw signs, wonders, miracles happen. They prayed when Peter was arrested, they prayed. Their prayer was answered. Paul was stoned to death in Acts 21. We see Paul was stoned to death those days. They were, the Jews and Romans were like, the Jews were very good in stoning. So they know if they stoned somebody, then they knew that, okay, this person is dead. So assuming that, you know, they stoned Paul. They thought that he's dead. They dragged him to the outside of the city and they left him there. And here we see the apostles gather around him and they, yes, the scripture does not say that they prayed, but then we know what they would have done. So the scripture says, the very next verse says, Paul got up along with Barnabas, he went to the next city. Look at the strength. Somebody who was stoned to death in the night, he gets up next day, he carries the work of the gospel. Maybe, as Paul said in his episodes, for me to live with Christ and to die is again. Maybe he thought, okay, now I'm alive. So now I need to carry the gospel and do what God has asked me to do for him every minute counted. For him every minute counted, for all the apostles every minute counted. We also see Stephen being stoned to death. What was his reaction? How did he respond to that very act? We see him imitating Jesus. Jesus said, what he said on the cross, we see even Stephen say when he was stoned, forgive them Lord for they do not know what they are doing. Forgiveness, forgiveness, people be shocked. What kind of man is this? Yes, who was touched in that very act? We see Paul, Paul who became a greater apostle. One third of the New Testament being touched by the very act of Stephen been martyred there. So that's the move of the Holy Spirit that we see. That's the power when we pray. When we pray things change. It may be as big as a mountain, but then God says, when you pray, I work. The spirit moves when we pray. The very verse, the Genesis chapter one we see in the beginning, what happened? Genesis chapter one verse three, let me turn. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the earth. That means what the spirit of God was present, but it could not do anything. Unless and until a word was released. Unless and until a word was released. So what happened in verse three? We see then God said, let there be light. The word was released. How positive? Though God saw darkness, it was void. It was uneven darkness was covered, but then God spoke something of what he wanted to see. He wanted to see the light. And he said, let there be light. The Holy Spirit was present there, started moving, bringing things into action. He created the light. The light came into existence. The very next verse says, God saw the light that it was good. The same way today, the Holy Spirit is present with us. The Holy Spirit is around us. He's with us, he's moving around us. The minute we pray, we release that word. Isaiah 55, 11 says that none of our word will return to us void. But it shall bring forth the fruit that it was sent forth for. There's power. We see in Acts chapter three verse one, they prayed on a regular basis. They met together and they prayed. They prayed in all locations throughout the Acts. We see they prayed in different locations to select a leader, setting up ministries or gaining elders, departing from one to the other. They prayed for the people. They prayed over the church. They prayed over the friends. They prayed over the people who tried to help them. They prayed over them, who persecuted them. The prayed, they also prayed for the physical needs, something like, or the special needs, I can say, something like pray for boldness. Pray receive the Holy Spirit. They prayed to raise the dead. Many, many, many, just, they didn't just only pray for healing and deliverance. They prayed even for the personal needs. And as they believed, as they prayed, God moved and God answered their prayer. So we see the church in the New Testament was born in prayer. So what do we take away from this book, from today's class? Open to all. What is our learning from this book? Can I share something? Yes, yes, please go ahead. Yes, I think one of the things I learnt is like the apostles accepted the Great Commission and with the promise and fulfillment of the power they received upon the advent of the Holy Spirit, they carried out the commission of carrying on the Word of God up to today. This Word is reaching us. Thank God for that, amen. Yes, thank you. Thank you, brother, for sharing that. Very important. Anyone else would like to add? Yes, please go ahead, Pravelo Begur. What I learned from the book of Acts is to show, it helps me in apologetics whereby it shows that my face is grounded. It doesn't just come from hearsays, just like other religions, for like the Muslims who never, the scripture would always change whenever the prophet's emotions and things would change. So this one shows actually that our face is grounded so it is very important as far as my apologetics is concerned. Thank you, Pastor. Thank you. Anyone else? Anyone else would like to add to what brother Lupega shared? Yeah, I just, can I go ahead? Yes, yes, Nikki. So I just, we know this very practically that we depend on the Holy Spirit, but I think when you look at the book of Acts, it's amazing how much they really depended on prayer and just depended on the Lord and their leading, which personally also, I feel like sometimes you try to use your mind a lot when it comes to ministry, but when you go back to all these principles that they followed, no matter how, I mean, the amazing things they did, they always went back to God and they were led by the Holy Spirit in a beautiful way. So I really admire that and want to walk like that. Amen, thank you. Thank you, Nikki, for that takeaway. Yes, just to add to what Nikki said, yes, prayer was very important. We see about at least 17 chapters out of 28 have a reference to prayer. So that much of importance when the apostles gave to prayer. So they believed in the power of prayer and they began and they continued. And also it ended all they work with a word of prayer. So prayer was a vital key for the apostles and that's what we read in this book of Acts. And that should be our takeaway today, that prayer should become our life, our lifestyle for anything and everything we need to ask God and prayer. Anyone else would like to add joy, John, Jeffina said, please, please feel free to add your takeaway from the book of Acts. One point which you mentioned in the class, especially regarding prayer, is the amount of time you spend in prayer. It reveals the depth of the work that we do or the relationship with Jesus. That's quite a good reminder even for me personally. And thank you for sharing that. Thank you. Thank you, John. Jeffina, would you like to add? Yes, Sid, please go ahead. Ma'am, when we were reading and talking about the Acts, I just got reminded of one word. One day I was listening to Pastor T.D. Jakes. Like as you said, it is the book of the beginning. So as we say, from Genesis to John, there were, we can divide it to the two eras. First, the era of the Father, then the era of Jesus, the Son. Then after that, the New Testament should start directly from the Acts because we can see it is, we can see that the era of Holy Spirit is being started. Jesus have went back to his Father. Now the Great Commission, which is being passed on to us, now in whole, in this we see, like from Acts, the work which was assigned to the apostles is being started. And it is this book, in this book and rest of the Revelation from Acts to Revelation, we see their obedience. And this obedience, we have, this is, obedience is being passed on to us and we have to fulfill the Great Commission future. Yes, yes. So when we talk about the Old Testament, yes, we see that God, the Father was speaking to his people. And in the New Testament, we see God, the Son speaking to each of us, to his people. Yes, thank you, thank you Sid. Okay, as the time is up, we also see that as we all are here, we all are serving in different ministries in different area, different ways. I would like to encourage each one, no matter how big, how small things that you're serving in. It may be arranging chairs or serving tables or it can be any area that we are part of service in the church. Let us do it wholeheartedly, willingly because that's what the apostles did, even for them to serve, even for them to appoint someone to serve the food, the criteria in the book of Acts, they served someone to be filled in the Holy Spirit. They selected those people to serve the food in the church. So what we learn from this is no work, no work, no task, whatever we try to do in the church is small or great. Everything is same. Every act, God looks at our heart with what attitude we are serving. And this is something that we believe at all people's churches, we all are on the same level ground. We are all on the same level ground. You may be a day old in the Lord or you may be very matured in the Lord, no matter how old, how many years you are in the ministry or how much knowledge you have gained, that doesn't matter. But we are all on the same level ground when we come to Christ, when we come to serve Him. So whatever area you're serving, do not take it light, serve with your whole heart and be a witness faithfully and leave the result to God because God says, when you humble yourself with my hand, I will lift you up in due time. In the right season, God will take you to a different heights as what your heart desires. Every area we are learning, we are learning. There is no place in the church that we serve as something that we do not learn. Every area, God will teach us something and our learning is different. God teaches to each one in the way that they can understand. Okay, so he teaches each one differently in the way that they can understand. He speaks to them in the way they can understand. So with that, we will end this book, the book of Acts and yes, we can dismiss with a word of prayer. Can I request one of y'all to please pray and dismiss us? I'll leave some of the highlights here from whatever we have discussed today in the class. Yes, please. Zellie, would you like to pray? Yes. Thank you Father for this amazing session. Thank you Lord for speaking to us through your daughter, our pastor Diana. Thank you so much Lord for wonderful truth which we have learned this session, Lord God. Holy Spirit, as we learn about the book of Acts, Lord, continue to minister to each one of our hearts that Lord, we will be full of your Holy Spirit and Lord that we will continue to be persistent in prayers, Lord God and help us to apply whatever truth that we have learned in the session in our life, Father God. As we disperse from this place, I pray the Holy Spirit will continue to guide us with us through Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Thank you so much. Thank you Zellie. Thank you so much for joining in today's session. See y'all next week. And I would encourage y'all to please be part of the mentoring hour on Thursdays, eight to nine and the supernatural hour on Fridays, eight a.m. to nine a.m. ISD Indian time. Thank you, God bless. Thank you. Thank you, God bless. Thank you.