WEEK 4
Week Four: Reflecting on the Spirit’s Work
You made it! Twenty-one chapters in twenty-one days, and now it’s time to pause, take a breath, and reflect. This week is about looking back to see what the Spirit has done not only in the book of Acts but also in your own life. The Spirit is a teacher, a guide, a comforter, and He loves to help us remember.
As we finish the final chapters, you’ll see Paul living with confidence, purpose, and peace—not because everything was easy, but because he stayed in step with the Spirit. That’s the invitation for us too. So take this last week to reflect. Celebrate. Listen again. And let your heart be stirred to keep walking with the Spirit, long after the 28 days are done.
Church-Wide Prayer/Prayers
This week, as we head into a corporate worship night on Tuesday, we are going to recognize how amazing it is that we are part of the worldwide Church that began with the early church. We recognize, together, how small we are and at the same time what a gift it is to have a HUGE impact on our community in Ventura County! So, here is what we will pray together this week:
God, we pray that your kingdom would come and your will would be done and we would see a little bit of heaven on earth in our community. We show up and let you show off. We pray for your Church to rise up all over the world to reach people who are in desperate need of your hope, you love and your light. Help us, as Mission Church, to be a lighthouse in our community, directing people back to hope, back to peace, back to love, back to you. Thank you that the Church was YOUR idea, and thank you for the ways you continue to work in the world!
Guided
Meditiation
This 15 minute Guided Meditation is meant to create space for you to be still. You will be guided through a process that includes moments of silence that last 2-3 minutes. Stay engaged in the silence, it’s ok if your mind wanders, practicing stillness in the silence is part of what we are doing together in this exercise.
Day 22 (Monday, 8/25): Read Acts 22
Theme: Your Story, Powered by the Spirit
📖 Summary
Paul tells his story—how he once hunted Christians and how Jesus stopped him, changed him, and called him. The crowd listens… until he mentions that God sent him to the Gentiles. Then everything erupts.
💬 One Thought
What has the Spirit done in your story that someone else might need to hear?
❓One Question
Where in your life are you tempted to rush ahead when Jesus might be inviting you to wait on the Spirit?
🔥 One Challenge
Write out a short version of your story. If you get stuck, a possible flow could just be what your life was like before Jesus, how you met Him, and how He’s changing you. After you’ve finished take some time to spend in quiet stillness before God, asking him if there is anyone he would like to lead you to tell your story to. If you need help focusing, check out this week’s 15-minute guided prayer meditation. As you listen, pay attention to who God brings to mind.
Day 23 (Tuesday, 8/26): Read Acts 23
Theme: The Spirit Is Your Advocate
📖 Summary
Paul is caught in the middle of political, religious, and personal attacks. But Jesus shows up in a vision and says, “Take courage.” Paul is not forgotten. A plot to kill him is uncovered, and he’s protected and moved forward.
💬 One Thought
The Holy Spirit doesn’t leave you defenseless. Even when things feel stacked against you, He’s your advocate, working behind the scenes, uncovering lies, protecting your purpose. Paul wasn’t alone in the chaos, and neither are you. Take courage. God is still moving.
❓One Question
Where do you need to remember that the Spirit is your defender?
🔥 One Challenge
WORSHIP NIGHT AT MISSION is tonight from 6:30-8PM! And that’s perfect because on Tuesdays, our challenge is around worship. So, this week, we will not only have an all-church worship night, but our song for the week is Your Kingdom written by our very own worship leader T.D. Oakes and co-written by friend of Mission and worship leader from Real Life Church, Cory Simon, with help recording, mixing and producing by Jaycee Seiler. Check out a pre-release version by clicking HERE. As you listen, let’s pray that God’s Kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven and imagine all the ways He could use His church to create a revival in a dry and weary land.
Day 24 (Wednesday, 8/27): Read Acts 24
Theme: Waiting on the Spirit
📖 Summary
Paul is kept in prison while Felix waits for a bribe that never comes. He listens to Paul often but never decides. For two years, Paul sits in a place of waiting.
💬 One Thought
Waiting can feel like wasting—but the Spirit turns it into preparation. Paul didn’t control the outcome, but he stayed faithful in the meantime. Sometimes the Spirit doesn’t change your circumstances right away—but He changes you in the waiting. That’s where strength is formed. That’s where roots go deep.
❓One Question
What are you waiting on—and how might the Spirit be shaping you while you wait?
🔥 One Challenge
Each Wednesday during this study, we’re inviting everyone to fast and pray together. Fasting means intentionally choosing to go without food for a period of time—maybe that means skipping a meal, a snack, or your favorite daily treat. The point isn’t perfection—it’s presence. For today, Fast from something that pulls your attention from the slow and sacred. Let your discomfort turn into a question: “Spirit, what are You forming in me while I wait?”
Day 25 (Thursday, 8/28): Read Acts 25
Theme: The Spirit Gives You a Broader View
📖 Summary
Paul appeals to Caesar; he’s thinking beyond what anyone has before. He’s not just trying to escape; he wants to carry the Gospel as far as he can. Even as people question him and plot against him, Paul keeps his eyes on the bigger story.
💬 One Thought
The Holy Spirit lifts our eyes when we feel stuck in the weeds. Paul didn’t let small thinking diminish his purpose; he kept the Kingdom in view. Sometimes the Spirit’s role is to remind us that there’s more than this moment. More than the mess. More than what you can see. You’re part of something eternal.
❓One Question
Where have you been thinking small—and how might the Spirit want to expand your vision?
🔥 One Challenge
Practice the discipline of vision. Write a prayer that reflects a Kingdom-sized view of your life—not just your next step, but your legacy. Bonus: write a letter of what you hope for your family and read it to them.
Day 26 (Friday, 8/29): Read Acts 26
Theme: The Spirit Gives You Words
📖 Summary
Paul shares his story again—this time with King Agrippa. He’s respectful, honest, and bold. He speaks with clarity, and even the king is moved: “Do you think you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
💬 One Thought
You don’t have to be a preacher to be powerful. The Spirit gives you the right words at the right time—especially when your words are filled with love and truth. Paul didn’t try to impress anyone. He just told the truth, with the Spirit’s help. You can too.
❓One Question
Where is the Spirit asking you to speak—with honesty, humility, and hope?
🔥 One Challenge
Practice the discipline of speaking life. Encourage someone today with something that is true, personal, and Spirit-led.
Day 27 (Saturday, 8/30): Read Acts 27
Theme: The Spirit Holds You Through the Storm
📖 Summary
Paul sets sail for Rome—and it goes sideways. A violent storm hits. People panic. But Paul stands up and says, “Take heart. God is with us. We’ll make it through.” Eventually, the ship wrecks, but everyone survives.
💬 One Thought
The Spirit doesn’t always calm the storm, but He always carries you through it. When everything’s shaking, He reminds you of what’s still true: You are not alone. You are not forgotten. You will not be destroyed. Like Paul, you can be a voice of hope in the middle of chaos—because you know who’s in the boat with you.
❓One Question
Where in your life do you feel like you’re in the midst of a storm?
🔥 One Challenge
Practice the discipline of remembrance. Make a list of three storms you’ve survived and how God carried you. Let it increase your hope in Him. Take communion (or just a quiet moment with bread and water). Thank God for His presence in every storm you’ve weathered. Break the bread in remembrance of Jesus and say, “You gave your life for me; I know you are still with me.”
Day 28 (Sunday, 8/31): Read Acts 28
Theme: The Story Isn’t Over
📖 Summary
Paul makes it to Rome—bitten by a snake, shipwrecked, and still full of fire (literally). He teaches, heals, and welcomes all who come, and then the book ends, kind of suddenly. There’s no tidy wrap-up—just Paul, proclaiming the Kingdom, full of the Spirit.
💬 One Thought
Acts ends open-ended because the story continues in US. The Holy Spirit isn’t finished. He’s still empowering ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Still speaking. Still healing. Still sending. And now, it’s our turn. Our chapter starts here!
❓One Question
What has the Spirit stirred in you these 28 days that you want to carry forward?
🔥 One Challenge
Practice the discipline of celebration. Write a short reflection on what God has done this month. Then celebrate—dance, pray, sing, share your story, give yourself a high five in the mirror or just throw a smile up in the sun. You’re part of Acts 29!