November – The Kingdom Extended

The victorious King has conquered sin and death and commissioned His followers to take the good news of His Kingdom to the ends of the earth. In Acts, we see this mission carried forward through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. What began in Jerusalem among Jesus’ Jewish followers extends to Samaria, to the Gentiles, and eventually throughout the Roman Empire and to Rome itself. The apostles and the early churches become instruments of God’s continuing work as the Gospel crosses cultural, ethnic, political, and geographical boundaries.

The letters written alongside this story help us understand what this new community of God’s Kingdom is becoming. The Gospel creates a people reconciled to God and to one another, shaped by the Spirit, called to holiness, suffering, mission, and faithful witness. The Kingdom is extended not through political power or human strength, but through the proclamation of Christ and the transformed lives of His people.

Week 1 — The Spirit Comes and the Kingdom Expands

Pentecost and the early church movement. The Kingdom begins to extend from Jerusalem to the Jewish people and beyond.

Reading: Acts 1–14; James
Jesus ascends to the Father, but His mission does not end. The Holy Spirit comes upon His followers at Pentecost, empowering them to become witnesses to Christ. The early church grows rapidly as the apostles proclaim the resurrection, face opposition, and demonstrate the transforming power of the Gospel. Acts 1–14 shows the beginning of Jesus’ command to take the Gospel from Jerusalem outward, while James reminds these new believers that genuine faith produces a transformed life.

Guiding questions

1. What does Pentecost reveal about the role of the Holy Spirit in continuing the work of Jesus and advancing God’s Kingdom?
2. How does the Gospel move from Jerusalem toward Samaria and the nations, and what barriers does God overcome along the way?
3. What do the lives of Peter, Stephen, Philip, and Paul reveal about the kind of people God uses to advance His Kingdom?
4. How does James help us understand what authentic faith should look like in the lives of people who belong to this new Kingdom?

Week 2 — The Kingdom Extends to the Gentiles

Paul’s missionary journeys. The Kingdom crosses ethnic, cultural, political, and religious boundaries.

Reading: Acts 15–20; 1–2 Thessalonians; Galatians
The Gospel now moves decisively into the Gentile world. The Jerusalem Council wrestles with what it means for Gentiles to become followers of Jesus, while Paul’s missionary journeys establish churches across the Roman world. Galatians makes clear that salvation comes through faith in Christ rather than through keeping the law, while the Thessalonian letters show what this new faith looks like in communities waiting for the return of their King.

Guiding questions

1. Why was the inclusion of Gentiles such a significant challenge for the early church, and how does the Jerusalem Council resolve the question?
2. What does Paul mean when he insists that people are justified by faith rather than by works of the law?
3. How do Paul’s missionary methods reveal both the opportunities and the opposition involved in advancing God’s Kingdom?
4. How does the expectation of Christ’s return shape the way the Thessalonian believers are called to live?

Week 3 — The Kingdom on Trial

Paul’s defense before earthly authorities. The Kingdom confronts earthly powers.

Reading: Acts 21–25; 1 Corinthians
Paul’s return to Jerusalem leads to his arrest and a series of defenses before religious and political authorities. Yet what appears to be a setback becomes another opportunity for the Gospel to advance. The Corinthian correspondence gives us a window into the challenges faced by churches within the Roman world and the need for God’s people to live differently from the surrounding culture.

Guiding questions

1. How does Paul respond when obedience to God brings suffering, accusation, and imprisonment?
2. How does Paul’s defense before earthly authorities demonstrate the difference between God’s Kingdom and the kingdoms of this world?
3. What problems in Corinth reveal the difficulty of forming a distinctly Christian community within a pagan culture?
4. What does 1 Corinthians teach about the church as Christ’s body and the role of spiritual gifts in carrying out His mission?

Week 4 — The Kingdom Enters Rome

Paul’s journey to Rome. The Gospel reaches the heart of the Roman Empire in the midst of a clash of kingdoms.

Reading: Acts 26–28; 2 Corinthians; Philippians
Paul’s journey ends in Rome, but Acts ends without the Gospel reaching an earthly conclusion. The Kingdom has entered the heart of the Roman Empire, not through military power or political influence, but through the faithful witness of a suffering apostle. In 2 Corinthians and Philippians, Paul gives us a deeper picture of the servant of Christ: weak in himself, yet strengthened by God; suffering, yet rejoicing; imprisoned, yet faithfully proclaiming the Gospel.

Guiding questions

1. How does Paul’s journey to Rome demonstrate God’s sovereignty over circumstances that appear to obstruct the Gospel?
2. What does Paul’s suffering reveal about the way God’s Kingdom advances?
3. How do 2 Corinthians and Philippians challenge our understanding of strength, success, leadership, and service?
4. Why does Acts end with Paul in Rome rather than with a clear conclusion to the story? What does this suggest about the continuing mission of the Church? (Compare with Heb. 11:36-40.)

Finishing Up — Reconciled in Christ

The extension of the Kingdom is ultimately centered on the supremacy of Christ.

Reading: Colossians
Colossians brings the story back to the King Himself. The Gospel that has moved from Jerusalem to Rome is ultimately not about the apostles but about Christ, through whom all things were created and through whom all things are being reconciled. He is supreme over every power and authority, and His people have been transferred into His Kingdom. The mission of the Church therefore flows from the identity and supremacy of Christ.

Guiding questions

1. What does Colossians reveal about the identity, authority, and supremacy of Christ?
2. How does Paul describe the reconciliation accomplished through Christ, and what does this mean for God’s Kingdom?
3. What does it mean that believers have been “transferred” into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son?
4. How should the supremacy of Christ shape the way believers live, worship, serve, and participate in His continuing mission?