The book of Acts, commonly thought to be a sequel to the Gospel of Luke, is a book of many blessings. It's a book that illustrates for us how the church began after the ascension of Jesus. It's a book about the role and ministry of the Holy Spirit. It's a book about church growth. It's a book about witnessing. It's a historical book; it's a theological book; it's a book about attitudes, outlooks, and outcomes.

The book of Acts begins with the outpouring of God's promised Holy Spirit and how that spirit empowered the disciples to spread the message of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. In this book we see a distinctive shift in the outlook of the followers of Jesus. The book begins with a statement of purpose. Clearly the writer wants us to know that this letter continues a previous c…