Immerse: Luke and Acts - 4 Week Bible Reading Experience

Read (and listen!) through the amazing story of Luke and Acts!

Get your copy of Immerse Luke & Acts or the complete Immerse Bible set at https://immersebible.com
Immerse contains the full text of the New Living Translation with brief introductions to each book. Nothing has been added or removed from the Bible text. Click here to look inside.

Immerse: Luke and Acts is part of the Immerse: The Reading Bible, which takes you on a new and unique journey through the books of Luke and Acts in the New Testament. This fresh arrangement of the books highlights the depth of the New Testament’s fourfold witness to Jesus the Messiah. The Son of God, who fulfills all the longings and promises of the collected Scriptures. The goal of Bible reading is to understand the sacred writings in depth so we can learn to live with them. Using the text of the New Living Translation (NLT) from Tyndale Publishing, now you can experience Luke and Acts the same way the original readers did and be fully immersed in the most amazing story of all time!

QUICK START GUIDE
3 ways to get the most out of your experience
  1. Use Immerse: Luke & Acts instead of your regular chapter-and-verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural
    simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like
    songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.
  2. Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together
    for 4 weeks—more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.
  3. Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Luke & Acts, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”
4 Questions to get your conversations started:
  1. What stood out to you this week?
  2. Was there anything confusing or troubling?
  3. Did anything make you think differently about God?
  4. How might this change the way we live?
The Immerse Bible Series is the proud winner of the prestigious Bible of the Year award from the ECPA Christian Book Awards. Immerse: The Reading Bible is specially crafted for a distraction-free listening and reading experience, helping you dive in and get immersed in Scripture. You’ll have a great experience using Immerse by yourself. But for an even richer experience, try reading with friends.

Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience is an invitation to a different kind of community interaction with the Bible. Less like a Bible study, more like a book club.

– 4, 8, or 16-week Bible listening plans take you through a large section of the Bible like the New Testament or the Torah
– Meet once a week for a free-flowing discussion about the text
– Wrestle with questions and celebrate ‘aha!’ moments together

What is Immerse: Luke and Acts - 4 Week Bible Reading Experience?

Read (and listen!) through the amazing story of Luke and Acts!

Immerse: Luke and Acts is part of Immerse: The Reading Bible, which takes you on a new and unique journey through the books of Luke and Acts in the New Testament. This fresh arrangement of the books highlights the depth of the New Testament’s fourfold witness to Jesus the Messiah. The Son of God, who fulfills all the longings and promises of the collected Scriptures. The goal of Bible reading is to understand the sacred writings in depth so we can learn to live with them. Using the text of the New Living Translation (NLT) from Tyndale Publishing, now you can experience Luke and Acts the same way the original readers did and be fully immersed in the most amazing story of all time!

Alan: Welcome to Immerse Luke and
Acts, Day fourteen, Week three

.
But the believers who were
scattered preached the good news

about Jesus wherever they went.

Philip, for example, went
to the city of Samaria.

And told the people
there about the Messiah.

Crowds listened intently to Philip because
they were eager to hear his message

and see the miraculous signs he did.

Many evil spirits were cast out,
screaming as they left their victims.

And many who had been
paralyzed or lame were healed.

So there was great joy in that city.

A man named Simon had been a
sorcerer there for many years,

amazing the people of Samaria
and claiming to be someone great.

Everyone, from the least to the
greatest, often spoke of him as

the Great One, the power of God.

They listened closely to him
because for a long time he had

astounded them with his magic.

But now, the people believed
Philip's message of good news

concerning the kingdom of God
and the name of Jesus Christ.

As a result, many men
and women were baptized.

Then Simon himself
believed and was baptized.

He began following Philip wherever he
went, and he was amazed by the signs

and great miracles Philip performed.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that
the people of Samaria had accepted God's

message, they sent Peter and John there.

As soon as they arrived, they
prayed for these new believers

to receive the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon
any of them, for they had only been

baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then Peter and John laid their
hands upon these believers, and

they received the Holy Spirit.

When Simon saw that the Spirit
was given when the apostles laid

their hands on people, he offered
them money to buy this power.

Let me have this power, too.

He exclaimed, So that when I
lay my hands on people, they

will receive the Holy Spirit.

But Peter replied, May your
money be destroyed with you for

thinking God's gift can be bought.

You can have no part in this, for
your heart is not right with God.

Repent of your wickedness
and pray to the Lord.

Perhaps he will forgive your
evil thoughts, for I can see that

you are full of bitter jealousy
and are held captive by sin.

Pray to the Lord for me, Simon
exclaimed, that these terrible things

you've said won't happen to me.

After testifying and preaching the
word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and

John returned to Jerusalem, and they
stopped in many Samaritan villages

along the way to preach the good news.

As for Philip, an angel of the Lord
said to him, Go south down the desert

road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.

So he started out, and he met the
treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch

of great authority under the
Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia.

The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to
worship, and he was now returning.

Seated in his carriage, he was reading
aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

The Holy Spirit said to Philip, Go over
and walk along beside the carriage.

Philip ran over and heard the man
reading from the prophet Isaiah.

Philip asked, Do you understand
what you are reading?

The man replied, How can I,
unless someone instructs me?

And he urged Philip to come up
into the carriage and sit with him.

The passage of scripture he had
been reading was this, He was led

like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb is silent before the

shearers, he did not open his mouth.

He was humiliated and received no justice.

Who can speak of his descendants?

For his life was taken from the earth.

The eunuch asked Philip, Tell
me, was the prophet talking

about himself or someone else?

So beginning with this same scripture,
Philip told him the good news about Jesus.

As they rode along, they came
to some water, and the eunuch

said, Look, there's some water.

Why can't I be baptized?

He ordered the carriage to stop,
and they went down into the

water, and Philip baptized him.

When they came up out of the water, the
Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away.

The eunuch never saw him again,
but went on his way rejoicing.

Meanwhile, Philip found himself
farther north, at the town of Azotus.

He preached the good news there,
and in every town along the

way, until he came to Caesarea.

Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats
with every breath, and was eager

to kill the Lord's followers.

So he went to the high priest.

He requested letters addressed to the
synagogues in Damascus, asking for

their cooperation in the arrest of any
followers of the way he found there.

He wanted to bring them, both men and
women, back to Jerusalem in chains.

As he was approaching Damascus on
this mission, a light from heaven

suddenly shone down around him.

He fell to the ground and heard
a voice saying to him, Saul.

Saul, why are you persecuting me?

Who are you, Lord?

Saul asked, and the voice replied, I
am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.

Now get up and go into the city.

And you will be told what you must do.

The men with Saul stood speechless,
for they heard the sound of

someone's voice, but saw no one.

Saul picked himself up off the ground.

But when he opened his eyes, he was blind.

So his companions led him
by the hand to Damascus.

He remained there blind for three
days, and did not eat or drink.

Now there was a believer
in Damascus named Ananias.

The Lord spoke to him in a
vision, calling, Ananias!

Yes, Lord!

He replied.

The Lord said, Go over to Straight
Street, to the house of Judas.

When you get there, ask for
a man from Tarsus named Saul.

He is praying to me right now.

I have shown him a vision of a man
named Ananias coming in and laying

hands on him so he can see again.

But, Lord, exclaimed Ananias, I
have heard many people talk about

the terrible things this man has
done to the believers in Jerusalem.

And he is authorized by the
leading priests to arrest

everyone who calls upon your name.

But the Lord said, Go, for Saul is
my chosen instrument, to take my

message to the Gentiles and to kings.

As well as to the people of Israel,
and I will show him how much

he must suffer for my namesake.

So Ananias went and found Saul.

He laid his hands on him and said,
Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who

appeared to you on the road, has sent
me so that you might regain your sight

and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Instantly, something like scales fell from
Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight.

Then he got up and was baptized.

Afterward, he ate some food
and regained his strength.

Saul stayed with the believers
in Damascus for a few days.

And immediately he began preaching
about Jesus in the synagogue,

saying, He is indeed the Son of God.

All who heard him were amazed.

Isn't this the same man who
caused such devastation among

Jesus followers in Jerusalem?

They asked.

And didn't he come here to arrest them?

And take them in chains
to the leading priests?

Saul's preaching became more and
more powerful, and the Jews in

Damascus couldn't refute his proofs
that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

After a while, some of the Jews
plotted together to kill him.

They were watching for him day and night
at the city gates so they could murder

him, but Saul was told about their plot.

So during the night, some of the other
believers lowered him in a large basket

through an opening in the city wall.

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he
tried to meet with the believers,

but they were all afraid of him.

They did not believe he had
truly become a believer.

Then Barnabas brought him to the
apostles and told them how Saul had

seen the Lord on the way to Damascus,
and how the Lord had spoken to Saul.

He also told them that Saul had preached
boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.

So Saul stayed with the apostles and
went all around Jerusalem with them,

preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.

He debated with some Greek speaking
Jews, but they tried to murder him.

When the believers heard about this,
they took him down to Caesarea and

sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown.

The church then had
peace throughout Judea.

And it became stronger as the beliefers
lived in the fear of the Lord, and

with the encouragement of the Holy
Spirit, it also grew in numbers.

This concludes today's
Immerse Reading Experience.

Thank you for joining us.