Paul gets one more hearing, this time before a king who actually knows the Scriptures, and he makes the most of it. He lays out his old life as a persecutor, what happened on the road to Damascus, and why the prophets and Moses point to a Christ who suffers and rises. Festus interrupts and calls him insane. Agrippa is smoother about it. Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian? Then he stands, agrees that Paul has done nothing worth death, and walks out. Paul could have been set free, but the Holy Spirit was leading him to appeal before Caesar.

The Rev. Timothy Barkett, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Kingman, AZ, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 26:1-32.

To learn more about Good Shepherd in Kingman, visit goodshepherdlckingman.org.

The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.