Acts Lesson 29 – Acts 28:1 – 31
Date – late 60 to early 63 AD

In Lesson 28 we read about the journey that Paul took from Caesarea, headed for Rome in the custody of the Roman centurion Julius and his soldiers. He was allowed to take along several of his friends, including Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, and Timothy. From the beginning, the weather was against them, and caused them to hug the coast of Asia. Finally, because of the lateness of the season, they transferred to a large Alexandrian grain ship in Myra. They sailed toward Crete, but again the weather delayed their progress until, when they finally reached Crete, they had abandoned the idea of going further in the stormy season. However, when they tried to improve their anchorage from the isolated bay of Fair Havens, to a little further east, they were caught by a violent storm and blown out to sea. The storm was so violent, that to save themselves, they had to cut away all their rigging. They survived the worst of the storm, but that left them a floating hulk, only stabilized by a sea anchor to keep their bow to the wind. They may have drifted for as long as two months. During this period, Paul encouraged them by telling them that God had sent an angel who had told him that although the ship would be lost, no one would lose their lives. Finally, two weeks later, during the night, they confirmed by soundings, that they were close to land. They anchored the ship and waited for daylight. Paul encouraged them to eat and gain strength. He saved their lives by helping to prevent the sailors from leaving them on the longboat. Finally, when daylight came, they sailed the ship with just the one remaining foresail toward the beach. When it ran aground, the centurion Julius, because of his regard for Paul, prevented his soldiers from killing their prisoners. As the ship started to break up, every single person among the 276 souls aboard managed to find something floating to hold on to and made it to the beach.

Foundations of Faith - Lesson on Prayer (4)

January 29, 2012
The Power in Praying:  How Do I Pray More Effectively?

Big Idea:  Maximize the conditions for answered prayer

Focal Scripture:  James 5:16 (NASB95) — 16 “ . . . The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

www.houstonsfirst.org/foundationsofthefaithteachers 


 

Class Objective:  To increase prayer effectiveness by influencing the class to pray shamelessly and persistently with fervency, sincerely depending upon and believing He will answer by continually entrusting the situation to Him, while obeying Him and doing my part.