What does it look like when the Holy Spirit sends people out, and how can they still be full of joy when the world turns against them? In Lesson 13 of Fire Up!, "Advancements and Adversity Intertwined," Rob Pine and Cynthia follow the gospel from Antioch in Syria to Antioch in Pisidia as Paul's first missionary journey begins.

They start in Acts 11, where believers scattered by persecution plant the church at Antioch and Barnabas brings Saul in to help teach. In Acts 13:1–5, the Holy Spirit tells the church, while it is worshiping and fasting, to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work He has called them to, with John Mark along to help. Rob and Cynthia also cover the false teacher in Cyprus, the governor who comes to faith there, and Paul's first full sermon in Pisidian Antioch. That leads into Romans 8:12–17 and what it means to be adopted children of God and co-heirs with Christ. Philippians 1:21 and James 1:2–3 help explain how the disciples could be joyful even after being persecuted and driven out.

Cynthia shares why accountability groups matter for leaders (Acts 20:28–31). She also talks through the myths and sayings she grew up with (1 Timothy 4), from black-cat bad luck to "God just wants you to be happy," and the time she answered that last one with a simple truth: God wants His people to be holy.

This episode is a companion to the Fire Up! study guide by Mark Schupbach, a 24-lesson study of the Holy Spirit from LifeMark Ministries.

What does it take for you to see someone, or something, in a completely new way? Sometimes it's a conversion. Sometimes it's a transformation.

In this episode, Rob Pine and Bible teacher Cynthia Michael explore how the Holy Spirit worked in two very different men. In Acts 9, Saul, a leading persecutor of the church who had watched the stoning of Stephen, is confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus, struck blind, and spends three days praying and fasting before Ananias lays hands on him so he can see and receive the Holy Spirit. Before long, the hunter becomes the hunted as Saul boldly proves in the synagogues that Jesus is the Christ. Then in Acts 10, Peter's rooftop vision in Joppa prepares him for a radical shift in thinking, leading him into the home of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, where the Holy Spirit is poured out on Gentiles for the first time, a moment Rob calls the "Gentile Pentecost."

Rob reflects on his own teaching about the Jewish, Samaritan, and Gentile Pentecosts and why we can't put God in a box, while Cynthia shares how both Saul and Peter had to humble themselves and let go of previous beliefs. Together they consider why God works through the whole body of believers, and why a life of continual transformation requires humility.

This episode is a companion to Lesson 12 of the Fire Up! study guide from LifeMark Ministries. Find the study guide, podcast, and video series at lifemarkministries.org.

Why do you believe what you believe? Many Christians can tell you what they believe but struggle to explain why. In Lesson 11, "The Fire Spreads Through Stephen and Philip," Rob Pine and Bible teacher Cynthia Michael look at two of the seven men chosen in Acts 6. They were picked because they were known to be "full of the Spirit and wisdom," and both did far more than wait on tables.

Stephen's sermon before the Sanhedrin (Acts 7) walks through Israel's history from Abraham to the Messiah. It ends with his vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God, which Rob describes as a heavenly "standing ovation." Rob and Cynthia show how this fulfilled Jesus' promise in Luke 21:15 to give His followers words and wisdom. They also talk about our call in 1 Peter 3:15 to give a reason for our hope with gentleness and respect.

After Stephen is stoned, persecution scatters the church. Philip carries the gospel to Samaria, a people many Jews avoided, and then to an Ethiopian official reading Isaiah 53 (Acts 8). Cynthia points out that Philip listened and asked questions before he taught. Rob shares how Terry Rush patiently walked with him for months before he came to faith at age 28. The episode closes with a prayer that all believers would be full of God's Spirit, wisdom, faith, grace and power.

This episode is a companion to Fire Up!, a 24-lesson study guide on the Holy Spirit by Mark Schupbach from LifeMark Ministries.