The Practice Lab:
Training for the Front Lines

The Book of Acts is your tactical manual; the Interactive Research Hub is your intelligence engine. This Lab is where you learn to use state-of-the-art search and synthesis technology to help you understand everything taught in Acts. The database is entirely from Dr. John MacArthur’s decades of research presented in his two sermon series on the Book of Acts and two-volume Commentary. Don't just read Acts — interrogate it.

If you are a really serious student who wants add “Deep Research” from the internet - and you don’t fear AI-generated content - click on our links to “Legacy Pages”. These contain a “pre-MacArthur” version of the Acts 2020 Project with three “Levels” (word length) of analysis covering all passages in Acts.

How to Conduct an Investigation

To get the most out of the Research Hub, follow these simple steps:

  1. Select a Practice Question: Start by copying one of the questions below.

  2. Go to the Hub: Click on the "Ask John" button.

  3. Paste your question into the Chat Box (at the bottom of the center section in the Hub.)
    Example: “In Acts 2:6 when the 120 were speaking in other languages, what were they saying that all who heard them understood and some mocked?

  4. Analyze the Evidence: In 30 seconds the Hub will search and synthesize Dr. MacArthur’s resources into a fascinating analysis and narrative - with citations you can reference.

The Deployment Phase (see the Evangelism page)

Convert Dr. MacArthur’s answer into a conversation starter:

  • For a Tailored Presentation: (example) "Now, take that detailed investigative answer and summarize it into three key talking points to use in a conversation with a secular friend or relative."

  • For an Elevator Pitch: (example) "Convert this research into a concise, 60-second 'Elevator Pitch' that focuses on (for example) the '3rd Hour Defense' and why biblical faith is based on objective truth rather than internal feelings."

This is just a start. You will learn more about how to do this effectively as you go through the Book of Acts with us. For now, just practice using the Interactive Research Hub by inserting some of the questions below.

Student Practice Questions **

  1. "How did the miracle at Pentecost prove that the Apostles weren't just making things up?"

  2. "What are the absolute proofs Dr. MacArthur mentions that show Jesus really rose from the dead?"

  3. "How does Peter use the Old Testament to show that his message was based on facts, not just a new feeling?"

  4. "How do we explain to a non-believer today that they have a personal choice to make about Jesus?"

** The Three Components of the Logic Lens:

When a student is told to use the Logic Lens, they are being asked to identify the internal consistency, rational necessity, and forensic coherence of the Apostolic strategy.

1. The Principle of Rational Necessity

This asks: “Given the facts on the ground, what is the only logical conclusion?”

  • Example (Acts 4:19-20):
    Peter isn't just being stubborn when he defies the Sanhedrin. The Logic Lens reveals a Hierarchy of Authority. If God (the higher power) commands speech and the Sanhedrin (the lower power) commands silence, it is a logical impossibility to obey both. To obey the lower is to logically rebel against the higher. Therefore, defiance is a rational necessity.

2. The Removal of Naturalistic Absurdity

This asks: “Does the opposing argument make sense, or is it a logical fallacy?”

  • Example (Acts 2:13-15):
    When the mockers say the Apostles are "full of new wine," Peter uses the Logic Lens to expose the absurdity. It is 9:00 AM; devout Jews do not drink before prayer. The accusation is a logical mismatch with the cultural reality. By pointing this out, Peter dismantles the "Naturalistic Firewall" of the skeptics.

3. The Forensic Linkage

This asks: “How does the physical evidence dictate the mental verdict?”

  • Example (Acts 5:29-32):
    The Logic Lens connects the Empty Tomb to the Apostolic Message. If the body is gone and the witnesses are transformed, the logical "burden of proof" shifts to the accusers. The Lens forces the student to see that the Gospel is not a "leap of faith" into the dark, but a step into the light of established facts.

Why it is used in the Workbook:

In the Strategic Output (The “Elevator Pitch”), we ask the student to use the Logic Lens so they stop saying, "I feel like Jesus is real," and start saying, "The evidence of the Resurrection makes the claims of Christ a logical reality that must be addressed."

It shifts the conversation from Subjective Opinion to Objective Fact.

"Ask John"