In the movie, The Neverending Story, Bastion was startled to realize that he was not only reading the book, he was a part of it. The same is true for us when it comes to God’s Neverending Story: The story of saving lost sinners and bringing them into relationship with Himself. God’s story is not…
As Paul set out on his first missionary journey, we can learn about our mission today. Check out this message to see how he and Barnabas were sent by a local church, how they came face to face with the enemy of the mission, and how God’s power won the battle. Don’t go it alone.…
Mission comes with friction: attack from the enemy, struggles with temptation, even disagreements in the church. In the face of this friction, encouragement is the oil that keeps the mission running. Check out how Barnabas encouraged the early church and what you and I can learn about being encouragers today. Are you an encourager? Who’s encouraging…
In the early church, the Jewish Christians needed a reminder that the Savior didn’t only come to save them, but the Gentiles as well. Does the church today need a reminder that Jesus is not only for us? He came to seek and save the lost. Are we hoarding Him? Or are we sharing? (recording cut…
Check out what happened when our Missionary God orchestrated visions, angels, the voice of the Holy Spirit, Peter, and the good news about Jesus to bring Cornelius into a relationship with Him: A momentous event which opened the door for the good news to go to all Gentiles. Then, be blown away by the fact…
Peter traveled here and there, going wherever God led: like a tumbleweed blowing in the wind of the Spirit. As he went, God did the supernatural through him and many believed in Jesus. If you follow the Spirit’s lead in your own life, what kind of adventures will you roll into?
Useless preaching. Futile Faith. Christians enslaved by sin. Dead believers lost forever. Live however you want, because it all ends in the grave anyway. That’s the nightmare of life without the Resurrection. Thankfully, Paul shakes us awake and reminds us that our faith is based on the reality of a Savior who died for our sins, rose again, and appeared to many: Historical…
Too often we treat Christ’s death and resurrection like an exhibit at a museum. We come check it out once a year. Maybe we even shed a few tears. But then we move on with “life as normal,” seemingly disconnected from what we just looked at. But what happened that week in Jerusalem is not…
Acts chapter 8 gives us a real-life example of two men who answered that question very differently from each other. As we look at Philip and Simon the Magician, ask God to show you what your life reveals about your own answer.
A.W. Tozer said what a person thinks about God is the most important thing about them. How’s your view of God? The story of Stephen shows us some bad news and some good news. Bad news first: A small view of God will cause you to miss out on some of what He wants to…
Problems come in all shapes and sizes. Satan attacks individuals and churches. Disagreements, discouragement and depression can lead us to desperation. But don’t give up! Often the deepest darkness comes just before God makes a significant breakthrough.
If you had to pick three things that characterized the early church, what would you say? (Hint: The answer is not Cozy, Convenient, and Comfortable.) They went public with their faith. They spoke the words of life. And they made a decision about Jesus that radically shaped the way they lived. Check out this message…
Ananias and his wife Sapphira left us a clear and tragic reminder: When we give and serve, God cares more about the inward reality than outward appearances. What do you care more about? The reality God knows or what others see? Maybe if we found our significance in the truth that God loved us so much…
Until Acts 3, the early church enjoyed relative peace. Then Peter and John went and healed a crippled man. They were jailed and told to stop speaking in the name of Jesus. When they were released, they told the other Jesus followers what had happened. What do you think they did? Did they hold a…
God’s primary agent for hope and change in the world is not Democrat or Republican. It’s not socialism or capitalism. It’s not even solely American. It is the Church and the Gospel it carries. Check out this message to see what it means to be People of the Word and People of Fellowship – the…
Do you wish more people would just say it like it is? Then you would love Peter’s preaching. When it comes to sharing the good news about Jesus, we can learn a few things from his first message.
Preachers think long and hard about how to introduce their sermons. Do I tell a joke? A story? Show a video? But at the end of the day, no one introduces a message like God Himself. When the Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost there was the sound of a violent wind, 120 believers…
What’s the difference between Judas (who hung himself) and Peter (who became a key leader in the Jesus movement)? Judas failed Jesus and Peter was perfect, right? Wrong. They both failed Jesus in epic ways. The difference was where they went with their failure. How they handled it. What they did with it. And the…
Acts 1: 1 says that in the gospel of Luke, he recorded all that Jesus began to do and teach. That means his sequel (the book of Acts) records what Jesus continues to do and teach through His body, the church: the same church believers today are a part of! Check out this intro to our series on the…
When you and God have a disagreement, who needs to change their mind? Easy answer. Not so easy to live out. Thankfully, God is patient with His children and has many ways to teach us. We don’t know if Jonah ever really agreed with God about reaching the people in Nineveh. When it comes to reaching…
People spend a lot of time waiting. Sometimes, it’s just the way it has to be. Other times, there’s no reason to wait at all: Like when it comes to sharing the good news about Jesus. Don’t Wait until you have it all together. Don’t Wait until you’ve mastered a complicated message. And Don’t Wait…
Ever heard a message that started with a game of limbo? Nuff said. If you need more, think about this: “How low can you go?” is a great goal for that game, not such a great goal for life. Here’s the good news: Jonah cried out to God from the bottom of the ocean and…
So you’re on Family Feud. The first question is: “Name something in the book of Jonah.” Number one answer is…Fish? Jonah? Nineveh? The truth is all these things are like little pictures in a giant collage. When you zoom out and your eyes adjust, you see that they all blend together and form a big picture:…
Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics was given a nickname: “The Truth.” One of the most famous movies lines of all time was: “You can’t handle the truth.” People often say, “My truth is my truth, your truth is your truth” and “There is no absolute truth.” The truth is talked about a lot. It…
Every groom is concerned when his bride is sick. One thing that concerns Jesus is when His bride, the church, is racked with disunity. That’s why the Holy Spirit works to bring Inward Unity (between churches and individual believers). When Jesus prayed for this unity in John 17, He knew it was intricately connected to…
The Bible has many pictures of the Holy Spirit’s power. One of them is a stream of living water. Simply put, your life is like a hose. The Holy Spirit is like the powerful, refreshing water that wants to flow through you and bless those around you. You can’t create His power, but you can…
Spiritual interest is up. Church attendance is down. Could it be that some looking for spirituality are looking elsewhere because the church has been trying life in our own power? Too often, the Holy Spirit is ignored or misunderstood. Check out this message for an introduction to some of the common ways He’s misunderstood and…
Join two disciples on a walk they would never forget. Luke 24:13-36 (The Road to Emmaus)