June 21, 2025
“The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him” (Acts 13:44-45 ESV). The ministry of Paul and Barnabas was marked by great results and great resistance.
June 20, 2025
“For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers” (Acts 13:36 ESV). The apostle Paul described King David’s life with a powerful summary during his sermon in Pisidian Antioch. He said David “served the purpose of God in his own generation.” Though
June 18, 2025
“Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last” (Acts 12:23 ESV). There are many Herods in the Bible. This Herod is Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, who sent soldiers to Bethlehem to try
June 17, 2025
“Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.” (Acts 11:1 ESV). This verse reports a historic and groundbreaking moment in the early church. For the first time, Gentiles—those outside the covenant community of Israel—had received the word of God. The apostles and
June 12, 2025
“Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35 ESV). When the Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip about the identity of the subject in Isaiah 53, he “told him the Good News about Jesus.” For the eunuch had turned to where Isaiah wrote, “He was
June 10, 2025
“Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says.” (Acts 7:48 ESV). Stephen stood before the Sanhedrin, bold and unflinching. He knew the price of truth might be death, but he would not remain silent. In his powerful speech, he reminded Israel’s leaders of a troubling pattern in
June 6, 2025
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13 ESV). Something extraordinary happens to ordinary people when they spend time with Jesus. When Peter, the former fisherman, stood before a council of
September 15, 2024 | Acts 2:42-47 |
When you visit another country or even another part of our country, you’ll notice several unique features to their community, to their culture. What they believe, whether they are relational, friendly or not, what kind of food they eat and of course what language or dialect they speak. A shared language is one of the key marks of any community.
The same was true of the first century church. They had their own way of greeting one another. They had a shared language–– it was the language of prayer. It was a shared focus, one that focused on spending time together talking to God in prayer.
We can experience this authentic community when we pursue the four devotions of the apostle’s teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers. Today, we’re going to focus on the 4th devotion, “A Shared Focus.”
August 25, 2024 | Acts 2:42-47 |
While communities based around politics, sports, BBQ and regional accents may help us find people to associate with as friends, they fall far short of the real community that God has in mind for us. How do we move from these “pseudo-communities” to real community?
In the book of Acts, Luke described the “true community” of the first century church. He noted that they were marked by four “devotions.” These devotions were: a shared faith, a shared family, a shared food, and a shared focus.
We can experience this authentic community when we pursue these four devotions. In this first message in the series, we’re going to focus on the first devotion, “A Shared Faith.”
July 11, 2024
“He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:30-31 ESV). What Satan meant for evil, God used for good. The Jewish leaders that brought charges against Paul