A Seattle Church

Guest Pastor Glenn Packiam dives into 1 Corinthians 15, where we are reminded that our hope is rooted in something far greater than optimism or the belief that things will get better. It's rooted in the resurrection of Jesus. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we can trust that even in our darkest moments, God is still at work and death doesn't have the final word. His resurrection reminds us that God is making all things new, inviting us to live with a hope that holds steady even when life doesn't go as planned.

The message of Jesus begins changing lives in Ephesus in Acts 19. As people turn away from their idols and begin following Jesus, the things they once valued and trusted start to lose their hold. Their story invites us to ask what might be taking God's place in our own lives. Following Jesus isn't just about what we believe on Sundays, but how we live every day. As we allow His love and truth to change us, we become people who bring that same hope and change to the world around us.

In Acts 19, we meet people who have pieces of faith, but are missing the whole. Some know the right things, others do the right things, and some want the power of God without truly knowing Jesus. Their stories invite us to look at our own lives and ask: Are we following Jesus with everything? God invites us into a faith where His Word shapes us, His love moves us to action, and His Spirit works through us. Following Jesus means giving Him our whole lives, not just picking the parts that feel comfortable.

Paul arrives in Corinth frustrated, and facing more opposition to the work God has called him to. In the middle of his discouragement, God reminds him: “Do not be afraid. Keep on speaking. I am with you.” Paul’s story reminds us that difficulty doesn’t always mean we’re headed in the wrong direction. Sometimes faithfulness simply means continuing to show up, trusting that God is working even when we can’t see it yet. God gives us people to walk alongside us, moments of encouragement along the way, and His presence through it all. Wherever God has called you, don’t give up. Keep going. He is with you.

Paul walks into a city full of different ideas about truth, happiness, meaning, and God in Acts 17. It doesn’t feel all that different from our own context in Seattle. Instead of condemning the people around him, Paul listens and meets them where they are, pointing listeners toward the God they’ve been searching for all along. His example invites us to look honestly at the ideas and truths shaping our own lives, while learning how to share Jesus with humility and courage.

Paul and Silas arrive in Thessalonica with a message that begins to turn the city upside down:

Jesus is King.

Some receive the good news, but others resist it. We see how God can use ordinary conversations, open homes, and everyday faithfulness to slowly change a city. The same invitation to live differently because of Jesus is available for us today. We get the opportunity to share His hope with courage, and to trust that one conversation, one table, and one neighborhood at a time can make a difference.

In Acts 16, almost nothing goes according to plan. Paul and Silas face closed doors, unexpected people, opposition, and even prison. Their story reminds us that following Jesus isn’t about finding the perfect open door or figuring out God’s entire plan for our lives. It’s about learning to listen, trust, and follow Him one step at a time, even when the way forward doesn’t make sense.

What might change if, instead of asking God to bless our plans, we simply asked, “God, what do You want me to do here?”

Is the grace of Jesus really enough?

In Acts 15, the early church wrestled with this question like we do today. We can easily turn faith into another place to perform, prove ourselves, or decide who belongs. But the Gospel was never meant to be a checklist. We are loved and welcomed by God not because of what we’ve achieved or how well we’ve performed, but because of what Jesus has already done. His grace is enough and there’s nothing we need to add to it.

In Acts 14, the crowd quickly begins worshiping the messengers instead of the God who brought the miracle. This story invites us to consider the people, power, success, or approval we sometimes look to for what only God can give. As Paul and Barnabas point the crowd back to the living God, we're reminded that following Jesus means turning from the things we trust to save us, welcoming His presence, and learning to keep going even when the road gets hard.

In Acts 13, Paul tells the story of God’s faithfulness from generations past all the way to Jesus. Along the way, we’re reminded how easy it is to focus on what we have, what we’re missing, or what others have and lose sight of the greatest gift we’ve already been given. Jesus invites us into a story bigger than our own, where we can receive His grace with joy and share it freely with others. What might change if we stopped trying to fit Jesus into our story and began seeing ourselves as part of His?