Acts - The Story of the Church

DATE: February 23, 2025

THEME: Unity & Vision in Ephesians

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians

Ephesians is one of the "prison letters" that Paul write while under house arrest in Rome. This week we take a dive into identifying the key themes and ideas that Paul is seeking to convey to the beloved brothers and sisters in Ephesus. A city in which he spent over 2 and a half years ministering and training leaders.

DATE: February 16, 2025

THEME: Christ is the Center

SCRIPTURE: Colossians & Philemon

We are starting the next stage of our "Acts" series where we are focusing on A) the rest of the New Testament books that are written as well as looking into the first generation of believers after the Apostles. This Sunday we are focusing on the letters to the Colossians and our brother Philemon.

DATE: November 24, 2024

THEME: Part of the Shift

SCRIPTURE: Acts 28:17-31

Paul is finally in Rome and he calls the Jewish leaders together to hear the good news about Jesus the Messiah. Paul is a culture shifter in his day, as God has called us to be culture shifters today. God is calling is to be a part of the shift that God wants to see in the Church and in the world.

DATE: November 17, 2024

THEME: Ambassadors for Christ

SCRIPTURE: Acts 28:11-16

Paul finished the journey to Rome, but not before a few key events on his way. In a world filled with trust and belief and reliance on other gods, humanity, philosophies, sciences, and spiritualities for peace and protection and flourishing, Paul trusts in Christ, the Most High God. We are ambassadors for Christ and HIS peace, HIS protection, HIS flourishing in this world. There is no one like our God!

DATE: November 10, 2024

THEME: Surrendered

SCRIPTURE: Acts 28:1-10

As Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus land on the Island of Malta, God performs many powerful miracles in the midst of the local people. Many of which show the power of Jesus over the power of the gods of this world by triumphing over them and delivering Paul from harm. This whole trip and experience to Malta was NOT part of the plan for Paul, but when we live our life fully surrendered to God, no experience is wasted.

DATE: November 3, 2024

THEME: Be the Light!

SCRIPTURE: Acts 27

Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus begin the journey to Rome and Paul knows that because of the lateness of their journey in the season, there is turbulent and difficult times ahead. As they made their way west toward the Rome, the journey kept getting more and more tumultuous as the enemy, Poseidon/Neptune rose up against them to hinder the journey of the gospel proclamation before Caesar, the enemy’s most powerful puppet. Paul’s message and demeanor the entire trip was for the blessing of the passengers and crew of the ship no matter what. In our lives, we often don’t feel like the best representative of our faith, but God still desires to use us no matter what stage we’re at in our faith. God is calling us to be the light as we learn to grow brighter and brighter.

DATE: October 27, 2024

THEME: Darkness to Light

SCRIPTURE: Acts 25-26

Paul appears before Festus and Herod Agrippa II & Bernice (Herod’s incestuous sister/wife). These two powerful opportunities for Paul to share both his own defense and testimony of Jesus Christ show the depths of Paul’s love for telling the story of Jesus, proclaiming the invitation for any and ALL people, including corrupt political and economic leaders to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord and be transformed from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to forgiveness of sins and the filling of the Holy Spirit, all through the powerful name of Jesus Christ, our life, light, and resurrection.

DATE: October 20, 2024

THEME: Cliches to Comfort

SCRIPTURE: Acts 24:27

Paul is kept in prison for 2 years which could lead to many emotional ups and downs, questions of calling, restlessness in the wait, gladness in his ability to minister to those who came to him and empower Luke for his great work of the books of Luke and Acts that were written during this time period. In many ways, the Church can be thankful for this 2 year time in Paul’s life being interred in Caesarea in Herod’s Palace with great freedom. Paul’s time in Caesarea also reminds us of the great endurance that God often cultivates in our lives during times of wait, difficulty, excitement, and suffering.

DATE: October 13, 2024

THEME: Wage of Life

SCRIPTURE: Acts 24:22-26

Felix keeps Paul in prison for several reasons, and during his time in Herod’s palace in Caesarea Maritime, Paul appears before Felix and his wife Drusilla. He presents the gospel to them, as well as the core teachings of Jesus - righteousness, self-control, and the judgement - at which point Felix becomes struck by the fear of God. Yet, neither him nor his wife Drusilla display any signs of belief from these conversations. What do passages like this challenge the reader with? It makes them have to accountable to the reality that the wages of life reflect who you worship as God.

DATE: October 6, 2024

THEME: According to the Way

SCRIPTURE: Acts 24:1-21

The Sanhedrin brought the lawyer "Tertullus” to accuse Paul and seek his destruction. However, God fulfilled His promise that Paul would not need to worry about what to say when brought before rulers and authorities and the Holy Spirit gave him the words to speak and declare before Felix of 1) his innocence of the charges they were bringing to him, but also 2) that Paul follows the One True God according to the Way of Jesus Christ. This is out declaration in the Church today!