Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”

Then Paul stretched out his hand and began to defend himself.

Acts 26:1

In the opening verses of Acts, Jesus tells the apostles they will receive the power of the Holy Spirit and be witnesses to the ends of the earth.

The apostle Paul went to the ends of the earth and shared the story of Jesus and also his experience of Jesus.

His testimony helped bring people to faith and build churches.

He was able to share the gospel with kings, emperors, and everyday people.

We too have a testimony to share.

We can tell others the difference God’s love has made in our lives.

Who knows, it may make all the difference in the world.

Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way.

For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’

What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

Acts 17:22–23

As Paul traveled he proclaimed the gospel to people of all backgrounds and would adjust how he shared the good news about Jesus in order to connect with people on their terms.

When Paul arrives in Athens, he utilizes his knowledge of their gods and poets to introduce the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

This kind of adaptation is critical for the ongoing development of the church.

The central message of the gospel is eternal, but how we share it and the different forms the church can take have always been contextual.

We can sometimes get stuck in a mind-set of “it has always been done this way” but the truth is the Spirit continues to inspire creative and dynamic approaches to sharing the gospel.

Join us Sunday as we continue to discover the richness of the book of Acts and how we can Do Life Together.

Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers,

“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas

and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders.

Acts 15:1–2

Acts tells the story of the early church and all aspects of Doing Life Together.

This Sunday we will focus on how the church uses discernment to make important determinations.

In this particular chapter, the church is faced with whether or not Gentile believers have to follow the religious customs of the Jewish faith.

On the specific issue of circumcision, there was a great deal of dispute.

How this issue gets resolved provides key insights for how we can navigate difficult decisions today.

Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.

And they had John also to assist them.

Acts 13:4–5

The church expanded through the missionary journeys of Paul.

At each stop, he would visit the local synagogue and tell the story of Jesus death and resurrection and what it meant for all people.

At some places the Word was received and a local church was founded.

At other places, they had more difficulty.

These missionary journeys were driven by the Spirit and the same Spirit worked in the hearts of those who heard.

The same is true for the church today.

We are sent out to share God’s word and the Spirit of God determines how the message is received.

Message delivered by Chris Christensen.

Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”

Acts 10:34–35

Jesus sent the apostles to share their testimony to the “ends of the earth.”

This mission meant some deeply embedded values would be challenged.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the people of Israel were chosen by God for a special covenant which set them apart from all other people.

The Jewish people were God’s people, all others not so much.

But as the church begins to expand, Peter and the other disciples discern that God is seeking to include all people, not just the Jewish people.

God wants a relationship with all people and if the church wants to keep up with God, it needs to do everything possible to include everyone.

Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

Acts 6:8

Stephen was one of the seven chosen to help solve the food distribution problem in the early church.

In his new leadership role, he even went beyond addressing issues within the church but began a public ministry like the apostles.

He quickly encountered resistance and underwent persecution for his faith that ultimately (spoiler alert) led to his martyrdom.

While most of us will not encounter such resistance because of our faith, persecution can come in many forms.

Join us Sunday as consider this challenging topic and how it relates to us today.

Message delivered by Pastor Kelly Sandin.

Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food.

And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables."

Acts 6:1-2

The early church grew very fast. With this growth came a certain amount of chaos and disorder.

One of the earliest issues involved food distribution.

The Hellenist (Greek speaking) widows were not getting the food they needed and their community began to complain.

This situation was brought the apostles attention for them to address.

This was a leadership test for the apostles and their decision was to empower new leaders so they could continue to focus on sharing their witness to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

The ability to equip and empower those with gifts to serve is essential in the church.

It is also not an easy thing for most people to do.

Join us Sunday as we consider the challenge and gift of empowerment.

Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property;

with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

“Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land?”

Acts 5:1-3

Last week, we examined the formation of the church.

The Spirit powerfully brought everyone together and they shared all things in common and dedicated their lives to the new faith community.

This idealistic harmony did not last long before conflict occurred.

The story of Ananias and Sapphira is more than a story of greed and deceit, it is also the story of the role of authenticity in community.

When everyone is counting on everyone else to do their part, what happens when people don’t follow through?

How does this effect the community moving forward?

Now perhaps the expectation of sharing all things was too burdensome, but what is the appropriate expectation of sharing Life Together?

Join us Sunday as we consider conflict in community.

Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Acts 2:41-42

On the day of Pentecost, the apostles were given the ability to speak all the languages of those gathered.

Peter then spoke his first sermon, sharing the good news of Christ and calling on people to repent, get baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit.

It was the most effective sermon ever! Three thousand people were baptized and joined the church.

This must have been an awe inspiring moment to witness, and everyone was unified in spirit and practice.

This is the church’s origin story and reminds us of the fundamentals of doing life together: study, fellowship, worship, and prayer.

Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.