Imagine being suddenly awakened in the middle of the night by the piercing sound of a smoke alarm. Disoriented and half-asleep, you stumble through the darkness, trying to identify the danger before it is too late. The book of Joel is God's urgent alarm to a people who had drifted from Him and could no longer recognize their true spiritual condition. Yet His warning is also an expression of patience, mercy, and love, because God pursues us and calls us to return before destruction comes. This Sunday, we will ask whether we are hearing the alarm and how we should respond when God calls, "Return to Me with all your heart."

I once heard how terrifying it could be for a husband to hear the words, "Honey, we need to talk." Uh oh, what's this about. He'd rather not know... Let's face it, sometimes guys just don't listen well. So, she puts his face in her hands, turns him away from the TV and says, "You really need to hear this..." That's what God does with His people in the book of Amos. The prophet works extra hard because they need to hear this. But this is not just a message to Israel back then, we really need to hear this today. Let's hear what God says through Amos.

Micah's message is one of impending judgment because God is just and He cannot ignore the rampant corruption, oppression, and violence happening in Israel. Yet, the God of Israel delights in mercy and steadfast love. He is readily willing to forgive and have compassion on His people. The summation of what God wants is found in Micah 6:8. He wants us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him. These requirements reflect His character and who He is. He is a God of Justice, He is a God of Mercy, and He is a God who wants to have relationship with us. This is the righteous, gracious, loving God we serve and who Micah proclaims.

Hosea uses a compelling marriage in the first three chapters to call Israel back to faith in God. Faith in their Lord will mean forsaking false confidences they have turned to for security and fulfillment. We also turn aside to things that can't satisfy, leading us to try harder and wander further... This Sunday, may God open our hearts, confront our idols and return our trust to Him alone.

We are starting a new series in the Minor Prophets. We will have one or two messages from each of "The Twelve." This week we begin with the Book of Hosea. As you read chapters 1-3 you would likely ask, would God really do this? Why would God put His prophet through such a miserable marriage? Hosea reveals to us precious truth about the steadfast and determined love of God for His people, which compels us toward a greater faithfulness "on earth as it is in Heaven."

We have one more Sunday in the Book of Acts, where we will look again at the bigger picture Acts provides of God's character, His purposes and the hope we have in the Gospel. This Sunday we also will begin a new adult class for the summer. Doctrines that Divide will consider various doctrines that differ from one church to another. Some of these are essentials we should divide over, others are important differences that we should understand in order to know how to relate to others and why we believe what we believe.

The book of Acts begins by referring to what Jesus began to do and teach, Acts 1:1. It's fitting that the book closes with what Jesus continues to do. In this last act of Acts, Jesus continues to do what He has been doing through Paul. He continues to do so for 2 more years in Rome. And it's this same thing that Jesus continues to do through us today. This Sunday, may God challenge us to faithfully continue in what Jesus continues to do.

We are almost to the end of our journey through the book of Acts, and Paul is almost to Rome. As the hymn says, "Faith has brought me safe thus far..." yet to finish well requires us to continue trusting our God and Savior. In Acts 28:1-16, God shows us three specific ways in which we can continue to trust Him. Join us to hear from our Lord in His Word.

Acts 27 is a dramatic chapter that drew me into the world of 1st century shipping and the suddenly arising Mediterranean storms called "medicanes." In the midst of this stormy sea voyage, God tells us what we need to do when we find ourselves in the eye of a storm.

Do you believe the Scriptures? I know that you believe. In our passage this Sunday, Paul asks King Agrippa this simple but very pointed question. And yet, there is more going on beneath the surface. The real question Paul is asking is: "will you believe in Jesus?" What if someone asked you that question? You would probably say "Yes, I have already believed in Jesus!" But like Paul, I would like to press a little deeper with that question, do you believe in Jesus, and what difference has that made in your life?