Is anyone too far gone to be saved? We know the right answer to that question, but it certainly seems like there are people in history that could never have come to Christ. But what about in your life? Who have you written off, or counted out? Who have you considered not worth the time because they would never come to Jesus? That's Saul. This man that had persecuted followers of Jesus, had thrown them in prison, and had even watched as they were executed, surely Saul is too far gone to be saved, right? Acts 9 tells us a different story, how one of the chief enemies of the Way of Jesus became one of His most faithful followers. Join us as we consider how the dramatic conversion of Saul tells us something about our God, ourselves, and others.

In Acts 8:26-40, a Christian who wants to tell others about Jesus is given a unique opportunity to do just that. The man he encounters asks the question, "What prevents me from..." which we'll talk about. But that question leads me into a few others. What prevents me from having encounters like this? What prevents me from following God's leading, from going where God says? What prevents me from starting a conversation or answering a question about God's word? This story isn't just about Philip, it's also about us, and it's kinda like playing T-ball.

Paul told Timothy to be ready with God's word, in season and out of season. We may not always know the season, but in Acts 8:1-3 it was really feeling like "out of season." Christians were scattered from Jerusalem and end up "out of their league" in places like Samaria. Will these Samaritans believe the gospel? Jesus had said they should go to them ... and look what God does! You may feel like your circumstances are "out of season" and that you're "out of your league." Maybe that's just where God is working.

How do you respond when you are accused by someone? We tend to get pretty defensive and focused on ourselves. If it's a false accusation we desperately want to clear it up and make sure that they know the truth. If it's a true accusation then we desperately want them to understand why we did what we did, because we surely had a good reason. When Stephen is falsely accused he doesn't seem too worried about himself, his eyes are on Jesus. Join us this Sunday as we see Jesus all throughout Stephen's speech and we get a good example of what it looks like to have our eyes on Jesus.

What are the elements of a faithful witness for Jesus? What does that require of me? The question is all the more important when the reception is not favorable, as happens with Stephen in Acts 6-7. How can we give people the best chance to hear and believe the Savior they so urgently need?

At a time of increasing opposition and opportunity for Jesus' church, there is a danger that some on the margins could be overlooked and fall through the cracks. What can we as a church learn from what the Apostles and the congregation can do to keep that from happening?

Who's really in charge? I don't mean who is in charge of the world, or the country, or your job, or even your family. This question is meant to get deep down to the heart of you. Who is in charge of your life? Most of us go through life trying to be in control and in charge of our own lives, even if we can't always change our circumstances or the lives of people around us, at least we can be in control of ourselves. The problem with that attitude is that we will constantly be disappointed at what little control we really have. During the time of the Apostles, in the book of Acts, the Jewish Religious Leaders were slowly discovering that they were not in charge anymore, and they didn't like it. In fact they were doing whatever they could to keep hold of their power and influence in the world, even if it meant rejecting God's purpose for their life. Join us this Sunday as we find out not only what we can learn from the Apostles, but especially what we can learn from these religious leaders, and what it means to submit ourselves to God.

We resume our study through Acts in 5:12-16 this Sunday. Many signs and wonders are being done among the people. The sick are healed, people are freed from demonic oppression. Is this what vibrant and believing Christianity should look like? In what ways does this describe what God did in a certain time, and in what ways is God working miraculously today? What we believe about this will directly affect how we pray, what we do and what we say.

Whether you make resolutions or not, each new year is typically a time when we rethink our priorities and habits. Is there something new I should do? What should my priorities be in this new year? It is also good for us as a church to rethink what we are doing and why we are doing it. It is easier for habits to become rote and over time lose their focus. This Sunday, before we jump back into the book of Acts, we'll go back over some of our core essentials as a church. We'll consider from Ephesians 4:9-16 the who, what, and why of our focus as a church.

I pray that you have had a blessed Advent and Christmas season, remembering and celebrating our Lord's coming. One of my favorite parts of the Advent season is remembering that there is a second Advent! We put a lot of energy into remembering His nativity, but the New Testament actually gives far more attention to Jesus' return. This Sunday, in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24, we are going to see how the hope of His coming mattered to early Christians and the difference that hope makes for us.