What does a healthy prayer life look like? Acts 12 tells the story of when Peter was imprisoned, only to be rescued by an angel. Even though the church was praying for Peter, they were surprised that he showed up at their door. Sometimes, we act the same way and spend more time asking than we do waiting and watching for the Lord's answer.

We love to ask, “What is the Spirit doing today?” and Acts 11 answers with a living picture in Antioch. Persecution scatters believers like seed, but instead of shrinking, the gospel spreads. A new, multi-ethnic church is born in a city famous for its nicknames, and there, for the first time, followers of Jesus are called “Christians.” Why? Because what they knew, how they grew, and what they showed looked unmistakably like Jesus.

We like neat boundaries. “Insider” and “outsider,” sacred and common, ours and theirs. But the story Luke tells in Acts 10:1-11:18 refuses our neatness. The Spirit changes Peter’s attitude once again shows that God moves across walls, rewrites our categories, and pours out His Spirit where we least expect it. The Holy Spirit brings the Gospel to all people, not gradually, not as a concession, but decisively and with the same power He Poured out at Pentecost. Our question today is the same as what Peter faced in Acts 10: Will we stand in God’s way, or will we move with the Spirit who welcomes everyone to Jesus?

Acts 9 tells the story of a man once known for breathing threats and murder against Christians who is then confronted by the risen Christ and transformed into the greatest missionary the world has ever seen. But this story is not just about Saul's dramatic conversion, the ministry of Ananias, or the miraculous restoration of Dorcas. It's about the relentless grace of God, which fuels the obedient courage of ordinary disciples, and the unstoppable power of the Holy Spirit.

This morning, as we look at chapter 8 of Acts, we will see that God uses faithful and flexible servants like Philip to take the gospel across cultural, social, and spiritual boundaries.

As we continue our study in the book of Acts, we'll see how Stephen endured the accusations made against him, offered rebuttals, and dismantled the Israelites' misplaced confidence, yet ultimately suffered, which God (in His sovereignty) used to push the Gospel out among the nations.

As we enter Acts 6, we see that the church needs to pause. We see the first official complaint against the church. From the beginning, the church was not perfect. But God used broken people to reconcile people to Himself. And that is still what God is doing today.

Have you ever felt pressure to stay quiet about your faith? Maybe at work, at school, or even around friends or family in moments when speaking up for Jesus felt risky? In Acts, 5, the apostles face real threats: prison, flogging, even death. But they didn’t shrink back. Instead, they lived under God’s authority, feared Him more than men, and rejoiced when suffering for Christ. This passage calls us to that same boldness in a world that often pushes back against our witness.

In Acts 5, God stops the early church in its tracks to remind us that He's not impressed by performance. He desires truth in the inner being. This story is not about perfection, it's about purity. Not about punishment but about protecting the power and presence of God among His people. The question for us this morning is this: Am I living honestly before a Holy God? God takes our hearts seriously. Not just our actions, but our motives, our honesty, and our willingness to be real before Him.

In Pastor Talley's final sermon as a pastor on staff at CBC, we'll be revisiting Paul's letter to the Ephesians while looking to our future as a church. The future of CBC will not be secured through a pastor, program, or perfect vision, but through a God who loves and empowers His Church!