Chris Turner | Acts 10

While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.’

Peter went down and said to the men, ‘I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?’

The men replied, ‘We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.’

A Roman soldier receives a vision telling him to summon Simon Peter to visit him. Then the Holy Spirit makes clear to Simon Peter himself that he must overcome his hostility to Gentiles. As Chris Turner explains, what follows is a God-inspired turning point for the church, transforming it from a sect within Judaism to a worldwide family open to every race and nation. Whatever our previous understanding of what God might do, we need to be obedient and willing to change when he does something new.

The recording begins with the reading from Alison Cooper.

Bobbie Frere | Acts 9:32-43

As Peter travelled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralysed and had been bedridden for eight years. ‘Aeneas,’ Peter said to him, ‘Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.’ Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

Where is God in my healing? And what does it mean to be healed? For some people - notably Bobbie herself - these are urgent and vital questions. As the reading continues, Peter is called to visit a woman who has fallen ill and died - and she is raised back to life. Why are some people physically healed, and not others? As Bobbie explains, healing is in God's hands, not ours, but when it happens it is a powerful pointer to Jesus and an affirmation of the value of every child of God.

The recording begins with the reading from Kate Routley.

Chris Turner | Acts 9:19b-31

When [Saul] came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

Even though Saul - better known to us as Paul - had preached the gospel powerfully in Damascus, the apostles in Jerusalem could not forget his previous persecution of the believers. As Chris Turner explains, Barnabas played a vital role in bridging the gap and building trust. And, as the story of Acts continues, we see further instances of Barnabas promoting the ministry of Paul and others. We all need encouragement, and we need people like Barnabas, the "son of encouragement".

The recording begins with the reading from Simon Jones.

Bobbie Frere | Acts 9:1-19a

As [Saul] neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’

As Bobbie explains, a Damascus Road conversion has become a figure of everyday speech: a complete and sudden turnaround in beliefs and attitudes. Yet Saul - from here on known by his Greek name, Paul - was already passionate about serving God. A genuine encounter with Jesus, whether sudden or gradual, should truly be a life-changing experience.

The recording begins with the reading from Alan Haynes.

Sam Haynes | Acts 8:26-40 | Isaiah 56:1-8

The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

For this is what the Lord says:

On  a desert road, riding in a chariot, an Ethiopian eunuch - a senior court official - is struggling to understand a passage of Scripture. Suddenly, Philip appears alongside him and offers to explain it to him - and in doing so, introduces him to the gospel. As Sam Haynes explains, this man was an outsider according to the Jewish customs of the day, but there is no barrier to him being welcomed in by Jesus and becoming part of the family of faith.

The recording begins with the reading from John Davies.

An edited video recording of the service can be viewed on YouTube.

Explore Team | Acts 8:4-25 

Now for some time a man named Simon had practised sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria... and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, ‘This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.’ They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptised. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

Impressed by the power exercised by the apostles, Simon offers them money to have that power for himself. Wrong, Simon - but why? Through a dramatised reading and a short talk the Explore team explain that some things can't be bought or sold, only given away.

An edited video recording of the Sunday service - which also includes music - can be viewed on YouTube.

Susan Haynes | Acts 6:1-8:3 (extracts)

Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called) - Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia - who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

This week's story begins with a dispute about distribution of food; it ends with an outbreak of persecution and the spreading of the gospel as the believers are scattered. In between, Stephen, appointed to what many might see as a lesser role within the church, becomes a powerful witness and the first Christian to die for his faith. As Susan Haynes explains, everything we do for God - however humble the task might seem - needs to be done in the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can be fully available for him to use.

The recording begins with the reading from Susan Mole.

An edited video recording of the service can be viewed on YouTube.

It is with great sadness that I share the following news.

The text is available on the church website here.

A prayer for our church family this week.

Music by Denys Kyshchuk from Pixabay

Keeping watch like Habakkuk means being attentive, patient and faithful.