A shorter message than usual because we spent much of the day in prayer. But we looked at Romans 12:1-2 and the challenge to prioritize the kingdom of God, and refocus on spiritual things as we start off the new year.

It seems like we are growing more and more exhausted as a culture. We are burnt out, running around, and hanging on by a thread. Those aren't things that describe a life of joy. So what is it like to live with Joy? How can we have Joy in a culture of chaos? 

As we wait for Christmas, we look at those who were waiting in anticipation for Christ's first coming, and ask how we can live with that anticipation looking toward His return.

Thankfulness is a lifestyle that can be difficult to live out in our culture. We are constantly bombarded by companies trying to make us dissatisfied with what we have so we want more. When we fight for thankfulness because we realize Christ is enough for us, it will lead us to live overflowing with thankfulness for what God has done and blessed us with.

Where do you get your strength? Where does your glory go? We can have a tendency to look to other places to give praise and to get strength. In this chapter of Acts, we see that looking up is always going to provide us with better results. Especially when there are consequences for things like taking glory away from God.

The vision God gave Peter can be a tough thing to interpret. As a modern-day believer, it's easy to get confused by what part of the Old Testament Law is still relevant to us. The vision didn't abolish any part of the moral law, but freed believers from the civil and ceremonial laws. God has been drawing all nations to Himself since the beginning of time, and this chapter shows us the gospel reaching the gentiles. And He will not return until every nation has heard the Gospel!

Cornelius the Centurian was remembered by God because of the way he lived. The qualities used to describe him are qualities that should mark our lives as believers. He was Devout and God-fearing, generous to the needy, and prayed regularly. These are not always the things we think of when we think of living for Jesus, but they are important in how we carry ourselves. 

God is so powerful that He can redeem anyone. Saul killed Christians and wasn't too far gone to save. The faithfulness of Ananias to obey God no matter how uncomfortable the request resulted in the salvation of Saul. There are no limits to God's power in what He can do, or how He can use us.

The story of Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch is a fantastic example of the ability we have to share the gospel in our lives. It's not something that should feel like a daunting task but is more simple than we realize. Through the Holy Spirit, we can recognize opportunities and meet people where they are. We can listen to people's needs instead of feeling like pushy salesmen. We just have to believe the Holy Spirit will support us, that there is power in the gospel, and believe in ourselves. 

Chapter 8 kind of serves as a catch-all chapter. It contains amazing stories about how the gospel has advanced in the nations. We see how God takes bad things and redeems them in the spreading of the gospel despite persecution. Then the story of Simon the Magician shows us the importance of discipleship and how the Gospel unites people from different backgrounds.