Coastal Church Podcast

The Book of Acts is a book of miracles - God’s power in action. To act means to do something, to carry out, to move, behave, or exert power, and that is exactly what we see in today’s message in Acts chapter 12.

In the Bible, one Mother stands out for leaving a legacy of extraordinary courage and unwavering faith. Her name is Jochebed, the mother of Moses, who had just a few short years with her son, yet the impact she left is still felt today. In the face of Pharaoh’s ruthless decree condemning Hebrew male infants to death, Jochebed defied the tyrannical order and entrusted her son’s fate to the hands of God. Her life still speaks today as a testament to the power of a mother’s love and faith that can shape a nation.

In Acts Chapter 11, the early church begins to see a clearer picture of God’s purpose for salvation. Not only was the gospel of Christ for every nation, whether Jew or Gentile, but God’s plan included bringing every nation, tongue and tribe together in Christ.

Cornelius was a Roman Centurion who got God’s attention. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says “the eyes of the LORD search to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” This week we explore the qualities of Cornelius from Acts Chapter 10.

The conversion process of the apostle Paul is one of the most significant events in the book of Acts. The chief persecutor of the church is converted to be a zealous follower of Jesus Christ.

Paul’s conversion follows the same basic process for everyone.

After the stoning of Stephen, great persecution arises in Jerusalem as believers are imprisoned and forced to flee the city. As a result, the good news of Jesus begins to spread everywhere they are scattered. In Samaria, Philip preaches with healings and miracles following and leads many to Christ while Peter and John pray for these new Christians to receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 8 shows us how the Holy Spirit helps the Church and what it takes for the Holy Spirit to move among us.

Acts chapter seven serves as a pivotal point for the spread of Christianity globally. Stephen, a member of the serve team in the early church is a great example of lay person who faithfully serves.

His influence leads to his defending his action by a powerful sermon, that highlights two crucial points: Israel’s historical resistance to God’s prophets and the inadequacy of the law to save due to its inability to transform hearts.

Every sermon preached by every Christian in the New Testament centers on the resurrection. The Gospel is essentially the good news of Christ’s resurrection. The news that flashed across the ancient world, that set hearts on fire, changed lives, and turned the world upside down was not “love your neighbor”. Everyone knew that was not news. The news was that a Man who claimed to be the Son of God, and the Saviour the world, had risen from the dead. Jesus’s resurrection has since impacted the lives of millions of people.

On Palm Sunday, the vision that Jesus had for the future was not what the people were looking for. We often have our own plan for God in our lives instead of submitting to Him and understanding what He sees for us.

In Acts chapter 6 we discover how the early growing church responded to division and the powerful solution of a serve team. When we all embrace our unique roles in God’s kingdom, whether teaching, giving, encouraging, or serving; this will foster unity and empower the healthy growth of the church.