Before you start going around examining others’ lives, it’s important that you dedicate time to some honest introspection. What kind of fruit are you bearing? Would the people around you say that they see Jesus in your words, actions, and attitudes? If you’re following Him, you won’t live a perfect life, but your life should demonstrate a trend of growth in the fruits of His Spirit. As Pastor Mark continues our study in the book of Acts today, he’ll challenge us to be bold in our love for the people around us. When you humbly approach them, allow the Spirit to provide discernment, as you seek to draw them closer to Christ.

In a battle, the element of surprise brings a massive advantage to the attacking party. Even an outnumbered, outgunned force significantly increases its chances of victory if its enemy is caught off guard. As Pastor Mark will warn us in today’s message, we’re entrenched in a spiritual battle, and it’s crucial that we’re alert and ready for the attacks of the enemy. Our enemy loves to lull us into a sense of comfort and ease. When we relax and start to think this journey is smooth sailing, that’s when he sees his chance. He’ll draw us into compromise and introduce deceptive thoughts that lead to destruction.

Do you remember the last time God spoke to you? I’m not talking about an audible voice coming down from Heaven, that’s rare… but when’s the last time you heard His voice speak to your heart? For many believers, it’s a challenge to remember a moment like that. It isn’t something unique to the people we read about in Scripture; God will speak to you if you give Him the opportunity. As Pastor Mark will challenge us in today’s message, we need to set aside time with our Father. His Word is more readily available today than it’s ever been, and He’s ready to listen and speak to you when you dedicate time in His presence. 

Following the leading of the Holy Spirit can be a real challenge in this life. As Pastor Mark points out today, as a young believer, or in a situation where you really don’t have any other choice, following the Spirit may come naturally. But in day-to-day practice, it’s easy to rely on yourself and ignore God’s guidance. To follow Jesus and allow His Spirit to move through you requires faith and intentionality. You’ll need to slow down on a routine basis, allowing time to listen for God’s still, quiet voice. You’ll also need to dig into Scripture and lean on your fellow believers for discernment and encouragement.

This account of King Herod’s untimely death is not only presented in Scripture, but in the records of Josephus – a well-respected historian of the time. It offers a warning to any who would try to take glory that should be directed to God while also persecuting those He loves. We may not see people bowing down before leaders today, but the fervor some have for their political icons can be a form of worship. As we’ll be warned in today’s message from Pastor Mark, we can have confidence that God and His Word will always prevail over these attacks, and we’d much rather be on the winning side of this war.

When you lose someone to death, it hurts. Words fail to express the inner turmoil and pain you experience in that moment. Even the knowledge that they’re with God in Heaven may only be a small consolation. You want them here with you now. As Pastor Mark will explain in today’s message, those feelings are natural, and God can handle your pain in that moment. Why doesn’t God stop us from experiencing loss and heartache? He didn’t design us to go through this originally. Our pain is the result of sin, and sin still reigns in this world. But you can have hope; God has secured victory, and He will bring good out of all of it.

An important part of your development as a follower of Christ is learning patience. This will test your faith, and you’ll find it easy to allow your passion to wane as you wait on God to lead you to the next step or open that next door for you. As Pastor Mark will point out today, you’re not alone in that. In today’s passage, we see that even the Apostle Paul had periods of waiting on God to lead him into His next mission. So what do you do while you wait? Just sit around and read your Bible and pray? Of course not – those are healthy practices, but God wants you to be actively sharing the Gospel right where you are.

Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and you can likely think of a few more holidays we celebrate as Americans that have nothing to do with Christianity. Is there any harm in participating in these? As Pastor Mark will point out in today’s message, as long as they don’t become idolatrous or seen as a requirement for faith, it’s not wrong to take part in these kinds of things.  As we’ll find in today’s passage from the book of Acts, the Apostle Peter struggled to separate Jewish rituals and rules from his faith. It was fine for him to follow those convictions for himself, as long as he didn’t place that burden on others.

There’ve been many examples in the history of Christianity, as well as in Judaism in general, where man has added conditions or even entire new laws to the Law that God ordained in Scripture. In today’s passage, we’ll witness Peter struggling with this and stepping into God’s New Covenant with faith. Peter struggled to accept God’s new work, which expanded the boundaries of his religion to invite all people, not just Jews, into God’s Kingdom. As Pastor Mark will point out in today’s message, many of us struggle in a similar way when we see God working in people we assume are too far gone for Jesus.

We aren’t saved by our obedience to the Law found in Scripture. If we could keep it perfectly, we could earn our place in God’s presence, but as Pastor Mark will remind us in today’s message, that simply isn’t possible. So, if it’s impossible to live by the Laws that God set in place, how can we ever be worthy to be in His presence? Are we doomed to a life of sin, separated from Him? …No, that’s where Jesus comes into the picture. He died in our place as a perfect sacrifice once and for all. This doesn’t mean we just throw away the Law, though – we’re still called to live by it in loving obedience to our Savior.