In this episode of The Blitz, Pastor Jon discusses how God used evil for good in the life of Joseph. Then he explores how God might be using this season to bring an explosion of Christian entrepreneurship in our community.

Big Ideas

1. An imperfect Church
While the majority of this text is about faithful and obedient Christians loving and serving others, Luke does mention those Jewish believers who refused to share their lives with non-Jews. This issue was among the biggest issues the Church in Acts faced. This isn’t the first time Luke has mentioned it, and it’s not the last. Being a historian, Luke is not interested in painting the prettiest picture of the Church. Instead, he speaks the truth. And the truth is that the 1st century Church, like every other Church, was an imperfect Church. We need not be afraid to acknowledge the sin and brokenness in our history. We are not the heroes, Jesus is.

2. Doctrine matters
When the Jerusalem Church heard of conversion in Antioch, they didn’t just celebrate the news; they sent Barnabas to observe the reports of conversions. Certainly part of Barnabas’ mission was to verify that these people had actually come to faith in Jesus and had not just been caught up in some new religious fervor. Barnabas also brought Paul in so that he might teach and instruct these new believers. Why? Because providing faithful biblical teaching and instruction is a practical way of caring for and loving Christians. Doctrine matters.

3. Financial generosity
Upon hearing about the forthcoming famine, the Church in Antioch mobilized to provide financial support for their brothers in Judea. Financial generosity is one of the repeating themes throughout Acts. As recipients of God’s generosity in Christ, Christians are eager to share with those in need. This is especially true when it comes to sharing with other Christians in need (Galatians 6:10). Financial generosity is a practical expression of God’s love and care for others and is a natural expression of godly gratitude.

Study Questions

1. Does Luke’s honesty about the moral issues and sin in the early Church build or erode your confidence in the truthfulness of his account? Why?

2. Ongoing teaching and instruction is essential to Christian growth and maturity. In addition to weekly worship, how do you pursue doctrinal and theological instruction? Is this an area of strength or weakness for you?

3. Have you ever been the recipient of financial generosity? How did it affect you? How can you grow in financial generosity?

When Saul met Jesus on the Damascus Road, everything changed. The sovereign grace of God met Saul and made a train wreck of his life as it was. He went from persecutor to ardent supporter of the Church; from opposed to mixing with Gentiles to uniting Gentiles and Jews within the Church; from hauling Christians to the magistrate to preaching the Gospel to kings. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten discuss how the grace of God meets us and subjects everything in our lives to him.

Being a mother is hard work. Moms have the rewarding yet difficult job of raising little disciples of Christ while also growing in Him themselves. In this teaching, Lacey Kuhns reminds moms about the joy and challenge of growing as Godly mothers in Christ.

There is a sense in which the gospel of Jesus is both "against the world" and "for the world." This isn't just a theoretical tension, but a tension that shows up in our relationships and lives in tumultuous ways. It is a tension that we are called to walk through in faith and the love of God. In this episode of Bible Thoughts, Pastor Rusten considers the letter of Jude, specifically the call on the church to persevere in times of increased tension.

Big Ideas

1. Circumcised critics
The Church has no lack of critics. Sometimes, when the Church is in error or in sin, the criticism is warranted and should be received as God’s gracious invitation to repent. But at other times, the criticism is baseless and motivated by jealousy, insecurity, and fear. The circumcised critics in this text fall into the latter category. What better way to respond to Peter’s successful evangelism than to criticize his efforts? When God is on the move, you’ll always find a church member complaining about it.

2. Prejudice and racism die slowly
Peter had a front-row seat to the conversion of Cornelius and his Gentile buddies. When he was criticized for it, he defended the Gospel and stood up for his new Gentile brothers and sisters. But Peter’s struggle with prejudice and racism was not over. Later, Paul would confront Peter for slipping back into his old ways, favoring Jews and marginalizing the believing Gentiles (Galatians 2:11-13). Our struggle against sin never ends. Though we are forgiven and have new power to live new lives in Christ, we still struggle against sin and must be brought back to the truth of God over and over again.

3. The unity of the Church
Something unprecedented was taking place in the early Church. Individuals and families from every ethnicity were being brought together and reconciled to one another in the Church. This had never been seen before. Not in Israel. Not in the world. In Jesus, God was creating a new humanity in which people from every nation were invited to repent, trust in Jesus, receive forgiveness, and be reconciled to God and one another.

Study Questions

1. When have you received justified criticism? When have you received unjustified criticism? How did you respond?

2. Peter, and some in the early Church, struggled to see the Gentile believers as equals. Faith in Jesus did not make this sin automatically disappear. Against what sins have you or do you continue to struggle? What growth have you seen? What work remains to be done?

3. Church unity is something that Luke continues to emphasize through Acts. How can you contribute to and cultivate unity in your church?

In this episode of Doxological, Pastor Ryan interviews worship leader and songwriter, Wendell Kimbrough. Wendell has written several songs that we sing at Coram Deo Church. Ryan talks to him about singing the Psalms, his writing process, and how the Psalms have shaped him and his faith.

Listen to Wendell's new single, See How Good It Is (Psalm 113), featuring Sandra McCracken!
https://www.wendellk.com/shg

Wendell's Site: https://www.wendellk.com/
Wendell's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wendellkmusic

In this episode of The Blitz, Pastor Jon explores some of the theological, Christological, philosophical, ethical, and legal issues that must be considered when thinking through whether or not the COVID19 vax mandates are biblical.