Nothing puts a fearful child more at ease than knowing their parent is with them. The darkest nights and scariest noises can be dealt with if mom or dad are near. It probably felt like that to the disciples, too. When Jesus was near, everything was okay. So when it was time for him to ascend to Heaven, it would be easy for fear set in. But as Pastor Tom shows us today, it was actually better when Jesus left, because he was not leaving them alone. He was giving them the Holy Spirit, who would be with them always.

Have you ever stopped to think just how incredible the ascension of Jesus is? Jesus could have been taken up into Heaven in any manner he wanted. He could have just disappeared with a snap of his fingers, or gone away in the middle of the night with no one around. But he was taken up in the day, before the disciples’ eyes, in a physical manner. Why? Today, Pastor Tom shows us that this way he had eyewitnesses to testify to the validity and uniqueness of the event. It was unlike anything that had ever happened.

An eyewitness account is only as credible as the witness. When it’s one person’s word against another, you will believe the person you trust more. Today, as Pastor Tom looks at the ascension of Jesus, he shows us that there was not just one eyewitness to this event. This event is not just one person’s word against another. It’s all the disciples who saw Jesus rise to Heaven. As Luke has plainly told us here, this is a real event that really happened, just as he documented. This source is credible.

When is the last time you said something? For many of us, evangelizing is intimidating. In today’s message, Pastor Tom urges you to say something despite your fears, despite your discomfort. Fight what you think the outcome may be. It’s not up to us whether someone gets saved or not. That’s the job of the Holy Spirit. It’s our job to share the truth about who Christ is with others. We are commanded to witness about who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Who is someone who needs to hear about Jesus today?

The disciples who spread Christianity were first hand witnesses to Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. In today’s message from Pastor Tom, you will hear about how we are called to be witnesses, and what we are witnessing to others about: the eyewitness testimonies of Jesus’ followers. These men saw with their own eyes and touched Jesus with their own hands after he was resurrected from the dead. We are to continue to spread their gospel message with confidence that it is truth.

After the resurrection, the disciples asked Jesus if it was now time for the kingdom to be restored to Israel. Many theologians have criticized this question, saying that the disciples completely misunderstood the Kingdom. In today’s message from Pastor Tom however, you will hear why this question was actually a relevant and valid question for them to ask Jesus. He argues that if it was not, Jesus would’ve made that very clear because he spent much of his time teaching about this coming kingdom.

What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase, “kingdom of God?” Is it something that we’re a part of now? Or is it still yet to come? Where is it? Who’s invited to it? In today’s message from Pastor Tom, you’ll hear much more about the kingdom of God and how we can participate in it. You’ll learn why it was the most frequent topic that Jesus taught about during his time on Earth. We have a calling right now to anticipate the coming Kingdom and to be witnesses of it to those who do not yet know the Lord.

The historic descent of the Holy Spirit is not taught about as often as the death and resurrection of Jesus. As you will hear Pastor Tom teach in today’s message, Jesus’ mission was to baptize us with the Holy Spirit. This part of his mission was just as important as his death and resurrection. He told his disciples that it is to our advantage that he leave so that we can receive the Holy Spirit, the Advocate. If you have placed your faith in Jesus like the disciples, you too have received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Many view death as the end. Final. Tragic. As Christians, we know that death is just the beginning. In today’s message, Pastor Tom unpacks the implications that Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection have for us. We are not only given eternal life when we believe in Him, but we are also invited to be a part of His kingdom now. Is that hard for you to believe? Today, you will hear historical evidence for how we know for sure that Jesus Christ lived, was killed and then resurrected three days later.

It would be really easy to slide on past what Pastor Tom says today, but don’t make that mistake. He said if God created the universe, and he did, then miracles are not only possible but are to be expected. Do you expect miracles? Do you expect God to reach into human history and do impossible things? Our whole faith is based on God reaching into human history. Come along today and learn how God created the Church by reaching into human history and doing the impossible through miracles.