Life often confronts us with moments that don't make sense. Times when what we believe about God clashes with what we experience. We pray for healing but sickness remains. We ask for breakthrough but the door remains shut.

These moments force us to wrestle with God's sovereignty and our limited understanding.

Barnabas (nicknamed the "son of encouragement) gives us an amazing picture of who we're called to be as Christ's followers! From being generous with what God blessed him with, being an advocate for Paul to the apostles in Jerusalem and a leader in the church of Antioch. He was a good man, full of integrity and faith.

This week we're asked: what would our nickname be for the person we are when no one is around? Do we stand in integrity when the spotlight is off us? Or are we a different person? We're reminded that character will keep you where your gift takes you!

We also take a where one of the first mentions of the title "Christian" comes from; the city of Antioch in which it was common for nicknames to be used for different people groups. And although they might of meant it to be sarcastic, the early church took it as a badge of honor they were to carry Christ's name!

Wherever God has placed us i our world, do they see Christ in our lives? Or do we look the same?

When God has prepared something new for us, sometimes it requires us to let go of the old in which He's already blessed us with. Peter knew that following God to the new thing He was doing was prophecy unfolding. Like Peter we should ask ourselves "Who am I to stand in God's way?"

When we find God repeating Himself through dreams, Words and situations, we're told that sometimes its to get our attention. And if we're to listen, it removes any fear and doubt that it was God speaking in the first place.

Some people will say that God has favorites, wether it be an individual or a people group. We're told by Peter that God has no favorites in this chapter. Where once was a divide between Jew and Gentile, God steps in and tears down the walls once again by outpouring His Spirit on the Gentiles just as He did for the Jewish people.

If you find yourself bored in your walk with God, it most likely comes from the absence of The Holy Spirit! He is resurrection power and has the ability to breathe new and fresh life into your day-to-day! The question is do we want to be filled and remove the leash off Him?

Continuing where we left off last week, we hear of Peter's part of the story. Where God gives him a vision, preparing him for the gentiles to be grafted into the story.

It's important to remember that when God speaks, He removes all fear and doubt. Peter was unaware of what the visions meant at the time, but God was wanting to enlarge his heart for the gentile people, before He can enlarge Peter's life.

Hospitality is one of the most powerful ways to further the gospel. Through the sharing of a meal, a trading of our own personal stories or opening our homes to those God sends our way.

And lastly, we're reminded how our faith reflects our prayer life. When we pray, we need to understand that God is setting things in motion. Too many times we cancel our own prayers by speaking doubt after we just gave them over to God to breathe life into them. And how The Holy Spirit can get specific when we take the time to quiet our life from noise and distraction.

This week, we hear of God initiating restoration toward the nations starting with Cornelius and his household. We're prodded to do a heart check within ourself on the thought of being prejudice. We might shake our heads right away and say "of course I'm not!", but do we truly treat our neighbors all the same? The unfortunate who has no home as we do our co-worker or family member? Or if a well-known wealthy person would step into our meeting, would we worship the same?

We read of two separate visions, had by two different men who loved God. The first was delivered by an angel, and we're reminded of our place above the angels! That God chose to further the gospel through a man or woman.

Lastly, we can't afford to let the noise of life rob us from hearing clearly God's voice.

This week's challenge:

1. Make time to sit in the quiet and

2. Ask someone "Do you need prayer for anything?"

Our obedience has ripple effects. Some of us want the deeper things of God without obedience. As we read this week of two miraculous healings taking place through Peter, we see what it means to be obedient and the effects it has on others.

We also learn that we live in the world we create within our words!

In Paul's powerful conversion, we see how God can turn our pain into compassion! How God will save us from a particular situation, lifestyle or belief and use us to go back into those areas and preach the good news of Jesus!

But how many of us have turned up our noses to those that struggle with the things we once did? God wants to remind us this week that our testimony testifies that if God did it for us, He can do it for others!

We're also encouraged to be a Barnabas to the new convert. To encourage those who might not have someone in their corner to believe in them! Barnabas gives us the prime example of what it means to stand with a brother, rather than stand in their way!

When the radically saved new convert is presented to us, are we quick to fan the flame and be there to encourage and build up? Or are we quick to put water on their fire because we choose to hide that theres no passionate fire in our own life?

In this week's message, we celebrate father's day with a special message.

Just because your sincere does not mean you're in line with God's will. This week we start to see Saul's conversion, and how Jesus Himself intervenes on the road to Damascus. And how God call's one of His followers to step out into unknown waters.

This week's message beg's a question we might of heard before: How many times does God have to ask you to do something? Like Ananias, do we come up with an excuse when we're fearful of the outcome? But if we continue reading the story, God does not reply to our excuse, but says "Go".

As a believer we should be reminded of the need of grace over our lives, so that way we can be quick to extend that same grace over others. Sometimes that might be out of our way, cost you something financially or inconvenience you in some way. But God called us to commitment not comfort.

Trust in God, is this week's driven message. What if our next step for our purpose in life comes when we take that next step. When we go out of our way and follow God's leading Spirit? Just know, that on the other side of your obedience stands somebody in need...