We’ve seen God at work throughout the book of Acts. This morning we’ll watch as God does some “set-up” work—bringing the right people to the right place so something really good can happen down the line. Like a chess grandmaster, God is always thinking many moves ahead. - Pastor Ron Kool

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We’ve been talking about the story where Cornelius and those closest to him become Christians. It’s great news and something to be celebrated.  But it’s also something that raises a question—one that the church is going to struggle with for some time. The question is this: What expectations should be made of Gentiles who are becoming Christians? How much of the Jewish faith do they need to adopt as followers of Jesus? - Pastor Ron Kool

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I don’t know if Peter ever got over it.  What an amazing day.  Gentiles—Pagans—filled with the Spirit.  Praising God. Speaking in tongues.  Who would have guessed this could happen?  This morning we’ll be reminded of just how far the love of God goes. - Pastor Ron Kool

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We’ve all had that experience of feeling like we’ve been “accepted” into a group but we still feel a bit like an outsider.  Maybe we don’t wear the right clothes or have the right political opinions, but we don’t quite feel like we really belong.  This morning we’ll start looking at a story that would force the early church to think deeply about who really belongs. - Pastor Ron Kool

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There has been a whole lot of action recently with the early church! Samaritans and Ethiopians are being saved! The greatest persecutor of the church became God’s chosen instrument to grow the church! This week we’re going to see a little break from the “big headlines” and see how even in times of peace, the Spirit is still active and ahead of us and calling us to be “meanwhile missionaries.” - Pastor Arek O'Connell

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Last week we saw that the biggest enemy of the church (Saul), became a Christ-follower with a significant calling.  As Saul begins his life as a Christian, he finds himself unsure of where he will fit in.  His new community—the church—is reluctant to embrace Him too quickly and his old community—Judaism—will not accept him any longer.  This morning we’ll think about this question: What does it take for Saul to find his place in the new community? - Pastor Ron Kool

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He hated Christians with a holy fire. He wanted nothing more than to wipe these people out. But then it happened. Saul was stopped in his tracks by Jesus. And nothing was the same for Saul for the rest of his life. - Pastor Ron Kool

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One of the main themes of the Book of Acts is that we are to tell others about Jesus. For many of us, this can be a bit scary. We worry about what to say and what not to say.  We worry about whether the person we’re speaking with will get angry.  This morning we’ll take a look at a story that reminds us that the Spirit is always going ahead of us, preparing us and preparing those with whom we’ll be speaking. Knowing that the Spirit is doing the hard work can help us relax and not be afraid. - Pastor Ron Kool

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This morning we’re going to learn a lesson that will set the tone for the rest of Acts: God's Spirit is active and ahead of us… all the time. As the Spirit continues to grow the church, one thing we’ll constantly learn is that we can’t control the Spirit! All we can do is catch up and keep in step. - Pastor Arek O'Connell

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A Higher Court
Stephen is on trial and it’s not going well. The deck is stacked against him.  But just as people in the courtroom erupt and begin to attack him, Stephen is given a gift. He has a vision of another courtroom, a higher courtroom.  Stephen lost his case in one court. But he didn’t really care because he knew he won in the court that really matters. - Pastor Ron Kool

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