Hope Begins With Jesus

Doubt and skepticism invade our belief in prayer and the result is we aren’t seeing the freedom and the power of prayer being unleashed in our lives because we’re asking Does Prayer Work?

We regularly face problems we have to solve, but if we continue to rely on our own power, we will continue to remain in bondage to our circumstances and miss the power Jesus has given us - the power of prayer. It is time to throw off the shackles of self help and recognize the power of Jesus to begin Breaking Free to experience this power as Prayer is Unleashed.

Jesus, as He walked and talked, countered the culture by deconstructing their view and rebuilding a way of life that was not built around an institution, but a person. That person is Jesus Himself. As we continue in the book of Acts, we will see that Jesus is not invisible. Jesus brings life-transforming power that is evident in those who are Practicing the Way, the way of Jesus.

Comparison separates us and pits us against each other, but when the focus remains on who Jesus is and what Jesus has done, we realize that even Off the Map, we are all the same. Same Need, Same Gospel.

True freedom isn't merely the absence of constraints. It's the liberty to live according to God's design and to pursue His purpose even when we’re Off the Map because, as we’ll see today, Freedom leads to Flourishing.

Peter was a Jew and the Jews had lived by the law, given by God, for 15 centuries and now it was changing. The law created a mental map for how Peter and every Jew was to live. God was taking them Off the Map to help them understand that God’s Purpose has Priority.

Life presents a challenge when what we encounter does not line up with our mental map. When we are Off the Map, the question becomes, Who’s in Charge? In our discomfort with the unknown, we often default to what we know. Off the Map moments are more about who you know.

We need some discomfort because it creates an opportunity for growth. In God’s sovereignty, He will take us Off the Map because God is teaching us about Himself and helping us to become more like Jesus.