Outline: 1. Appeal to God's Instituted Authority Structures 2. The Importance of a Plurality of Leadership 3. How Christ Leads His Church

This sermon draws from Paul and Barnabas's missionary journey in Acts 14 to emphasize three essential attitudes for faithful Christian witness: being ready for opposition, ready to support believers, and ready to glorify God. It portrays Paul's resilience in the face of stoning not as mere endurance, but as a profound demonstration of commitment to his mission. Todd Billman underscores that true faithfulness involves returning to strengthen new believers, even at great personal cost, and that discipleship requires intentional, ongoing care rather than one-time evangelism. The narrative highlights the importance of honest teaching—acknowledging that tribulation is part of the Christian journey—while rejecting self-glory in favor of attributing all success to God's grace. Ultimately, the message calls the church to embrace inconvenience, courage, and humility, recognizing that the gospel's power lies not in human effort, but in divine transformation, and that every believer is called to share this life-changing truth with boldness and love. Outline: When sharing the Gospel, we must... 1) Be Ready for Opposition 2) Be Ready to Support Believers! 3) Be Ready to Glorify God!

1. Unflinching Resolve - An Example to Imitate 2. Christ is Building His Church The sermon centers on the unflinching resolve of Paul and Barnabas as they endure persecution, rejection, and even stoning while faithfully proclaiming the gospel, demonstrating that true courage is not the absence of fear but the steadfast commitment to Christ amid opposition. Through their journey from Iconium to Lystra, the apostles exemplify boldness in preaching and a clear, direct call to turn from vain idols to the living God, rooted in the universal revelation of God as Creator. The preacher emphasizes that such courage is not self-generated but flows from humility, acknowledgment of personal weakness, and reliance on Christ's power, contrasting worldly heroism with the gospel's call to follow Jesus in humility and sacrifice. The narrative underscores that Christ is building His church not through human strength but through the Spirit's power, as seen in the transformation of persecutors like Paul and the enduring impact of faithful witness. Ultimately, the call is to fix our eyes on Jesus, the supreme example of humility and strength, inviting all—men, women, and children—to embrace a courage that is rooted in dependence on God rather than self-reliance.

1. Expect The Holy Spirit to Save 2. Expect The Counterattack to Come 3. Allow Scripture to Define Your Perspective The end of Acts 13 reveals the transformative power of the gospel, as the Holy Spirit draws both Jews and Gentiles to faith, marked by an insatiable hunger for God's Word and a joy that endures despite opposition. The response of the crowd—first eager to hear more, then met with jealousy and persecution—demonstrates that genuine spiritual awakening inevitably provokes resistance, as the gospel divides hearts and exposes the spiritual warfare beneath human conflict. The Holy Spirit is sovereign in salvation—evidenced by the truth that "as many as were appointed to eternal life believed." Believers must also expect a counterattack, for following Christ is not a path of ease but one of costly discipleship. Ultimately, the passage calls for a biblical perspective: embracing the 'already but not yet' reality of the kingdom, where suffering and joy coexist.

This is a sermon about a sermon. To be more specific, Paul's sermon at a synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia in Acts 13. Paul's sermon traces Israel's redemptive history to reveal the fulfillment of God's promises in Jesus Christ. Centered on the pattern of divine faithfulness—problem, divine intervention, and ultimate deliverance—Paul connects the Old Testament's prophetic storyline to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, demonstrating how even the crucifixion of Christ was part of God's sovereign plan to redeem humanity. The message emphasizes that salvation is not earned by law or lineage but received by faith in Christ, who bore the curse of sin on the cross and offers justification and freedom to all who believe. With urgent pastoral tone, the sermon concludes with a sobering call to respond in repentance and faith, warning that rejecting this gospel leads to spiritual ruin, while embracing Christ—like fleeing to the ark—brings eternal safety and joy. 1. First Missionary Journey of Paul 2. Paul's Sermon in Antioch of Pisidia a. The Gospel in Bud - History of Israel b. The Gospel in Bloom - Christ c. The Required Response – Reliance on Christ

The passage from Acts 13 highlights the divine initiation, practical demands, and spiritual courage required for cross-cultural missions, as the church at Antioch, marked by diverse leadership and worship, is led by the Holy Spirit to send Barnabas and Saul on a strategic mission to Cyprus and beyond. Their journey, marked by intentional travel and the inclusion of a young helper like John Mark, exemplifies the necessity of physical and cultural displacement in advancing the gospel. The confrontation with the sorcerer Elymas in Paphos underscores the reality of spiritual opposition, yet the power of God's Word—demonstrated through miraculous intervention and the conversion of the Roman proconsul—reveals that spiritual transformation is ultimately rooted in divine truth, not signs alone. The sermon emphasizes that missions flow from worship, require personal sacrifice and courage, and are not limited to foreign fields but begin with faithful witness in one's immediate sphere, with the ultimate goal of seeing God's people freed from spiritual bondage and His good works fulfilled both locally and globally. 1. Cross-Cultural Missions is Initiated by the HS 2. Cross-Cultural Missions Requires Travel 3. Cross-Cultural Missions Boldly Confronts Spiritual Strongholds

A talk about Expectations at our family retreat fall 2025 by Todd Billman and Nathan Francis. This talk explores the pervasive human tendency to harbor unrealistic expectations, using a playful skit to illustrate how unmet expectations lead to disappointment, frustration, and relational tension. Drawing from Scripture, particularly the encounter at the well in John 4 and the story of Peter walking on water in Matthew 14, it emphasizes that while expectations are natural, they become destructive when centered on people rather than on God. The message calls for a shift in focus—from self-centered demands to Christ-centered humility, urging believers to communicate honestly, forgive freely, and love sacrificially. Ultimately, it points to the hope of Revelation 21, where God's perfect promises will fulfill all longing, and encourages listeners to place their ultimate expectations on Him alone, finding peace in His faithfulness rather than in the flawed reliability of others.

A talk about Contentment at our family retreat fall 2025 by Zion Connors and Nathan Francis. The talk presents Christian contentment not as passive resignation or emotional suppression, but as a disciplined, inward posture of joyful submission to God's sovereign providence in every circumstance. Rooted in Paul's declaration in Philippians 4:11–13, it emphasizes that contentment is a learned spiritual habit, cultivated through self-denial, a recognition of God's wise ordering of life, and a reorientation of desires away from worldly pursuits toward Christ as the ultimate treasure. The message contrasts the fleeting satisfaction of external circumstances—illustrated through a skit of two people: a discontent person seeking pleasure through the warmth of a fire (external circumstances) and a content person who embraces difficult circumstances with contentment. The teaching warns against the dangers of discontentment, which arises from unmet desires and distorted comparisons, and calls believers to practical disciplines such as gratitude, self-examination, and intentional focus on eternal realities, ultimately framing contentment as both a gift and a discipline that leads to greater holiness, joy, and freedom from the world's relentless demands.

1. Christ Wins in the End 2. God is the Only One Worthy of Worship 3. The Word [The Church] of God is Always Multiplying This passage from Acts 12 presents a powerful testament to God's sovereignty, illustrating how Christ ultimately triumphs over human pride and persecution. Through the dramatic downfall of Herod—arrogantly hailed as a god yet struck down by divine judgment for refusing to give glory to God—the sermon underscores that only God is worthy of worship, exposing the deadly nature of pride that infects every human heart. In stark contrast to Herod's demise, the word of God continues to increase and multiply, demonstrating that the church's growth is not dependent on human strength or giftedness but on faithful proclamation and obedience to Scripture. The narrative necessitates believers to examine their own hearts, confessing pride, and to surrender fully to Christ as King, embracing humility rather than self-exaltation. Ultimately, the passage affirms that God's purposes prevail, and His kingdom advances not despite suffering, but through it, inviting all to find identity and hope in the righteous robes of Christ.

A talk about perfectionism at our family retreat fall 2025 by Russell Foxworth and Nathan Francis. This talk explores perfectionism not as a mere personality quirk but as a deeply rooted spiritual condition that distorts our relationship with God, others, and ourselves. Centered on Scripture, particularly Romans 12:3, Eph. 4:1-3 and 2 Corinthians 12:9, it defines perfectionism as an excessive desire to meet unrealistic standards—either self-imposed or projected onto others—driven by fear of failure, shame, or the need for approval. The teachers illustrated how perfectionism manifests in daily life, from minor irritations like toilet paper orientation to deeper patterns of self-criticism, overachievement, and judgmental attitudes, all of which stem from a longing for the perfection lost in Eden and promised in heaven. By exposing the hidden motivations—such as fear of rejection, distrust in God's grace, and the desire to control outcomes—the talk calls for humility, self-reflection, and a radical embrace of divine sufficiency found in weakness. Ultimately, it invites listeners to exchange striving for surrender, recognizing that true wholeness comes not from flawless performance but from Christ's grace, which is made perfect in our brokenness.