Live Oak Church

Live Oak Church

The story of Ephesus in Acts 19, shows us that God’s power always defeats darkness, and Jesus Christ is the only one who can satisfy our thirst for real and eternal life. The sons of Sceva tried to imitate Paul’s power for personal gain, and it did not end well for them. In response to seeing the real power of God, the people of Ephesus believed in Jesus, confessed their sins and burned their magic books in a giant bonfire. They realized that worshiping idols and practicing magic were cheap imitations of real power, that is only found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Are there any areas of your life that you could be unintentionally using the Name of Jesus for personal gain? Are there any areas of your life where you are settling for cheap imitations of the love, joy and peace of God? Listen to the message for more!

Acts 18 provides a beautiful picture of how the Body of Christ works together to strengthen one another. While Paul traveled to encourage the believers in the churches in Macedonia, Apollos taught about Jesus to the believers in Ephesus. Although Apollos was highly educated in the Scriptures, and a gifted teacher, his understanding of the Gospel was incomplete. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him teaching one day in the Synagogue, they pulled him aside to explain the way of Jesus more accurately. Apollos graciously responded to their correction and continued to be a helpful teacher in the church. This highlights the principle that we need one another to grow strong in the way of Jesus Christ. Check out the message for more!

The message from Acts 18 encourages us to trust that God is working behind the scenes, even when we cannot see what He is doing or understand His timing. In Corinth, God told Paul not to be afraid or silent about the message, because He was with him, would protect him and had many people in the city who belong to Him. Romans 8:28 reminds us that while every detail of our lives will not be good, God is able to work every detail together for an ultimately good and eternal purpose. When we are waiting for something to happen or working faithfully without seeing results, we can trust that God loves us, is present with us, and is working behind the scenes for our good. Listen to the message for more!

Paul’s evangelism strategy in Athens was to observe the culture and get to know the people. He learned that they had many gods represented by many idols, and that they spent all their time discussing new ideas. When they invited him to speak, he showed them that their idols were worthless and could never give them the life they were looking for. Instead, he pointed them to Jesus— the one and only true God, the creator of heaven and earth, and one who gives life and satisfies every need. Some people mocked him, some were curious to know more and a few believed and join him. How can we gain confidence to share the Gospel with others, and what can we learn from Paul’s strategy in Athens? Check out the message for more!

Act 17:1-15 The Berean Way a message by Micheal Dougherty.

Psalm 8 | How To Glorify God In Your Daily Life a message by Brian Few.

Psalm 2 | What In The World Is Going On? a message by brian few.

Psalm 1 gives us a blueprint for a healthy and fruitful life by contrasting two ways of living: the way of the world and the way of Jesus. A truly blessed life is not a life free from problems or pain, but a life marked by deep joy and peace that comes from knowing God and experiencing His presence and power in daily life. We need to ask ourselves, Is my life being shaped more by the way of the world or the way of Jesus? Listen to the message to hear more!

A message by Brian Few.