”Trust in Lord w/ all your heart; Don’t depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, & he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas continued their 2nd missionary journey, traveling throughout Galatia and expanding into new territory in Macedonia. In this passage, we get a glimpse of how the Holy Spirit used their circumstances and a dream to lead Paul and Silas on the journey.

How did Paul and Silas respond to the Holy Spirit’s guidance? And what can we learn from this story about following the Holy Spirit in our lives today?

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”If Possible, so far as it Depends on you, Live Peacefully w/ All.” Romans 12:18 ESV

At the end of Acts 15, Paul wants to travel together with Barnabas to see the new churches they established on their previous missionary journey. Barnabas agrees, but wants to bring John Mark along. This caused a sharp disagreement, so sharp that they separated and went different ways!

What was the situation that led to such a strong disagreement, and did Paul and Barnabas ever reconcile? Is it possible to be friends with someone you disagree with? And How do we preserve the bond of friendship in conflict?

“Why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 15:10-11 NLT

In Acts 15 the Jewish Christians, known as the Judaizers, were complicating the message of the Gospel. They were trying to require the Gentile believers to fully convert to Judaism through circumcision in order to be saved. After much debate, the Apostles agreed to keep things simple; no idolatry, no sexual immorality, no eating meat from strangled animals and no consuming blood.

Today we must work hard to keep our faith and life simple! It’s human nature to make things complicated. Are there any ways you need to simplify your approach to following Jesus, to keep His presence and way of life at the center? Are there any ways you need to simplify your life, to help you live in a way that creates less stress and anxiety, and more peace and joy?

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“Paul was able to successfully navigate the influence of the crowd because he knew who he was and what he was called to do!”

In Acts 14 Paul and Barnabas continue their first missionary journey through Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe, all in modern day Turkey. When they arrive in Lystra, Paul and Barnabas face a fickle crowd. In one moment the crowd tries to worship them, and in the next moment they stone Paul.

The same thing happened to Jesus. At the beginning of Holy Week the crowd wanted to crown Him King of Jerusalem, and by the end of the week the same crowd crucified Him! There’s a huge lesson to learn here; Don’t trust the influence of the crowds in your life! How is the Crowd Influencing your Decisions & What can we Learn from the Way Paul Navigates the Crowd?

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pentecost sunday

In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit commissioned Barnabas and Saul for the special work of taking the Gospel to the Gentiles. Barnabas, Saul and John Mark sailed to the island of Cyprus, where they preached the Gospel from town to town all over the Island.

After a few months of traveling, John Mark called it quits. We’re not sure why, but we know the journey wasn’t easy. We face the same temptation in our own discipleship journeys. How do we stay the course when we are tempted to give up?

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In Acts 12 Herod Agrippa was severely persecuting the church in Jerusalem. He beheaded James, the brother of John, and had arrested Peter with the same intention.

The church had its back against the wall. But God intervened by sending an angel to rescue Peter from prison, and striking Herod dead for being arrogant. This story reveals that no matter how bad life gets, God is in control and He always gets the last word!

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Sunday May 3, We had the opportunity to hear from Pastor John from India as he joined Pastor Brian for a conversation about his ministry. He shared about his family and the work God is doing through his ministries like the Goat Project, Prayer Journeys, and his goals of a training center.

We were reminded of the power of prayer, the importance of making disciples, and that every area of our lives is an opportunity for ministry. It was also a challenge to step outside of our comfort zones and to share what the Lord has done in our lives with others!

Yesterday in Acts 11, we learned that the Jewish Believers were having trouble accepting the Good News of Jesus is for all people.

They were struggling to lay down their prejudices and discriminations against Gentiles (non Jews). But when Peter told them about the vision he had they all "fell silent and praised God".

They realized that Jesus gave His life so that all people can experience forgiveness and new life! This was a crucial moment in the story of Christianity!

It challenges us to ask: are there attitudes or assumptions towards others that get in the way of the Gospel?

In Acts 10, God makes it clear that The Good News of Jesus Christ is for all people, not just a specific group of people. Peter had a vision where God told him to “kill and eat” all kinds of animals that were unclean according to Jewish laws. Peter realized the vision wasn’t just about food, it was about people. There is no favoritism, The Gospel is for everyone! Jesus said, “Go into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”