Matt Ayars Podcast

Join us for an in-depth Bible study of Acts 21 as Paul continues his journey to Jerusalem despite repeated warnings about the suffering awaiting him. We’ll explore his submission to God’s will, his meeting with the Jerusalem church, his arrest in the temple, and the opposition he faced for faithfully proclaiming the gospel.

What can Paul’s courage teach us about following Christ when obedience is costly? Watch as we unpack the historical context, key themes, and practical lessons of Acts 21.

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Are the Ten Commandments simply instructions for living a happy and healthy life? They certainly give us wisdom—but their purpose goes much deeper.In this message, Pastor Matt explains how Jesus intensifies the commandments by addressing not only outward behavior but also the hidden attitudes of the heart. God’s law reveals our sin, humbles us, and shows us why we cannot achieve righteousness on our own. Ultimately, it points us to our need for Jesus Christ—the faithful and righteous Savior who accomplished what we could not.Discover how the Ten Commandments:• Teach us God’s standard for life • Expose hidden sin within the human heart • Reveal our need for grace and rescue • Lead us toward repentance and faith • Point us to the righteousness of Jesus Join Pastor Matt and Wellspring Church as we explore the purpose of God’s law and the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Christ.

What does it take to remain faithful when the world pressures you to bow?

In this sermon from Daniel 3, we revisit the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—three men who refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image, even when their faithfulness led them into a fiery furnace.

Discover why the world’s idols can be so attractive, how misplaced priorities create spiritual instability, and what it means to trust God regardless of the outcome. The same God who stood with these men in the fire is present with us in suffering, freeing us from fear and giving us the strength to stand firm.

Key themes include:

• Recognizing the alluring idols of our world

• Resisting pressure to compromise

• Remaining faithful when obedience is costly

• Trusting God with the outcome

• Experiencing Christ’s presence in suffering

• Building a steady spiritual life upon Jesus

What does faithful Christian leadership look like—and how should believers measure success?

In this study of Acts 20:17–38, Paul gives his farewell address to the elders of Ephesus. His words reveal a life shaped by humility, courage, sacrifice, and complete obedience to Christ. We explore what it means to proclaim the gospel in both word and deed, teach the whole counsel of God, care faithfully for Christ’s Church, and follow God even when the road leads through suffering.

This lesson also examines several biblical understandings of Christ’s work on the cross, including penal substitution, ransom, and Christus Victor. Jesus did not merely forgive our sins—He conquered death, defeated the powers of darkness, and purchased His people with His own blood.

Above all, Paul reminds us that Christian success is not measured by comfort, popularity, safety, or numbers. It is measured by obedience.

Key passage: Acts 20:17–38

Topics include:
• Servant leadership and incarnational ministry
• Proclaiming the gospel through word and deed
• Obedience in the face of suffering
• Teaching the whole counsel of God
• Why Christians need the entire Bible
• The meaning of Christ’s death on the cross
• Caring for the Church Jesus purchased with His blood
• Leadership transitions and learning to say goodbye well

Join us as we finish Acts 20 and consider what it means to complete the work Jesus has entrusted to us.

#Acts20 #BibleStudy #ChristianLeadership #Obedience #Gospel #JesusChrist #BookOfActs #WellspringChurch

Launching a new series on holiness through Daniel 1, this sermon explores what it means to remain faithful to God in a culture that pressures us to compromise. Daniel’s resolve not to defile himself becomes a call to wholehearted consecration, a tender heart that responds quickly to God’s correction, and a life of practical compassion for those in need. Listeners are challenged to identify where the Holy Spirit is asking them to draw a line, trust that God will make a way for obedience, and recognize how even seemingly small acts of faithfulness can have a far-reaching impact.

Why is gathering with other believers so important? In this study of Acts 20:1–12, we follow Paul as he travels through Macedonia and Greece, strengthens discouraged believers, worships with the church at Troas, and restores Eutychus after his fatal fall.

Along the way, we consider several vital lessons for the church today:

• Why encouragement is essential to Christian growth and ministry
• How to avoid becoming spiritually stale or stuck
• Whether our hurried lives leave enough room for God’s Word
• What the early church valued when believers gathered
• Why worship, teaching, fellowship, Communion, and personal presence matter
• How Christian community provides encouragement, accountability, support, and opportunities to grow in love

The church is more than an event or a place to seek a spiritual experience. It is the community of people who gather in the name of Jesus. When believers come together, Christ forms relationships, strengthens weary disciples, and teaches us how to love one another.

Scripture: Acts 20:1–12

This Bible study was recorded at Wellspring Church in Gulfport, Mississippi.

If this teaching encourages you, share it with someone who needs encouragement and join us for the next study as we continue through Acts 20.

In this sermon companion, Pastor Matt explains the order of salvation from a Wesleyan perspective and shows how every part of the Holy Spirit’s work points us to Jesus. From the grace that first softens our hearts to the future resurrection of our bodies, salvation is God’s work from beginning to end.Topics include:• Prevenient grace and the softening of the heart • Conviction and repentance • Justification and saving faith • Regeneration and receiving the Holy Spirit • Initial, gradual, and entire sanctification • Christian perfection as perfect love • Glorification, bodily resurrection, and the renewal of creation Salvation is not merely a one-time decision or the forgiveness of past sins. It is an ongoing life of union with Christ through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.Join us Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. for free pizza, followed by Bible study in Acts at 6:00 p.m.

Why doesn’t God simply take away our pain, weakness, or struggle?In this final message on the Holy Spirit’s work in redemption, we turn to Romans 8:18–30 and the promise of glorification. Although creation groans, our bodies groan, and we sometimes cannot even find the words to pray, God’s work is not finished. The Holy Spirit meets us in our weakness, intercedes for us, and assures us that present suffering cannot compare with the glory still to come.One day, Christ will return and give His people renewed, incorruptible bodies. Until then, we can give ourselves grace, extend grace to others, and refuse to let present suffering define us.The best is yet to come—and because Jesus walked out of the grave, we can be certain that it will be worth it.Scripture: Romans 8:18–30Series: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Redemption

What does Paul mean when he says that creation is “groaning” and waiting for the children of God to be revealed?In Part 2 of this sermon companion, Pastor Matt takes a closer look at Romans 8:18–30 and fills in two important gaps from Sunday’s message. First, he explains how creation’s suffering points forward—like the pains of childbirth—to the restoration God has promised. The world is broken because of sin, but God wastes nothing and will ultimately redeem His creation.Second, he explores Paul’s teaching about foreknowledge and predestination in Romans 8:29 from a Wesleyan-Arminian perspective, explaining why God’s prior knowledge does not eliminate genuine human freedom.Topics include:• Why bad things are not always direct punishment for personal sin • How humanity’s fall affected the entire creation • Jesus as the new Adam • Why creation awaits the revealing of God’s children • The relationship between foreknowledge, predestination, and free will • The hope of creation’s future renewal Scripture: Romans 8:18–30Join us Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. for free pizza, followed by Bible study at 6:00 p.m.

In Acts 19, the gospel enters Ephesus—and the whole city feels its impact. Paul encounters disciples with an incomplete understanding of the faith, teaches boldly in the synagogue and the hall of Tyrannus, and witnesses extraordinary works of God. But as the name of Jesus is magnified, counterfeit spirituality is exposed, costly repentance follows, and opposition erupts around the worship of Artemis.

In this Bible study, we explore the difference between knowing about Jesus and truly belonging to him, why spiritual power cannot be manipulated, and how genuine faith confronts both personal idols and powerful cultural systems. Acts 19 challenges us to consider what happens when the word of the Lord takes hold of individuals, communities, and entire cities.