Mercy Hill

One of the most compelling storylines of this year’s Winter Olympics was U.S. hockey, with both the men’s and women’s teams bringing home gold. It reminded many of us of the iconic 1980 men’s team that unexpectedly won gold. That team was the youngest and most inexperienced the U.S. had ever sent to the Olympics.

In the semifinal game, they faced the mighty Soviet team, who were not only heavily favored but had previously defeated the U.S. national team 10–3. No one expected the young U.S. team to even keep up. Yet in the third period, the U.S. scored two goals to take the lead, and goalie Jim Craig blocked shot after shot to hold it. Against all odds, the U.S. team prevailed, leading to Al Michaels’ famous call: “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”

In Acts 19, Paul and his team are in Ephesus, a major city deeply committed to the worship of the Greek goddess Artemis. It’s not the kind of place you’d expect people to be ready and willing to embrace the message of Jesus. But again, against all odds, the good news of Jesus prevails.

Have you ever been in a situation where knowing a bit of background or context would have changed how you handled it? I know I have. From making the wrong joke in front of the wrong person to mishaps on international trips, I’ve definitely put my foot in my mouth and wished I had known one key piece of information.

In Acts 17, we see Paul sharing the good news of Jesus in Thessalonica and later in Athens. Interestingly, he approaches each place differently. Why? Because the context of each city, each culture, and each audience is different. This Sunday, we’ll take a closer look at this chapter and discover what we can learn from Paul about engaging different cultures and people with the good news of Jesus.

There is an intense debate that rages in the Southeast U.S.: Should you put salt on watermelon? At first, it’s hard to imagine that salt would be good on watermelon. But some people swear by this unexpected combination. They say the salt intensifies the sweetness of the watermelon in a unique way.

In Acts 16, Paul sets off on his second missionary journey, expecting to end up in Asia Minor. But God has other plans. God redirects Paul and his team about 400 miles away from their original destination. Yet this unexpected redirection produces some amazing results.

This Sunday we’re in Acts 15:1–35, a pivotal moment in the early church where a major conflict threatens to distort the gospel itself. As more Gentiles come to faith, a question rises to the surface: Is faith in Jesus enough, or is something more required?

What follows is honest debate, tension, and a gathering of leaders to discern what’s true. It’s not a small disagreement—it’s about the very foundation of salvation.

In the middle of it all, we see something powerful:

God brings clarity through community, Scripture, and His Spirit.

Peter stands and reminds everyone that salvation comes through grace alone. Paul and Barnabas share how God is moving among the Gentiles. James points back to Scripture to confirm what God has been doing all along. And together, they refuse to add burdens where God has not.

This passage shows us that:

• The gospel must be protected. Even well-meaning additions can quietly distort what Jesus has already accomplished.
• Conflict isn’t always bad. When handled with humility and truth, it can actually lead to greater clarity and unity.
• Clarity leads to encouragement. When the church sends its decision, it doesn’t weigh people down—it lifts them up.

It leaves us with a question worth considering:

Are we holding tightly to the true gospel—or subtly adding to it?

Because even today, it’s easy to drift toward performance, pressure, or preference. But the good news is still the same: we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus—nothing more, nothing less.

This Sunday we’ll be in Acts 14:8–23, a passage that moves fast and hits hard. In one moment, Paul is being worshiped like a god after a miraculous healing. In the next, the crowd turns—and he’s stoned and left for dead outside the city.

It’s a jarring picture of how quickly people can shift—how easily we can elevate something one minute and reject it the next. But right in the middle of that instability, we see something steady: the unshakable mission of the gospel.

As Paul and Barnabas respond, we watch the gospel do three important things:

• It confronts false worship. When the crowd tries to offer sacrifices to them, Paul refuses the spotlight and redirects their attention to the one true God.
• It endures real opposition. Following Jesus doesn’t shield them from suffering—it leads them straight into it.
• It keeps moving forward. Even after being nearly killed, Paul gets back up, returns to strengthen believers, and continues the work God called him to.

What stands out most isn’t hype or momentum—it’s resilient, steady faithfulness.

Paul doesn’t measure success by comfort or applause. He measures it by obedience. And as he revisits the churches, he reminds them of a truth we don’t always like but desperately need: “It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God.”

This passage invites us to wrestle with some honest questions:

• What happens to our faith when the response shifts from encouragement to resistance?
• Are we anchored in approval—or in calling?
• Will we stay faithful when obedience becomes uncomfortable… or even costly?

Because the reality is, God often does His deepest work not on the mountaintop moments, but in the quiet, costly, in-between places where faith is tested and formed.

And the good news? He’s building something that lasts. Something not dependent on public opinion, but grounded in His power and purpose.

This Sunday is our fourth and final week of Neighbors and Nations. We’ll be highlighting our partnership with the International Mission Board and how we work together to take the good news of Jesus to more people in more places.

We’ll also continue our series through the book of Acts. In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas proclaim the good news of Jesus in Antioch of Pisidia. While some of the Jewish religious leaders reject their message, many Gentiles receive it with joy and put their faith in Jesus. Together, we’ll see how God’s mission continues to move forward to new people in new places.

This Sunday is week three of our Neighbors and Nations campaign. You have already been incredibly generous. Thank you for considering how you can sacrificially give to the mission!

We’re turning our attention to an often-overlooked story in Acts 13. The church in Antioch is flourishing. There’s momentum. Ministry is thriving.

And then, the Spirit of God leads them to take the surprising step of sending out two of their very best leaders on mission. What would cause a church to willingly send away two key leaders at the height of its growth? Why are they willing to sacrifice so that the good news of Jesus can get to new people and new places?

The Antonine Plague of the second century was devastating. Historians estimate that nearly 10% of the population of the Roman Empire lost their lives. While most people fled affected areas, Christians stayed behind to serve the sick and dying. Their sacrificial care, offered to both believers and nonbelievers alike, made a deep impression on the surrounding communities.

We find a similar story in Acts 11, when the young church in Antioch hears of a severe famine in Judea and responds by sending help.

Our 2026 Neighbors & Nations Campaign is starting this week! Every year, we set aside several weeks to focus on God’s mission in our world and how each of us can engage in that mission. During this campaign, we’ll see how the church in Acts continued to participate with God in His work. We’ll also hear from our local, national, and international partners about how God is at work, from our community, to our nation, and around the world.

Each week, we’ll ask you to do three things: Pray, Give, and Go.

Pray. Every Sunday, we’ll share specific ways you can pray for our missions partners. We’ve also created a daily prayer guide that you can access by clicking the link below.

Give. This year, we’ve set a goal of raising $32,000 to support our partners in Cobb County, across the country, and around the world. We’re asking you to sacrificially give over the next four weeks to help meet real needs on the ground through our local partners, as well as NAMB and IMB.

Go. We’ll also provide opportunities for you to go. That includes training to help you engage in God’s mission in your everyday life, as well as hands-on opportunities to serve.

In Acts 9, Saul sets out for Damascus fully intent on threatening, bullying, and even arresting Jews who have become followers of Jesus. He carries letters from the high priest confirming that he has the authority to do so. More importantly, he believes this mission is his responsibility before God. That’s the part we often forget. Saul doesn’t just think he’s doing the right thing, he believes he’s doing the godly thing.

After all, this new movement of Jesus’ followers is disrupting the well-established religious order. In Saul’s mind, it is his duty to stop it and restore things to the way they are supposed to be. And it is in the midst of his rage, indignation, and self-righteous fervor that Jesus meets him in a dramatic and life-altering way.