It’s been said, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time!” As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe God has a beautiful plan for our lives. This plan folds perfectly into His mission to redeem a lost world back to its Creator. In Acts 20, Paul is nearing the end of his ministry and life. He reminds us what it looks like to follow God’s Plan for our lives when he shares the Marks of a life well led.

Joppa was a major port city in Israel where a countless number of ships, passengers and cargo passed through towards their final destination. At crossroads like Joppa, a decision has to be made. Will you trust God to lead you on to new things and points “unknown”, or will you stick with what you already know and go back “home” where you feel safe?

Nobody like interruptions! We get into a groove at work or at home and suddenly something or someone breaks into our day and everything changes. But what if some interruptions aren’t interruptions at all? What if some interruptions don’t happen by accident? What if some interruptions are actually “Divine Appointments”?

How do you feel about change? We normally welcome the changes we initiate and avoid, complain about and fight against any change that is thrust upon us from the outside. What if God is the Initiator of change? How can we accept, even embrace, the change that God brings into our lives?

As we jump into the Book of Acts, we are introduced to the star of the show: The Holy Spirit. He is not new to God’s story. He has been working mostly behind the scenes since time began. In chapter 2 we see Him burst into the limelight and into the hearts of the new believers and the early church. From this point on, He will play a very personal and public role in the life of every believer.

Do you know that little button that pops up on the screen when you are streaming your favorite TV show? It is asking if you want to “Skip Recap.” It allows you to save a few seconds of viewing time and jump right into the action. It’s tempting to do hit that button with chapter 1 of the Book of Acts and jump right into the “Action” beginning in chapter 2, but if we did that, we would miss the powerful lessons that lay the foundation for understanding the next 27 chapters! 

WORSHIP. It's a big topic, a powerful idea, and a concept that can be easily misunderstood. We often use the word "worship" to talk about music in church, but what if God's idea of worship is about MORE than having people sing him songs? What if worship is God's plan not to get more FROM us, but to give more TO us?

Much of Florida was in a drought (in the middle of our “wet season”!?) until Hurricane Idalia took care of that problem! What about you? Are you feeling spiritually dry, even though everything and everyone around you seems to be flourishing? Just as God provides pools of life-giving water to a dry valley in the desert, He also brings refreshing to your dry and weary soul if you are willing to “dig where He tells you."

August is a busy month! Families are getting adjusted to a new school schedule, college students are heading back to campus, and parents are realizing there's not many more vacation days left in the year. August is an exciting season of change and transitions. Moses had some great advice for the Israelites before they transitioned into the Promised Land: "Get Back to the Basics!"

What happens when you die? That is one of the most searched topics on Google. Believers and not-yet-believers alike all want to know the answer to this question. God’s Word gives us a great deal of detail right in the Book of 1 Thessalonians. These details are meant to strengthen our faith and give us encouragement in the face of great grief.