Porter Podcast

Series: First Things First 

The First Church 

Acts 2:42-47

The Bible describes new Christians as “babies in Christ,” and the church is responsible for their well-beingas they become maturebelievers.  

the early church’s development strategy

They provided clear next stepsfor early believers.

                                         Acts 2:42

     Repentance                   

     Baptism

     Bible Study                    

     CorporateWorship

     Communion  

     ConsistentPrayer  

      A family-like atmospherewas developed.   

  Acts 2:44-47

They spent time together.

They shared with one another.

They had largeand small group time.

They ate mealstogether. 

They had a perfect balance of joyand reverencein their worship.     

Acts 2:43, 46-47

They were committed to sharing the message of Jesus. 

Acts 2:47

my next step today is... 

o   To repent of my sin

o   To bebaptized

o   To begin studying the Bible

o   To commit to be faithful to corporate worship

o   To join a life group

o   To share my faith

Series: First Things First

Launch

Acts 2:1-41

Why did the early church take off?

      A movement of the Holy Spirit occurred

o  The coming of the Holy Spirit– When the Holy Spirit came to earth to reside continuously in the hearts of believers.

o  The Baptism of the Holy Spirit– The moment the Holy Spirit comes to live in an individual believer. 

o  Filling of the Holy Spirit– The process of an individual believer dying to self and yielding control of their life to the God.           

Ephesians 5:18-21 

            The congregation earnestly desired God’s Spirit to move.   

            Lives filled by the Spirit of God are attractive.    

            All of the believersreceived the Holy Spirit, not just the  apostles.

       The Gospelwas their message.  

            The message of the church is rooted in history. 

             It is revealed in Scripture

            It is focused on the death and resurrectionof Christ.  

      Evangelismwas the priority.  

             People are wrong about who Jesus is

            People are guiltywithout God 

What do you do if you are cut to the heart?

·              repent of your sin.

·              seek forgiveness.

·              surrender your lifeto Him. 

Today’s Takeaways

1.        Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit

2.        Celebrate that Jesus can change people’s lives. 

3.        Commit to sharingthe gospel.

4.        Surrender your life to Him.  

series: First Things First   

the movement begins

Acts 1:1-11

No church has ever faced a more uphill challengethan the First church, yet they grew rapidly.   They grew because they fully embraced the gospelof Jesus.   

Acts 1:1-11

The First church was filled with people who had apowerful, personal experiencewith the gospel of Jesus.                                                                            Acts 1:1-3

The message of Jesushad captured the apostles’ hearts, but that is not why they changed the world.  

A catalytic event emboldened them: the resurrection.

Not every believer in Acts saw the resurrected Jesus, but every believer had a personal experience with Christ through the presence of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:4-5)

The primary task for the early church was to witnessabout the gospel.    

The scope of their task was global, and the strategy was multiplication.  

Each member took personal responsibilityto reach the world.                                                                 Acts 1:8

       common excuses

            “I don’t have what it takes.”

            “It’s not my gift.”

            “I witness with my life.”

            “I don’t have time.”

            “It makes me feel weird.”

They had confidence in God’s power.          Acts 1:4, 8

They understood the urgency of the task. Acts 1:9-11

The return of Christand the significance of the gospelmake this a time-sensitivetask.

Today’s Takeaways

1.         Personal relationships with Christ are what create impactful churches. 

2.         Witnessing is everyone’s job. 

3.          If God calls youto do a task, He has equipped you.

4.        We must not be distractedfrom the call to share our        faith.  

series: First Things First   

the movement begins

Acts 1:1-11

No church has ever faced a more uphill challengethan the First church, yet they grew rapidly.   They grew because they fully embraced the gospelof Jesus.   

Acts 1:1-11

The First church was filled with people who had apowerful, personal experiencewith the gospel of Jesus.                                                                            Acts 1:1-3

The message of Jesushad captured the apostles’ hearts, but that is not why they changed the world.  

A catalytic event emboldened them: the resurrection.

Not every believer in Acts saw the resurrected Jesus, but every believer had a personal experience with Christ through the presence of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:4-5)

The primary task for the early church was to witnessabout the gospel.    

The scope of their task was global, and the strategy was multiplication.  

Each member took personal responsibilityto reach the world.                                                                 Acts 1:8

       common excuses

            “I don’t have what it takes.”

            “It’s not my gift.”

            “I witness with my life.”

            “I don’t have time.”

            “It makes me feel weird.”

They had confidence in God’s power.          Acts 1:4, 8

They understood the urgency of the task. Acts 1:9-11

The return of Christand the significance of the gospelmake this a time-sensitivetask.

Today’s Takeaways

1.         Personal relationships with Christ are what create impactful churches. 

2.         Witnessing is everyone’s job. 

3.          If God calls youto do a task, He has equipped you.

4.        We must not be distractedfrom the call to share our        faith.  

Series:  Christmas Carols

Good Christian Men, Rejoice!

Luke 2:8-14

The attempt to find joy is a part of Christmas for almost everyone.   However, Christmas joy is often a thin veneerlike wrapping paper.  For joy to last, the source of joyhas to be sufficient. 

good Christian men, rejoice

Christian joy is not circumstantial; it is rooted in our relationship with Christ.   

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

He is in the manger now

Throughout the Old Testament, there are numerous prophecies about a coming Messiah.  The fact that a Messiah came reveals that Godkeeps His promises. 

We are “I hope” people.  God is an “I will” God.  

He has opened heaven’s door

Because of Jesus’ coming, a relationship with Godis possible.

From the beginning, man has tried to reach God.  

Good work,religious exercise, increased knowledgeand moral efforthave all fallen short. 

God came down to usbecause it was impossible for us to get up to Him. 

 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

John 10:10

Kingsand wise mendo not precede the lowly in the kingdom.

Everyone faces three questions:  1) Where do I come from?  

                                                               2) Why am I here?

                                                               3)  Where am I going? 

calls ye one and calls ye all

We have been commanded to share the gospel throughout the world.  

Christ is the exclusive path to heavenand lasting joy.  

Not everyonewill find joy in Christ, but no one can take awayour joy!

Today’s Takeaway

1.  A relationship with God is possible.

2.  Jesus resists the proudand receives the humble.

3.  The task of sharing good news is entrusted to believers.   

4.  True joy is found in focusing on Christ.

Series: Christmas Carols

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Luke 1:26-37; Philippians 2:5-11

Most people have an opinion about who Jesus is.  

veiled in flesh, the Godhead see

Christians believe that Jesus is God Incarnate.

                                                         John 1:14

Christians believe that Jesus is both GodandMan.   

It is easy to emphasizeone nature and neglectthe other. 

The early church struggled to understand how these truths related to each other.  At the Council of Ephesus in 421 AD, the church came to an agreement: Jesus had 2 natures, but He was only one essence.   

Jesus is 100% Godand 100% Man.

offspring of the virgin’s womb

Luke 1:26-37

The sinful nature of man is present at birth.   The Virgin Birth circumvented the transmission of the sin nature and allowed the eternal God to become a perfect man.

The Virgin Birth is not a stumbling block for Christians because we affirm that God can do the supernatural.  

Pleased, as Man, with Men to Dwell 

Jesus did not come to earth so God could understand man; Jesus came to earth so man could understand God.  

Hebrews 1:3

Through Jesus, we know what God is likeand that God cares for us.  

            Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 12:2

Born that man no more may die

Jesus left the glory of heaven for the purpose of saving sinful man. 

Philippians 2:5-11

1 Timothy 2:5

Today’s Takeaways

The Incarnation assures us God will always be with us.

In the life of Jesus, we have an exampleof how to live and treat others.

No matter what we are going through, we can know that Jesus can help us—He has been there. 

Because of Jesus’ incarnation, we have hope of forgiveness.Series: Christmas Carols

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Luke 1:26-37; Philippians 2:5-11

Most people have an opinion about who Jesus is.  

veiled in flesh, the Godhead see

Christians believe that Jesus is God Incarnate.

                                                         John 1:14

Christians believe that Jesus is both GodandMan.   

It is easy to emphasizeone nature and neglectthe other. 

The early church struggled to understand how these truths related to each other.  At the Council of Ephesus in 421 AD, the church came to an agreement: Jesus had 2 natures, but He was only one essence.   

Jesus is 100% Godand 100% Man.

Series: Christmas Carols

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Proverbs 13:12; Isaiah 9 

O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

The human experience fluctuates between moments of sadnessand joy, darknessand light.

Lonely Exile

The sadness the world experiences is the result of the presence of sin.

            Sin affects us externally.

            Sin affects us internally.

A life trapped in the cycle of sin leads to despair.   

There is only one comfort for despair—hope: a strong,confidentexpectation in something or someone.

Everybody pins their hopeon something or someone.

Failedhope will always disappoint.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, 

but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

 Proverbs 13:12

Until the Son of God Appears 

            The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.
                  6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.                                                                             Isaiah 9:2, 6

The concept of the Messiahwas a source of hope for the people of Israel.    Many were confused and some even doubted the coming of the Messiah because of the waiting period.    

Our hope is found in the fact that the Messiah has already come.  

Christ will come again to completely alleviate the world from sins’ influence. 

Romans 8

But we live in the tension betweenthe Already and Not Yet.  

The Already gives us the confidence that the Not Yet will come!

Today’s Takeaways

We still live in a world affected by sin.

The presence of darkness is an opportunity to bringGod glory.

Because Christ has come, we have hopethat God will one day deliver us!

Series: AD: AfterDeath

What Happens HERE After You Die 

Proverbs 20:7; Luke 16

my wish list for my family

I want final decisionsabout my life to be easy on my loved ones. 

I want my family to be financially secure.                  Proverbs 13:22   

I want my relationships to end in good standing.  

I want my girls to find good husbands.

guarantees after you die

·      Your loved ones will either grieveor rejoice.

·      Your loved ones will adjust to their liveswithout you. 

·      You will leave a legacy.

·      The people you knew will continue to move toward their eternity.

·       Your ability to change your influencewill end when you die.  

Luke 16:27-28

a Christian legacy

ü  We proclaim the supremacy of Jesus. 

ü  We trust the Bible as the only reliable guidefor life.

ü  We treat every person as valuable.

ü  We arequick to forgive.

ü  We aregenerouswith our resources. 

The just man walks in his integrity: his children are blessed after him. 

Proverbs 20:7

steps to a positive legacy

Determine what you want your influence to be and live with the end goal in mind. 

Start now... you are building legacyevery day. 

Be consistent! Influence is made in moments, lots of them.

You may have wasted a lot of time, but as long as you live, it is not too lateto walk with God!