The story of Cornelius's conversion is a story with massive implications for the Christian faith. Yet, if we don't pay attention we can move past this story with ease and completely miss the power of the moment in Cornelius's conversion. It's a story that tells us not that there is good news, but there is good news for al

If you are a follower of Jesus, you will at some point find yourself doing things you NEVER thought you'd do. How do you respond when God sends you places and puts you in situations that you would have never thought you would be in? Will your response be faithfulness in the face of this unexpected turn of events? Or will you find yourself telling God you would do anything, but you just can't do that? Peter's response to God's vision and the salvation of a Gentile named Cornelius gives us a glimpse of what it means to follow God wherever he may lead us.

Saul is a man that thought he had his life all together. He had done all he needed to, he was from the right family, and studied at the right schools. In spite of his credentials, he could not have been more wrong. On the road to Damascus, Saul finds out just how wrong. The story of Saul's conversion is a powerful story that begs to be told, but we make a mistake if we think his story is any different than our own.

Sometimes disappointment can seem to follow us. It sure seems like that might have been the case for the Ethiopian on his way back from Israel. A man that was seeking God in Israel, but now was headed back home just as confused as when he had arrived.  Fortunately, Philip was there to teach him about what he was reading- a prophecy about Jesus, about Easter. And it's this message that moves the Ethiopian from disappointment to rejoicing.

The earliest days of the church were filled with attacks aimed at stopping this small, but growing movement. One by one the church overcomes the attacks and continues to grow. The church appears to finally experience defeat when one of its leaders, Stephen, is killed for proclaiming the message of Jesus. However, the story of Christianity is that over and over again God shows us that Satan will never have the final word in this story. In fact, it is through death- Stephen's and ultimately Jesus's- that we find our victory.

A servant isn't exactly the post most aspire to hold. We tend to look at those in those positions as "just servants," but the scriptures paint a very different picture of how we should look at servants. It is the servants in Acts 6 that help sustain and stabilize a potentially difficult situation, and it is those that serve that ultimately keep the church from going under. That was true then and it is still true today. Yet our culture screams the message that taking care of yourself is the ultimate in happiness and self-fulfillment. If we are Christians, we can not heed that worldly "wisdom" without also denying Christ at the same time.

There are few things more confusing or disheartening than suffering. We are experts at avoiding it. Which is why it can be so confusing when the Holy Spirit leads you to a place of suffering. The book of Acts is full of instances of Jesus's disciple's suffering. Something they were willing and prepared to do---because Jesus had warned them they should be.

The early days of the church set the platinum standard for every church that exists today. They shared everything and loved each other deeply. It can be easy to think that all was perfect when the church began, but the story of Annanias and Sapphira teaches us that sin is always present. The question isn't whether the church has sin, but what do the people do with it? Confess it and fight against it or hide it and pretend it doesn't exist? How you answer that question can cause or prevent a lot of unnecessary suffering in your life and the life of the church.

Only weeks after Jesus's trial and crucifixion, his disciples are right back in the temple preaching the message of the Gospel. What compels men to do something like that- something that almost certainly could get them killed? When everything inside us screams for protection and preference, it takes something supernatural to change that instinct. As the disciples carry the message of the Gospel- it's the Holy Spirit that literally shakes the ground they walk on and fills them with boldness in the face of persecut

The book of Acts is full of the amazing and miraculous. Often we can read their stories and feel like we're missing something today- like our experiences don't line up with theirs. What was different about the church in Acts? Should we expect miracles today like Peter performed by healing the lame man?