All of God's Word is good but TODAY's passage represents one of the top three transformative events in the history of creation- If by God's grace, we can be helped to understand and to BELIEVE what we find here in these 13 verses, then our families, our workplaces and our cities will never be the same-

At first glance, the events during the 10-day period between the Ascension and Pentecost seem entirely uneventful and, one might even say, ordinary. But Luke - inspired by the Holy Spirit - saw something significant here, and he means for us to see it too.

The disciples had every reason to believe that the Kingdom of God was about to be realized. They weren't wrong to be thinking about the Kingdom as they looked at their resurrected King. But their question reveals that they didn't yet understand the timeline or the nature of the Kingdom.

In today's passage, the Apostle Paul is demonstrating one of the most important requirements for unity within the Church- humility. This morning we will see that unity is the result of humility. We will see the recipe for humility in Christ, and we will see the ultimate reward for humility.

This first chapter in Acts serves as a transitional chapter. In these opening verses, Luke is building a bridge from the conclusion of Jesus' earthly ministry as described in the Gospel of Luke to the beginning of the ministry of the Holy Spirit empowered church.

Our passage this morning was written to help Timothy to pastor the rich Christians in his church. But nowhere was Timothy instructed to shame the wealthy Christians into getting rid of their possessions. On the contrary, Timothy is instructed to remind these wealthy Christians that every good gift they have is from God.

Sometimes it is difficult for a congregation to see how a letter like 1 Timothy can be relevant to them. But behind every fallen leader is a church that allowed them to lead or allowed them to play fast and loose with the Bible. A church that often found themselves saying- -Something doesn't seem right here, but who's to say- Who really knows how the church should operate-- The answer- You do-

In today's passage, the Apostle Paul speaks to the challenge that Timothy will face leading a church that consists of a large number of slaves. How do you shepherd people who are still living under the yoke of slavery- When your church is facing injustice and oppression, what is it that they need to hear from their pastor-

To thrive means living the life you were made to live in Christ. The reason why Christians are to put Godliness over earthly gain is because, for the Christian, Godliness IS Gain.