In our journey through the book of Acts, we’ve seen how the church was born, how it grew, and how it thrived in the face of strong opposition. We saw God make hearts glad by the gospel, and the church became bold in mission. This week, we wrap up our series with a call to take the torch of the gospel forward in our day.

Our world is filled with distractions that can keep even the most devoted follower of Jesus from the kind of daily connection to God we long for. The good news is that Jesus gave us a model of life to follow that leads to deep, meaningful, and restful life in him. Join us this Sunday as we lean into how it is that we model our lives after Jesus' life.

Is it reasonable to be confident in God when our circumstances feel chaotic? In Acts, we read that God sent Paul to Rome to share the message about Jesus, yet his journey includes traveling as a prisoner, a horrifying storm at sea, a life-threatening shipwreck, and a dangerous bite from a venomous snake. This week, we explore how to live as a non-anxious presence in a challenging world.

What comes to mind when you think about power? Our world often associates it with influence, authority, strength, control, recognition, importance. But what if Jesus showed that we had it all wrong? What if he turned everything upside-down? This week, we learn from Paul how to walk in the way of Jesus in a world that rejects it.

Experiencing hard things in life is universal to human existence. The apostle Paul knew this better than anyone, and the way in which he trusted God in the face of pain and suffering gives us all an example to follow. In Acts 21 we learn from Paul about how to trust God with the hard stuff of life.

In Acts chapter 20, we hear Paul speak some final encouragement to the Church before he faces his last days in ministry. This Father’s Day we will consider some powerful truths spoken by a spiritual father that will resound no matter where you are in your faith journey.

The phrase "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" gets used often in our world, both inside the church and even in cultural settings like award acceptance speeches and post-game interviews. It's an easy phrase to throw around, but it's not always an easy truth to live by. In Acts 19 we see several stories that show Jesus as both Savior and Lord, and invite us to recognize him as Savior and Lord in our own lives!

Most of us have ideas about how we want life to work, but our reality rarely looks like our plans. In Acts 18, we see how God brings real-time growth in the midst of real messes. What if we learned to see “church” as a group of friends who walk alongside us in the mess and help us understand the way of God more deeply?

As Christians who live in a complex time, it can be confusing how to feel about our world. On the one hand, we see brokenness that leads to frustration. On the other hand, we see beauty in people made in the image of God, and we are filled with compassion. This weekend, we will study how Paul engages in spiritual conversation with the culture-makers of his day to see how the gospel creates both bridges and barriers.

Spiritual growth isn’t automatic. Different groups have different reactions to Jesus’ message. Some refuse. Some receive. This is why Paul reasoned, explained, and persuaded people with the Scriptures, and this is why some eagerly examined the Scriptures daily for themselves. This week, let’s embrace the noble task of centering our lives in the Word of God.