Risen Church VB

How much of your day do you spend trying to prove you’re doing okay? One compliment can make you feel like you’re enough. One mistake can make you wonder if you ever were.

In Acts 28, the people of Malta go from calling Paul a murderer to calling him a god. Paul is free to get on with loving the people in front of him because Jesus has already settled where he stands. At the cross, Jesus took the judgment our sin deserved. In him, we’re forgiven and loved by the Father. We can own our sin, let go of the need to prove ourselves, and give our attention to the people God has put in front of us.

What does it look like to stand firm when life gets stormy? Acts 27 reminds us that faith calls us to walk with both courage and wisdom, trusting God’s promises even when circumstances are uncertain. Anchored in Christ, ordinary people can bring hope to others and point a stormy world to Jesus.

What if we’re so focused on what’s next that we miss what God is doing now?

In Acts 25–26, Paul is still in prison, but he keeps pointing people to Jesus. His circumstances haven’t changed. His calling hasn’t either. There’s a difference between waiting on God and keeping God waiting.

The same is true for us. We’re called to share life in Christ right where God has placed us. Our hope is secure because Jesus has already won. We don’t need an easier season to be faithful. It’s game time.

Half-truths might win an argument. They’ll never set you free.

In Acts 24, Paul faces false accusations while Felix hears the truth and puts off responding. Both bring us to a question: Do we want the truth, or just a version that works for us?

Jesus is the truth. Freedom comes when we stop spinning, stop making excuses, and surrender to Him.

You can be right and still respond wrong.

In Acts 23, Paul faces injustice, and his anger gets the best of him. We’ve been there—hurt, frustrated, ready to fire back. But being right doesn’t give us permission to let anger take the lead. God calls us to speak truth with hearts submitted to Him.

Jesus shows us how. He confronted evil without seeking revenge, then took the judgment we deserved on the cross. His grace forgives our failures and gives us strength to respond differently.

Whatever fight you’re facing, keep the hope of the resurrection at the center. Trust God with the outcome. Fight for what’s right without becoming what’s wrong.

What if the worst moment of your life became your greatest opportunity to tell people about Jesus?

In Acts 22, Paul is beaten, chained, and surrounded by an angry crowd. Yet instead of defending himself, he uses the moment to share his testimony.

Paul tells three parts of his story: who he was before Christ, how he encountered Jesus, and how Jesus changed his life.

Paul’s encounter with Jesus shows that Christianity isn’t just about knowing facts; it’s about knowing a person. And his transformed life wasn’t about making Paul look impressive; it was about making Jesus visible.

Your testimony is not about how great you are. It’s about how great Jesus is. And like Paul, we’re called to tell people what we’ve seen and experienced.

What has God entrusted to you—and are you carrying it like it all depends on you?

In Acts 20, Paul says goodbye to leaders he loves and entrusts them to God and His grace. There’s real responsibility ahead, but they won’t carry it alone. Neither do we. Through Jesus, our place with the Father is secure. We can serve faithfully and face uncertainty knowing He’s still holding us.

And this gospel is too good to keep to ourselves. We’ve been entrusted with the good news of Jesus to live it out, pass it on, and make disciples who make disciples.

What changes when Jesus becomes worth more than what we’re holding onto?

In Acts 19, ordinary people heard the gospel, trusted Jesus, and began leaving their old lives behind. Following Him cost them something, but they had found something better.

That same Spirit is at work in us today, changing our desires and giving us courage to share Jesus with the people around us. We don’t have to have it all together to be part of His mission. We are perfectly loved, filled with His Spirit, and sent into a world that needs Him.

Message from Rich Lee on September 6, 2026

Three denials. Three questions. But Jesus doesn’t ask Peter to try harder—he asks, “Do you love me?”

Jonah obeyed with a resentful heart. Peter failed with a fearful one. Yet God’s mission moves through both. Jesus isn’t looking for flawless people; he restores hearts and sends them back out: “Feed my sheep.”

The mission belongs to people who have tasted grace and now carry that grace to others—loving what Jesus loves and faithfully feeding his people with the gospel.