How does our community move from ordinary to extraordinary? The answer is surprisingly simple.

Acts 9. What a difference when others take an interest in us. Barnabas took an interest in Saul and Wow!

Acts 9. There is no better time than right now for us to announce Jesus to our generation. He brings change for the better for us and the world we live in. Amazing!

Jesus recruits Ananias, one of his followers, to visit Saul after the Road to Damascus encounter. Ananias' first response to the invitation must have been "Do what! You want me to do what?"

Saul experienced the amazing mercy and grace of Jesus in Syria on the road to Damascus with official papers in his pocket to arrest any "renegade Jew" who followed Jesus. Blinded he came to see the truth of the Gospel of the Kingdom.

The Holy Spirit helps Philip meet an Ethiopian on a desolate road to Gaza and the rest is history for us to enjoy and learn from.

We all need to answer three basic questions. When did we accept the message about Jesus? When were we baptized in the name of Jesus? When did we receive the Holy Spirit? These are defining experiences for all who follow Jesus.

Philip announces the message of Messiah and the Kingdom of God to a Samaritan city after a great persecution drives him and other followers of Jesus out of Jerusalem.

Jesus found the Temple in a mess. His Father's House had become a "den of thieves." In particular the Court of the Gentiles served as a bizarre rather than a place to pray and experience the presence of God. So he cleaned house.What about today's "temple" ? The Temple is no longer a building in Jerusalem. That Temple has been torn down. The resurrection of Jesus introduced a new Temple to the world. What does Jesus find when he walks into our Temple?

So Stephen is stoned to death and a great persecution breaks out against those who are following Jesus in Jerusalem. Only the Apostles and the men and women arrested by Saul remain in Jerusalem. The rest are scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. And here is the kicker..."they all become missionaries announcing the message of Jesus." What is this message? What God can turn a great persecution into a missional moment?